: They symbolize the things we cannot see but which profoundly affect our lives, from environmental changes to internal psychological struggles. Ginko: The Stoic Mediator Mushishi Analysis Part 1: A Shinto World - Theanimehub
: They represent a "visually figurative ontology" where humans are just one part of a democratically leveled ecosystem. Mushishi
The series is deeply rooted in Shinto philosophy, where the world is populated by countless kami (spirits) and the boundary between the sacred and the mundane is porous. : They symbolize the things we cannot see