Spirited Away is a great movie where you can see religious Shinto references.

Rating: 10/10 (24 April 2016)

If you have ever watched the movie Spirited Away, you may have noticed some unusual things about it. As you watch the movie there are many odd and fascinating things. Some people only see the odd but for some there is a much deeper meaning. They see the movie as something with more symbolism than meets the eye. The Journal of Religion and Film does just that. In an article titled Shinto Perspectives in Miyazaki's Anime Film "Spirited Away." James W. Boyd and Tetsuya Nishimura analyze the odd things you may encounter in the movie and explain them by referring to the Shinto religion. In the movie, for example, when the spirits go to a bathhouse to cleanse themselves. While this may be a strange and surreal moment for a Western viewer, it is deeply meaningful to practitioner of Shintoism, because a key tenet of that faith is the idea of purity. And this theme of purifying oneself runs throughout the film. The article explains that, like a mirror covered with dust, the disposition of our personality, becomes clouded and opaque. One would then have to purify oneself in order to become clean again. You can see this represented by the bathhouse in the movie.
It helps to analyze the symbolism within the movie Spirited Away. When you watch the movie pay attention to the details in the background. You then need to look at the many parallels between what you see in the movie and the Shinto religion. There is a lot to be learned by watching Miyazaki's movies. As you examine the lessons within his movies, you can begin to more fully understand Japanese culture and the values you grew up with.
With this new understanding of Spirited Away, one can see beyond the magical world created in the film. You don't just see a bathhouse, you see a symbol of purification as viewed in the Shinto religion. When you look at Chihiro you can see a girl who may also need to be purified in her own way. Of course when you see the multitude of spirits that come for a bath you are reminded that the world we live in may be more than we thought. You have a better appreciation for the work Miyazaki has done.