Spirited Away: Trivia & Fun Facts – Introducing Behind-the-Scenes Stories and Production Secrets

Spirited Away(Official) is a feature-length animated film directed by Hayao Miyazaki, released in 2001.

In this article, I would like to compile some trivia and tidbits regarding Spirited Away. While not necessarily essential for understanding the main story, I believe there are some quite interesting facts included.

*This article is an English translation of the original Japanese article, “【千と千尋の神隠し】雑学＆豆知識集-裏話や制作秘話を紹介-”.

Trivia & Tidbits Collection of Spirited Away

Chihiro’s Model is a Real Girl Named Chiaki

Chihiro, the protagonist of Spirited Away, has a clear model. It is a girl named Chiaki, who was exactly 10 years old at the time and the daughter of Seiji Okuda, who was in charge of Ghibli at Nippon Television.

After Princess Mononoke, planning for the next work was underway; there was one adaptation of an existing work and one original concept, but both ended up being rejected.

What Director Hayao Miyazaki proposed after that was “Chiaki’s Movie.” He apparently had some rather meddlesome thoughts like, “If we leave her to those parents, what will happen to Chiaki? Shouldn’t we make a movie for Chiaki?” Also, at the production report meeting held at the Edo-Tokyo Open Air Architectural Museum on March 26, 2001, Director Miyazaki spoke as follows:

“Actually, I have about five girlfriends who are just around Hiiragi-san’s age (13 years old at the time), whom I’ve known well since they were babies. I spend two or three days with them at a mountain cabin every summer. Watching those children, I felt there wasn’t a movie for them, and I wanted to make a movie that they could truly enjoy. That was the aim, or rather the trigger.”

(Original Text, in Japanese)
「実は僕には、ちょうど柊さん(当時13歳)くらいの、赤ん坊の頃からよく知っているガールフレンドが５人ほどいまして、毎年夏に山小屋で2、3日一緒に過ごすんですが、その子達を見ていて、この子達のための映画がないなとおもいまして、その子達が本当に楽しめる映画を作ろうと思ったのが、狙いというかきっかけです。」

He also stated at the same time that he came up with the idea when his “girlfriends,” as he calls them, were about 10 years old.

In Early Concepts, Zeniba Was the Final Boss, and No-Face Was a Minor Role

The climax of Spirited Away as we know it today is the scene of No-Face’s rampage. However, in the initial concept, No-Face was completely a supporting character, and it was a “coincidence” that it took its current form.

In the initial concept (around the time when the first 40 minutes of storyboards were done), the story was that after defeating Yubaba, they discover there is an even more powerful witch named Zeniba, and they join forces with Haku to defeat Zeniba as well (after which she succeeds in turning her parents back).

However, trying to realize this initial concept would result in a film exceeding three hours. To realize it, the production period would have to be extended by a year. Although Director Hayao Miyazaki and Supervising Animator Masashi Ando opposed Toshio Suzuki’s point, they eventually settled on the current form.

Regarding this matter, Toshio Suzuki speaks as follows in Ghibli Textbook 12: Spirited Away(ジブリの教科書12 千と千尋の神隠し, in Japanese):

“(Regarding the initial concept) Miya-san spoke passionately, but it didn’t really click with me. No, to be honest, I thought it might be a bit ridiculous (bitter laugh). But I couldn’t say that frankly, right?”

(Original Text, in Japanese)
「(初期構想について)宮さんは熱弁してくれたんですけど、僕はあまりピンとこなかった。いや、正直にいうと、ちょっとバカバカしいんじゃないかと思った（苦笑）。だけど、それを率直にいうわけにもいかないですよね。」

According to Toshio Suzuki, the number “3 hours” seems to have come out on the spur of the moment, but as a result, that specific number caused a change in direction, leading to the story we know today.

Then, Hayao Miyazaki, who showed rejection to Suzuki’s words “We can extend the release date if it’s now,” proposed the idea of bringing No-Face to the forefront after a brief silence. It is said that Toshio Suzuki made the final decision on whether to go with the original plan or the No-Face plan.

Objectively, it seems the flow was like this… but somehow, within this sequence of events, I feel I can glimpse the “Ah-Un breathing” (unspoken understanding) between Hayao Miyazaki and Toshio Suzuki. I cannot possibly believe that Hayao Miyazaki, who has been making movies for many years, could not recognize that the initial draft would exceed three hours. It is natural to think that Miyazaki knew it too.

So, why did such a flow occur? Perhaps Miyazaki himself didn’t find this “initial draft” interesting either. On the other hand, he couldn’t have complete confidence in a story centered on No-Face. So, by letting Toshio Suzuki choose, he tried to promote the No-Face plan (or perhaps tried to gain confidence in that plan). Of course, this is just my imagination, but I don’t think it’s that far off.

Bunta Sugawara Was Cast as Kamaji on Toshio Suzuki’s Recommendation

Starting with Mari Natsuki as Yubaba (and Zeniba), I think many of the voice actors in Spirited Away were perfectly cast, and Bunta Sugawara, who voiced Kamaji, was one of them.

And like me, there must be many people who are impressed by Kamaji’s line, “Don’t you get it? It’s love, love.“

Behind the decision to cast Bunta Sugawara was Toshio Suzuki’s proposal that “Only Sugawara-san can give persuasive power to the line about love.“

The Theme Song Was Made for the Rejected Project “Rin the Chimney Painter”

The theme song (ending theme) of Spirited Away is “Always With Me” (Itsumo Nando Demo) by Yumi Kimura. I also love this song very much, but the original theme song was supposed to be a song called “To the River of That Day” (Ano Hi no Kawa e), composed by Joe Hisaishi with lyrics by Hayao Miyazaki. However, the lyric writing process ran into difficulties, and the flow changed when Miyazaki, remembering “Always With Me,” proposed making it the theme song.

The key point is that Hayao Miyazaki “remembered” “Always With Me.” In fact, this song was “voluntarily” created by Yumi Kimura and Wakako Kaku for a completely different project called “Rin the Chimney Painter.” The outline of the events leading up to this is as follows:

This itself sounds like fiction, but such things actually happened.

By the way, “Rin the Chimney Painter” is a rejected project that existed before Spirited Away, but some fragmentary information is known, and it seems to have been something like this:

I kind of feel like I want to see it… but what do you all think?

The Project “Rin the Chimney Painter” Was Ousted by “Bayside Shakedown,” Starting “Chiaki’s Movie”

As mentioned earlier, there was a project called “Rin the Chimney Painter” before Spirited Away, but it was actually Bayside Shakedown The Movie that blew that project away.

Around the time when Hayao Miyazaki was proceeding with the “Rin the Chimney Painter” project and drawing image boards furiously, Toshio Suzuki watched Bayside Shakedown The Movie. In Ghibli Textbook 12: Spirited Away(ジブリの教科書12 千と千尋の神隠し, in Japanese), Toshio Suzuki speaks as follows:

“While pretending to be a comedy-touch police drama, the mood, way of seeing things, and behavioral patterns of today’s young people are all expressed brilliantly. I was made to realize, ‘This is the modern age.’”

(Original Text, in Japanese)
「コメディタッチの刑事もののふりをしながら、今の若者たちの気分、ものの見方、行動パターン、すべてが見事に表現されている。これが現代かと思い知らされました。」

Rin, the protagonist of “Rin the Chimney Painter,” is 20 years old. For Toshio Suzuki, there was a fear of whether Hayao Miyazaki, who was nearing his 60th birthday at the time, could realistically depict a 20-year-old youth. Later, Toshio Suzuki went to Hayao Miyazaki’s atelier and stated his impressions of the movie. Immediately sensing Toshio Suzuki’s intention, Hayao Miyazaki threw away the large number of image boards he had already drawn and proposed, “Let’s do Chiaki’s movie.”

It is an episode that surprises us with Hayao Miyazaki’s judgment and speed of decision-making, but here too, I feel the “Ah-Un breathing” between Hayao Miyazaki and Toshio Suzuki. Even though a large number of image boards had been drawn, perhaps Hayao Miyazaki himself didn’t feel quite right about it. On the other hand, the project leading to Spirited Away was growing larger within him.

It seems that hearing Toshio Suzuki’s impressions of Bayside Shakedown allowed him to make a clean break. The truth is in the dark, though.

Spirited Away Started from a Cabaret Club Story Heard by Toshio Suzuki

Spirited Away won the Golden Bear, the highest prize, at the 52nd Berlin International Film Festival in 2002, and the Academy Award for Best Animated Feature at the 75th Academy Awards in the following year, 2003. In reality, Hayao Miyazaki himself did not appear on stage at the award ceremony for either award.

On the other hand, he received the Japan Foundation Award 2005(Official) and attended that award ceremony.

And after that award ceremony, Hayao Miyazaki told Toshio Suzuki, “This movie started with a single word from you, Suzuki-san.” “You don’t remember? It’s the story about the cabaret club.” The story about the cabaret club is a story Toshio Suzuki heard from an acquaintance who likes cabaret clubs, and it is described as follows in Ghibli Textbook 12: Spirited Away(ジブリの教科書12 千と千尋の神隠し, in Japanese):

Many girls who come to work at cabaret clubs are originally shy and not good at communicating with people. However, out of necessity, as they try hard to talk with various customers, they gradually become energetic.

(Original Text, in Japanese)
キャバクラへ働きに来る子たちは、もともと引っ込み思案で、人とのコミュニケーションがうまくできない子も多い。ところが、必要に迫られて、一生懸命いろんなお客さんと会話するうちにだんだん元気になっていく。

It is certainly a story that overlaps with Chihiro in Spirited Away.

The Terrifying Fate of Those Who Don’t Work

In the movie, Chihiro keeps saying only “Please let me work” to Yubaba. As a result, she gets a job and reaches the final happy ending, but what would have happened if Chihiro had flinched and said something like “Actually, never mind” there? It is a very natural question, but the answer to that question is actually described in the proposal “Chihiro of the Mysterious Town: The Aim of This Film” by Hayao Miyazaki:

In the bathhouse ruled by Yubaba, if one utters even a single word like “I don’t want to” or “I want to go home,” the witch will immediately throw Chihiro out, and she will have no choice but to wander aimlessly until she disappears or become a chicken and keep laying eggs until she is eaten.

(Original Text, in Japanese)
湯婆婆が支配する湯屋では、「いやだ」「帰りたい」と一言でも口にしたら、魔女はたちまち千尋を放り出し、彼女はどこにも行くあてのないままさまよい消滅するか、ニワトリにされて食われるまで卵を生みつづけるかの道しかなくなる。

What a terrifying fate. The very fact that Chihiro was able to keep saying “Please let me work” there might be said to have expressed Chihiro’s will to live.

Yubaba’s Floor is Dark to “Save Costs”

The office floor of Yubaba that Chihiro reaches in the early part of the movie was strangely dim. That dimness links with Chihiro’s fear and creates an extremely good atmosphere. Of course, I am certain there was such an expressive intention, but an interesting behind-the-scenes story is told by Supervising Animator Masashi Ando.

According to Masashi Ando, Yubaba is imaged as a “nasty nouveau riche” and is intentionally drawn gaudily (that was also Hayao Miyazaki’s aim). On the other hand, he also speaks as follows in Ghibli Textbook 12: Spirited Away(ジブリの教科書12 千と千尋の神隠し, in Japanese):

Yubaba herself keeps the top floor of the bathhouse where she lives quite dim, adopting an energy-saving system. It’s for cost reduction (laughs). It seems that she is racking her brain considerably as a manager with that.

(Original Text, in Japanese)
湯婆婆自身は、自分が住んでいる湯屋の最上階などはかなり薄暗くして省エネ体制をとっているんです。経費削減ということで（笑い）。あれで相当経営者として頭を悩ませているということらしいです。

What a “human” story.

At the End of the Story, Chihiro Forgets the Events at the Bathhouse After Passing Through the Tunnel

During the movie, Chihiro undergoes various experiences in the mysterious world, but living while carrying such memories seems quite painful. At the very least, no one would believe her. However, in reality, Chihiro has forgotten what happened on the other side of the tunnel. That fact is clearly written in the storyboards:

This makes one feel a bit lonely, but what comes into play here is Zeniba’s line, “Once you’ve met someone, you never really forget them. It just takes a while for your memories to return.” Even if she has forgotten on the surface, those experiences are properly accumulated within Chihiro and become the foundation of her subsequent life.