It is worth noting that generally these kami are not at all of high status. While one polluted river spirit cleansed by Chihiro is apparently quite important, others are quite ordinary, despite being gods, and most travel in groups. In the bathhouse garden, flowers from all year round bloom at the same time. All the seasons take place simultaneously, symbolizing that this is not the real world. Miyazaki did not invent this idea himself. In Pure Land Buddhism, those who show faith in Amida Buddha are reborn in the Pure Land, an eternal paradise, after their death. From the Heian period (794–1185), the technique seen in the film has been used to depict the Pure Land. Throughout his works, Miyazaki takes inspiration from traditional Japanese culture and adapts it for his artistic visions.

The iconic Pixar lamp could have also inspired the hopping lantern as they both act in similar ways. As Spirited Away takes a lot of inspiration from yokai and kami, it is more likely that this is a tsukumogami. This type of yokai is a very strange one as they appear as objects acquired or possessed by spirits. In Spirited Away, the tsukumogami make a very brief cameo as the hopping lanturn which guides Chihiro and No-Face to Zeniba. This large/small combination seems to symbolize overflowing desire and the weak spirit unable to control it. Although he swallows other characters, he regurgitates them just as they are, which may show that knowledge and experience cannot truly be made one’s own. It could be that No-Face represents us all.As a result, a lot of people found out about kami and yokai from Spirited Away. These Japanese spirits are everywhere in Spirited Away. Some have large roles, others have small cameos – but which yokai make an appearance? According to Kamajī, Susuwatari was created by magic, and if they don't work diligently, the magic would dissolve, resulting in their disappear. This served as the inspiration for the character of Boh, Yubaba’s giant baby son. Boh is very strong due to his size and is being raised by Yubaba, who is also inspired by the yokai yama-uba. There are no yokai from Japanese folklore similar to this type of yokai, but they are yokai nonetheless. They take inspiration from the general idea and tales of yokai overall – ghosts or spirits that roam Japan. Chihiro is the name of the main character, a 10-year-old girl. Miyazaki said that girls of that age are tough these days, which is why he chose one as the heroine. She is the daughter of middle-class parents, as is apparent from the four-wheel-drive Audi they own, the upscale brand of the supermarket bag inside, and the relatively young age at which they have been able to buy a detached house in the suburbs. The couple and their daughter Chihiro are selfish, ill-mannered, and devoted to their desires. They are typical of the Japanese people of the time, who ignored the country’s traditional, spiritual culture to sing the praises of economic prosperity.

At the start of Spirited Away, Chihiro’s father gets lost and takes the wrong road. This pattern of traveling along a mistaken path as a route to entering an entirely different world is very similar to Dante’s Divine Comedy. While Chihiro’s voyage is not on the same scale, it does an excellent job of presenting Japan’s unique spiritual world. Thunder and Lightning of the Gods However, when they leave the tunnel, the wall has changed to look completely different from when they went in, overgrown with vegetation, while their car is covered in dust and leaves. Some considerable time may have passed, and if so, one worries whether Chihiro and her family have really returned to where they came from. The Bathhouse Garden The susuwatari also make an appearance in other Ghibli movies like My Neighbor Totoro – see if you can spot them! The Onama-Sama share a lot of similarities to the Namahage. Those are yokai from the Oga Peninsula with ogre-like faces and straw capes. Today, Namahage appear during New Year’s rituals and celebrations. The Ushi-Oni are a type of yokai from western Japan. They are also known as the gyuki and are mostly depicted as beasts with cow-like heads. They make a very brief appearance in Spirited Away as guests to the bathhouse.

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You can see it taking up all the space in the elevator – forcing more Chichiro to squeeze her way in. This makes them the perfect yokai to base the main villain, Yubaba, from. Yubaba is a greedy, selfish crone who runs the bathhouse and treats her workers poorly.