Spirited Away

The spirit world or realm is a central motif in Spirited Away. It is a world apart from the everyday human world, but Chihiro and her parents find themselves drawn right into it as they drive to their new home on the hilltop. Chihiro’s father makes a wrong turn and starts careening down a forested path. As he drives, Chihiro notices shrines and guardian statues in the woods. First, she sees a pile of Hokora strewn in a pile beside the road. These miniature Shinto shrines are usually meticulously placed, and to see them this way is odd. Chihiro’s mother scoffs at the shrines, showcasing her lack of regard for nature and the spirit world. Although Chihiro is not spiritually aware, she still senses that something is wrong. Still, her father drives on, and she spots a Dosojin statue staring at her in the trees. A Dosojin is a Shinto guardian deity with two faces. They are commonly placed at entrances and barriers, and in this case, the Dosojin are guarding the entrance to the spirit realm.

A Dosojin is standing right in the middle of the road, and Father grinds the vehicle to a halt when he sees it. This Dosojin stands in front of the tunnel leading to the amusement park where the spirits reside. Chihiro stares at it with apprehension, but her parents take no notice and continue on. On the other side of the entrance, a wide field exists, and it is lined with many Dosojin. Chihiro and her parents follow the path to a dried-up river and cross it. As they do so, they enter the spirit world and begin smelling food.

Spirits themselves hold a significant place in Spirited Away, and the title plays on the word spirit, meaning to “remove” or “kidnap.” In the story, spirits also exist as living characters who can influence Chihiro and her parents and smell and interact with them. Yubaba, a witch who has gained control of a spirit bathhouse, runs it for profit. The bathhouse exists to cleanse spirits of dark energy, emotions, memories, and filth. It also houses several workers, all of whom seem to be of a toad or frog. As night falls on the park, Chihiro witnesses a riverboat full of spirits enter the park. She also walks across the bridge to the bathhouse and is instructed to hold her breath by Haku, who has used a spell to make her invisible to them: “Even the tiniest breath will break the spell…And then everyone will see you” (123). There is a duck spirit with a leaf on its head, a No-Face greed spirit that Chihiro later befriends, and many others. Chihiro and Haku overhear the workers saying they can smell a human, and Haku tells Chihiro to seek out Kamaji, the boiler man, to get a job at the bathhouse. In doing so, she will become part of the spirit world for a time and be able to stay there and save her parents. Now that Chihiro is trapped by the river and bound by love for her parents, she has no choice but to follow Haku’s advice.