Not only was the movie beautifully animated but it also introduced a lot of people to some of the mythology and culture of Japan. 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. The Kappa make an appearance in Spirited Away as the mysterious river spirit Chihiro must run a bath for. 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. 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.

When Chihiro was a child, she once fell into the Kohaku river but was safely washed ashore. This is why she and Haku have such a close connection. 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. A kamikakushi refers to the sudden vanishing of somebody for no reason. It was apparently due to the absence of a known reason that such events were attributed to the kami (gods). Or it might be that identifying the kami as the perpetrators was a way of finding acceptance. Kasuga-sama are a type of yokai which make a brief appearance on the boat that approaches the bathhouse in the beginning of the movie. At first, they are invisible and you can only see the paper masks they wear. When Chichiro first appears in the spirit’s realm, she sees multiple different shadows appear in the town as it comes to life. These dark shadows are the yokai Umi-Bozu – sea spirits which appear as dark shapes or outlines with white glowing eyes.It does return to its usual timid self by the end of the movie, thanks to Chihiro and her emetic dumpling.

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. The river spirit stinks out the whole bathhouse. Later, Chihiro soon realizes that the spirit is hurting from all the pollution trapped within it. 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 tsuchigumo are a type of yokai from Japanese folklore. They are also known by several other names such as yatsukahagi or ogumo. They appear in artworks as giant, spider-like monsters but their appearance in Spirited Away is very different.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?