Name = Identity: The Importance of Reclaiming One's True Name
In the film Spirited Away, 'name' is more than a mere label—it is a key keyword symbolizing the fundamental identity of existence. The process through which protagonist Chihiro obtains the alias 'Sen' at the bathhouse from Yubaba, and Haku's journey to recover his true name 'Nigihayami Kohaku Nushi,' symbolically show the process of recovering a lost self and discovering one's true identity.
The Loss and Reconstruction of a Name: The Most Fundamental Thing Called Identity
Spirited Away deals with Chihiro's survival story, but at its center a vast narrative device around "names" is at work. In this work, a name is not merely a label by which one is called—it is the very reason a being exists in the world: one's "identity" itself.
1. The Theft of the Name: From "Chihiro" to "Sen"
When Chihiro arrives at the bathhouse, she still has her real name "Ogino Chihiro." But Yubaba seizes Chihiro's real name and bestows upon her the alias "Sen." This is Chihiro's first identity crisis.
- Symbolic Meaning: Yubaba forces Chihiro to become part of a great system. Losing her real name means being absorbed—along with her past, her roots, and even her human vulnerability—into the system. As "Sen," Chihiro is temporarily separated from her original self and can only focus on survival and labor.
- Acquisition of Survival Skills: The loss of a name transforms Chihiro from a passive victim to an active worker. As "Sen," performing the role of a bathhouse employee, she learns the skills and courage necessary for survival.
2. Haku's Recovery of His True Name: The Sacred Self Connected to Memory
The most dramatic name recovery in Chihiro's journey happens with Haku. Haku is a boy at the bathhouse and a river spirit (江神), but he lives having forgotten his true name: "Nigihayami Kohaku Nushi."
- The Medium of Memory: Haku's process of recovering his true name is accomplished through the medium of "memory"—Chihiro caring for and rescuing him, and looking back on her own past. When Chihiro tells Haku about the memory of herself falling into a stream as a child and the stream's name being "Kohaku," Haku finally recovers his sacred roots.
- The Sacred Link: Haku's true name is deeply connected to the river he guards. Remembering one's true name means recovering the origin of one's world and the being one must protect.
3. The Completion of Name Recovery: Self-Acceptance and Farewell
The recovery of both protagonists' names bursts forth simultaneously at the film's climax. Chihiro recovers her real name "Chihiro" through Haku, and Haku recovers his real name through Chihiro's memories.
- A Self-Directed Conclusion: What is important is that this process is not a name given or taken by external power, but recovered proactively through one's own memories and relationships with others. Chihiro helps Haku, Haku tells Chihiro her real name, and by recognizing each other's existence, the two establish a complete sense of self.
- Moving Forward into the Future: After recovering his true name, Haku advises Chihiro: "I can't go any further. Just go back the way you came, and don't look back until you leave the tunnel." This holds the meaning of having established one's identity while also delivering the message that one must move forward into a new life without being bound by past experiences. Chihiro's struggle not to look back shows the mature will not to allow past experiences to define her.
Why It Matters
The connection between name and identity in this work is a powerful metaphor directed at all of us living in modern society. The loss and recovery of Chihiro's name is similar to the 'role-playing' we experience in social life. We perform various roles—employee, student, child—and use countless 'aliases,' but in that process it is easy to lose our original self. This film argues that even within the most enormous system (the bathhouse), holding onto one's own memories and sincere relationships (the bond with Haku) is the only way to preserve the true self. Therefore, the recovery of the 'name' is the very mature journey of Chihiro learning 'how not to lose oneself.'
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Early Concepts and Genre Experimentation
Spirited Away is not a simple fantasy coming-of-age story—it is a complex work that passed through multiple genre experiments and planning failures before completion. Early stages included various genre experiments such as 'A Strange Town in the Mist' and a noir-genre story featuring an 18-year-old art student. These backgrounds provided the foundation for the film to carry both its fantastical depth and a sharp critical consciousness of contemporary reality.
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The Stink Spirit and the Discovery of the Bicycle Handle
The process of washing the Stink Spirit is more than labor—it symbolizes that Chihiro is the agent who restores essential purity within the corrupted civilization and desire system. This scene demonstrates that all the trials Chihiro faces are ultimately the process of 'purification,' and that her growth is deeply connected to physical cleaning and the rediscovery of sacred essence. It is a key iconic scene.
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The Meaning and Origins of the Bathhouse Name
The spirit bathhouse 'Yubaba' (Aburaya) in the film is more than a mere backdrop—it is a vast symbolic space where the spirit world, human desire, and capitalism intermingle. The name itself derives from a wordplay on 'oil shop,' and as a space commercialized for the gods' fatigue, it functions as a device that sharply satirizes the consumerism and desires of modern society.
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Spirited Away
15 deep dives in total