01
Jiufen's narrow steps
Jiufen in New Taipei. Made known by <City of Sadness> in the late 1990s, the <Spirited Away> fandom joined the pilgrimage — averaging 5,000 visitors a day.
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애니메이션 · 2001 · Animation
Spirited Away
Sen to Chihiro no Kamikakushi
Synopsis
Explore the real places that inspired Studio Ghibli's masterpiece Spirited Away.
Locations
3 spots
Region
대만 · 도쿄도 · 야마가타현
Released
July 20, 2001
Director
Hayao Miyazaki
All Locations
3 · in order
Itinerary
A Day's Journey
A route that follows the work's scenes in order. Match the travel times and filming hours, and the air of that day will come close to you.
01
대만 지우펀 (온천마을 모티브)
좁은 골목과 붉은 등불이 늘어선 찻집 거리가 작품 속 온천마을의 분위기와 닮아 모티브로 알려진 장소
타이베이 루이팡역에서 버스
02
에도도쿄 건물원 (목욕탕 모티브)
미야자키 하야오 감독이 직접 영감을 받았다고 밝힌 건물원의 전통 건축물들이 유바바의 목욕탕 디자인에 반영됨
JR 무사시코가네이역에서
03
긴잔온천 (온천거리 모티브)
겨울밤 가스등이 켜진 온천거리의 풍경이 작품 속 온천마을의 야경과 유사하여 성지로 불리는 곳
JR 오이시다역에서 버스
Editorial · 01
Spirited Away, Lanterns of Jiufen
Spirited Away, lanterns of Jiufen
Hayao Miyazaki's 2001 <Spirited Away> won the Oscar for Best Animated Feature. The townscapes of Jiufen in Taiwan and Dogo Onsen in Japan are the models for the 'bathhouse.'
Miyazaki himself denied 'Jiufen as the model,' but Jiufen's narrow steps + red lanterns + mist match the work's mise-en-scène — and have been adopted by fandom as a 'spiritual landscape.'
The main building of Dogo Onsen in Matsuyama, Ehime is another model theory. The 1894 three-story wooden building + baths + rooftop garden mirror the bathhouse's structure.
Forget your name and you forget the way home. — Haku
Still · 2001 · Hayao Miyazaki
Behind · 02
What happened behind the scenes?
02
Dogo Onsen main building
An 1894 Important Cultural Property of Japan. The exterior and interior baths are both held to be models of the work's mise-en-scène.
03
Bathhouse rooftop garden
Theorized as a composite of Dogo Onsen's rooftop garden and other onsen. The rooftop scene's light matches Dogo Onsen at dusk.
Guide · 03
Where should you go?
Best Season
October to November (Jiufen foliage + Dogo Onsen autumn)
Transport
Taipei → Jiufen bus 1 h / flight to Matsuyama
DAY 1 · Jiufen
14:00
Taipei → Jiufen bus
Bus 1062, 1 hour.
16:00
Jiufen's narrow steps
Dusk-lantern time.
18:30
Jiufen teahouse
'A-Mei Teahouse' is the signature.
DAY 2 · Dogo Onsen
11:00
Matsuyama → Dogo Onsen
25-min tram ride.
14:00
Dogo Onsen main building
Exterior photo + interior bath.
18:00
Dogo shopping street
Old-school street in front of the onsen.
Pilgrimage · 04
How are fans visiting?
How to Pose
01
Jiufen steps
Dusk + lit lanterns; wide lens + side angle.
02
Dogo Onsen main building
Front-facing wide lens · 3-story wooden façade.
Check-ins
18,240
People who have walked this journey
Visitor Notes
“Jiufen is best arriving just before dusk. Lantern-on + fog + foliage.”
“Dogo Onsen is quiet on weekday mornings. For exteriors, shoot from the alley entrance.”
“Weekend Jiufen is too crowded to photograph. Weekday + rain recommended.”
Nearby · 05
What's near the filming spots?
Jiufen
3 SPOTS
Jinguashi (mining town)
10 min by car from Jiufen · Japanese mining traces.
Culture
Jiufen night market
Weekend night · 60 stalls.
Food
North-coast road
15 min by car · northeast scenic.
Nature
Dogo Onsen
2 SPOTS
Matsuyama Castle
30 min by tram · 17th-century castle.
Culture
Dogo shopping street
5-min walk from the onsen · 12 old-school shops.
Food
View on Map
DIAGRAMMATIC · SWAP FOR LIVE MAP
s01 · 대만 지우펀 (온천마을 모티브)
s02 · 에도도쿄 건물원 (목욕탕 모티브)
s03 · 긴잔온천 (온천거리 모티브)
대만 · 도쿄도 · 야마가타현
Travel · Plan Your Trip
Travel With This Work
What else can you explore?
3 WORKS
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Spirited Away · Sen to Chihiro no Kamikakushi