Spirited Away Hayao Miyazaki

CONTENTS The Story .............................................................................................................................................. 3

Two Worlds .......................................................................................................................................... 3

The Bathhouse .................................................................................................................................... 3

Chihiro ................................................................................................................................................... 4

Japanese Culture ................................................................................................................................ 4

Shinto .................................................................................................................................................... 4

The Natural World ............................................................................................................................... 4

No Face ................................................................................................................................................ 4

Characters ............................................................................................................................................ 5

Anime .................................................................................................................................................... 5

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SPIRITED AWAY (HAYAO MIYAZAKI, 2002)

Spirited Away tells the story of 10 year old Chihiro. We first meet Chihiro travelling with her parents to their new home. After they stop at an abandoned amusement park, Chihiro finds herself separated from her parents and plunged into a fantasy world. Chihiro must find new personal resources and strength of character if she is to survive and return to her parents.

THE STORY

Director Hayao Miyazaki had Lewis Carroll’s Alice in Wonderland in mind when making this film.

What are some of the similarities between Alice in Wonderland and Spirited Away?

Are Chihiro and Alice similar characters?

The story of Spirited Away comes full circle as Chihiro is reunited with her parents

and they resume their journey to their new house. Explain what has changed.

Describe how Chihiro has changed. What have we learned?

TWO WORLDS

Spirited Away is set in two separate worlds: the everyday world and an alternative spirit world. The amusement park is a place in between.

Describe the two worlds.

What happens on the bridge to the bathhouse?

The Bathhouse

What are some of the things that happen here?

Describe the characters who work there as well as its customers.

Design a spirit character who might live in the bathhouse. Draw the character and

explain how it behaves, what it sounds like and why it is there.

Describe the most memorable space in the bathhouse.

While Chihiro is in the spirit world of the bathhouse she moves from one space to another. She begins underground in the boiler room and eventually makes her way to the top where Yubaba lives.

Can you describe the way that the different parts of the Bathhouse connect and

how this relates to Chihiro’s experience there?

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CHIHIRO

Hayao Miyazaki wrote Spirited Away because he was worried that Japanese children had become too spoiled and lacked independence. He wanted to portray a child character who was courageous and independent.

Describe your first impressions of Chihiro.

What are some of the challenges she faces?

How does she change?

What are some of the ways she shows her growing independence?

Focus on Chihiro’s response to the steep stairs on the outside of the bathhouse.

How does she behave the first time she uses them and how does this change on

the following occasion? Why does this change take place?

A lot of the film is presented from Chihiro’s point of view, so that we the audience

can relate to the way that she is feeling. Can you think of an example?

JAPANESE CULTURE

Spirited Away draws on Japanese culture and imagery to appeal to Japanese audiences.

What aspects of the bathhouse relate to Japanese culture – either past or present?

(Think about what people eat, their clothes, the bath, the interiors.)

SHINTO

The national Japanese religion Shinto is based on the belief that gods and spirits are everywhere, a continuous part of life. They are in the rivers, the trees and people’s houses.

What are some of the ways that Spirited Away suggests this idea?

Describe some of the spirits that inhabit the fantasy world of the bathhouse.

Think about the everyday world from which Chihiro comes. How are Japanese

Shinto beliefs portrayed in these scenes?

THE NATURAL WORLD

Hayao Miyazaki always focuses on nature and on the importance of respecting the natural world.

How does Haku link up with this ongoing concern?

What is the message being communicated through this character?

Describe the Stink Monster scene and what we learn from that.

Why is water such an important image in Spirited Away?

NO FACE

Hayao Miyazaki tells us that No-Face is a wandering god who has no home and no basis

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in Japanese folklore. This character represents modern Japan.

If this is so, what is this character telling us about modern Japan?

We know that Japan and the Japanese people have many wonderful and inspiring qualities and attributes.

Create your own character representing one of the things you most like about

Japanese culture. (For instance, you might like to focus on the selflessness and

community spirit that arose after the terrible tsunami that took place in March 2011.

CHARACTERS

There are many strange and wonderful characters in Spirited Away, most of whom transform and surprise us.

Make a list of the characters that Chihiro meets beginning with Kamaji, the man with

six arms in the boiler room. Describe your first impressions and the changes that

subsequently take place.

ANIME

What is anime?

Find out about anime in Japan.

What other films has Hayao Miyazaki directed?

What is the name of the studio where he creates his films?

Watch another anime film or episode from a television program and compare it with

Spirited Away. You may like to choose another Hayao Miyazaki film or go for

something quite different.