"Millions of spirits come here to purge themselves of toil and care..."

a clip from the movie Spirited Away

Many of the students that came on this trip, including myself have a fascination with Japan because of the things we watch, eat, and etc. One of things a lot of us share in common is the love of Miyazaki Films. Spirited Away is one of the reasons I became more interested in the country and their culture. Ever since I watched the film back in 2001 it has been my favorite movie of all time! The only reason why I bring this up is because we all finally know how it feels to be those spirits in that bathhouse.

If you've never seen Spirited Away before here is a short synopsis: (taken from Amazon's product description)

From one of the most celebrated filmmakers in the history of animated cinema comes the most acclaimed film of 2002. Hayao Miyazaki's latest triumph, filled with astonishing animation and epic adventure, is a dazzling masterpiece for the ages. It's a "wonderfully welcoming work of art that's as funny and entertaining as it is brilliant, beautiful, and deep" (Joe Morgenstern, Wall Street Journal). SPIRITED AWAY is a wondrous fantasy about a young girl, Chihiro, trapped in a strange new world of spirits. When her parents undergo a mysterious transformation, she must call upon the courage she never knew she had to free herself and return her family to the outside world. An unforgettable story brimming with creativity, SPIRITED AWAY will take you on a journey beyond your imagination. "To enter the world of Hayao Miyazaki is to experience a kind of lighthearted enchantment that is unique to the world of animation" (Roger Ebert, Chicago Sun-Times). It's a fantastic tale the whole family will want to experience over and over again.~~(c) 2001 Nibariki -- GNDDTM

So basically, Chihiro needs a job and she was asking the head master, Yubaba, for one. The spirit world isn't very kind to humans and Yubaba explained, "Why would I need a weakling like you? Besides, this is no place for humans. Millions of spirits come here to purge themselves of toil and care."

This concept of a bathhouse always befuddled me and I never understood the concept. I actually thought this concept was only in the film and was a "spiritual" concept. However, I've experienced my own bathhouse scene which made me feel like some of those spirits.

During my absolutely lovely time at my homestay, our homestay okaasan (mother) took us to a public onsen which was a 5 minute drive from the house. It was separated according to gender, which was a relief to me. But the idea of being nude in front of people in general is slightly uncomfortable. The most awkward part was the stripping of the clothes. I could remember all of us giggling and telling each other just look up and get into the bath part as soon as we can. I remember our okaasan laughing at our shyness. In onsen, you have to shower yourself before you take a dip into the actual onsen or "hot tub." Towels are not allowed in the onsen area, therefore they have to come off before you step into the shower and onsen area.

It was the point where we were all nude, realizing we were all feeling the same way is when we broke the walls of insecurity and uncomfortable-ness. People come to the onsen to purge themselves of toil and care, they don't have the time to look at you and judge you. They don't have the time to talk about you and ridicule you. They don't have the time to praise you and be in awe of you. Onsen time is a time for yourself, for your own relaxation and health. And thanks to Spirited Away I knew that you put the towel on your forehead, so I felt pretty good about knowing that, haha!

This part of their culture may seem minuscule but it is a huge eye opener for me. Their group mentality comes down to being able to take baths together without having to care about all the other things in the world. It's amazing to see the differences of the cultures and I was feeling blessed to be able to walk the bridge to the other side and experience this part of their culture. Honestly, it got easier and easier to take the towel off and rid myself of the toil and cares of the world. I'm typing this now wishing there was an onsen 5 minutes from my apartment because after all these finals, even the spirits know I need one.