The meaning of arched bridges in Spirited Away… and in Japan in general - Video

In Spirited Away, there is a red bridge that leads to the bath house. And if you remember, it’s arched. Arched red bridges have a special meaning in Japanese Shinto belief.

If you’ve visited a major shrine in Japan, you might have come across super steep arched bridges, and you might have wondered if the engineer was hardcore anti-barrier-free or something.

It’s difficult to cross these bridges because they are not meant for you humans. These bridges signify the boundary between our world and the world of the gods. So only gods are expected to cross it.

The other meaning of these bridges is to cleanse your soul with the water flowing under it. Either way, it’s a sacred facility.

But Chihiro’s just a kid and she knows none of this. So she climbs on the railing like it’s a monkey bar. And when she turns around, Haku is there, and he is pissed!!!!!

I just thought knowing this will make that scene extra funny. Enjoy!

▶︎ Hi, I’m Kyota, the author of Amazon Best Sellers [Folk Tales of Japan], [Underdogs of Japanese History], and [Horror Tales of Japan].

Please check out my books on Amazon or from my profile page at ☺️: https://kyotako.myportfolio.com/