Japanese folklore

His Studio Ghibli films like Spirited Away and Princess Mononoke are deeply rooted in Shinto mythology, yokai folklore, and traditional Japanese spiritual concepts.

He frequently incorporates Japanese folklore, supernatural elements, and traditional myths into his films, as seen in works like Audition and Ichi the Killer.

His masterpiece Kwaidan is a direct adaptation of Lafcadio Hearn's collection of Japanese ghost stories and folklore, presented as a visually stunning horror anthology.