Characters
There are a lot of characters to keep up with in the Kamikakushi Saga. To help you keep them straight I've created a quick overview of major players. I will try not to include too many spoilers and will warn you before hand if any are present. Included in descriptions are references to myths/legends, kami/yokai, real people, and/or historical facts I've used to develop the characters.
Tips for finding names:
Tips for finding names:
- Names are arranged alphabetically by first name.
- If a character has more than one name that merits a separate entry alter-egos will be cross-listed.
- Spoilers abound, so be prepared.
Aki. A half-fox half dog kami who is also captain of the Shitamachi guard. Because she is part dog the other kami look down on her, but she takes great pride in protecting people. She is based on both kistune and okuri-ōkami.
Aniyaku. A bull-frog kami and the former foreman at Yubaba's bathouse. Aniyaku does not remember his name and is therefore forced to work alongside the other bathhouse kami once they take refuge at the Kumomi Onsen. Gregarious and good with people, he often staffs the welcome station in order to avoid physical labor. He enjoys performing with the other employees and is known for his comic routines.
Bah-Fuh. A bat who can see the future by reading blood. A god-not-of-this-land originally from China and once imprisoned in Shitamachi, Bah-Fuh is now part of Shurui's entourage.
Bozu. A yokai who has a huge platonic crush on Kubi. Bozu doesn't like sass and is constantly shushing people he disagrees with. Kubi adores him and treats him like a child, carrying him around when he could just walk. Bozu lived at the Kan'ei-ji in Ueno Park prior to the Battle of Ueno during the Boshin War. He is based on hitotsume-kozō.
Chihiro Ogino. Now 21 years old, Chihiro Ogino is contending with the fame she garnered as the author of a children's book upon which Hayao Miyazaki based his animated film. After dropping out of college, breaking up with her cheating boyfriend Karou, she takes off. On a whim she buys a traditional hot spring inn in the tiny town of Kumomi on the Izu peninsula. Chihiro has backslid over the years and displays many of the bad habits inherent in her character from before her first encounter with the spirit world. She is whiny, self-centered, and can't make decisions. See also Sen.
Chouchin / Cho-Cho. Chouchin is one of the last Ue-no-kami. Originally Kubi's lantern, Chouchin becomes smitten with Haku and won't leave him alone. Although he adores her, eventually Haku convinces Chouchin to look after Satako in his absence. Satako calls her Cho-Cho, which is a euphemism for butterfly. Butterflies, although associated with marital happiness, are also associated with souls of the dead. Cho-cho is based on a chouchin-obake, which is a type of tsukumogami.
Cinna / Cinnamon. A cat who has chosen to stay at the Onsen, her past is as changeable as she is. Although she can be rude, filthy, often steals and drinks sake to excess, she is extremely loyal to those who come close to her heart. She is an expert musician and is the keeper of a shamisen haunted by the spirit of a dead musician named Tomoe. Cinna is based on a bake-neko, the neko-mata, and the Okesa no Sado legend and my black-Siamese space alien cat.
Dr. Yanagi. The ex-pat doctor who works at the clinic in Kumomi.
Fumiko. A spider in Shurui's entourge who has taken it upon herself to look after Lin. She refuses to call Shurui mother and apparently had her own agenda. The soldier spiders treat her with great respect. What she did to earn their respect still remains a mystery. Fumiko is based on the jorōgumo.
Fuu Ikehara. Fuu is a human waitress at Le Pichet restaurant in Ueno Park. She loves to eat and is best friends with Kana. She studies ballet and other forms of dance in the upstairs studio. She and Shouta love Spirited Away. They dress up as "Sen" and "Haku" for a cosplay event associated with a reprint of Chihiro's book. Although she comes off as ditzy, Fuu is extremely observant. She figures out who and what Haku is way before the rest of the dance studio humans.
Gohan. A teenage badger kami and one of the last Ue-no-kami. He favors his battered old fedora hat because secretly he's imitating Karasu and he wants to be cool like the crow. Gohan is one of the orphans under Kubi's care. He is based on the mujina.
Goshiro Suzuki. The senior kannushi of Kumomi-jinja, Goshiro is the aging grandfather of Ikiri and Keiichi. After his daughter forsake her children Goshiro took in the twins. Battling dementia, he alternates between clarity and forgetfulness. When he is sharp the old priest displays a quiet calm and shunning knowledge of the spirit world. When he is foggy he often mistakes the living for the dead. Sengen greatly favors the old priest. So too does Suzume.
Grandpa Bean. An old yokai and one of the last Ue-no-kami. He is obsessed with his copper kettle full of azuki, a type of red soybean that features prominently in Japanese cooking and folklore. Although he knows a great deal about both kami and humans. Like the rest of the kids he is under Kubi's care. He is based on the azuki-arai yokai.
Haku. Haku is the partial name by which most people know Nigihayami Kohaku Nushi. After he regains his true name Chihiro still tends to call him Haku. The name begins to embody the being he is becoming. Haku is an intermediary name, an inbetween name that represents the state in which he soon finds himself. It is a name that is both and neither. See also Nigihayami Kohaku Nushi. See also Kou.
Hayashimi. Lin's true name as discovered by Suzume when he realizes he loves her. Only Suzume calls her Hayashimi. See also Lin.
Hidé Nikkou. 25 years old fisherman and scuba diving instructor with serious arm muscles. He is also Mrs. Nikkou's grandson. Born and raised in Kumomi, he's never left the city limits. He has blue eyes, which are often attributed to Mrs. Nikkou's American husband. He and his dad don't get along at all. Nothing is known about his mother. He is best friends with Kiri, who also happens to be his ex-girlfriend. He is distantly inspired by Makoto Nagano, my favorite Ninja Warrior Champion.
Hitomi Kazuo. The mysterious owner of the property on which Le Pichet and the dance studio are located. She has gray eyes and a pronounced limp. She is named after Hitomi from Vision of Escaflowne.
Inari / O-Inari-sama / Inari Ōkami. The patron deity of the Nikkou Household and the goddess who Suzume serves. Worship of the God/Goddess Inari is old and complicated. Read more on wikipedia for a start. For an excellent description of Inari worship in English see, "Smyers, Karen Ann. The Fox and the Jewel: Shared and Private Meanings in Contemporary Japanese Inari Worship. Honolulu: University of Hawaii Press, 1999. ISBN 0-8248-2102-5."
Izuko "Izzie" Ikura. Naniko's husband.
Jae Kim. Half Korean and half Japanese, this 26 year old is originally from Osaka where his mother and grandmother live. Jae learned to dance ballet from his Korean grandmother and continued dancing to piss off his father, who eventually left the family. Jae became so talented that he auditioned and was offered a chorus role at the Tokyo Ballet. He then lost that position after breaking the face of a performer who didn't make the cut who made taunts about his Korean heritage. Hitomi Kazuo found Jae shortly after and convinced chef Jean-Paul hire Jae to work in the kitchen of Le Pichet. With almost five years of experience working in french cuisine, Jae has advanced to become the sous chef of Le Pichet. He also teaches dance in the upstairs studio. His relationship to Megumi is strained and ambiguous.
Jean Paul Francois Batiste Claret. Head chef at Le Pichet, the french restaurant in Ueno Park where Haku was briefly employed. An ex-pat recruited by Hitomi Kazue, the Frenchman is fat, full of gusto, and does not care for nonsense in his kitchen. Incidentally, Le Pichet is based on a real restaraunt in Ueno Park called Ueno Seiyōken. Originall openned in 1877, it was one of the first restauraunts to serve French cuisine in Japan.
Jouma. The spider kami proprietress of the first level inn in Shitamachi. As a kitten Cinna watched from a hiding place in a cabinet as Jouma tries to kill Shurui because she was a better dancer. Cinna runs away after that, making her way to Sado. When Cinna returns to Shitamachi with Haku she proves that she's become a better dancer. Jouma kills pops and then tries to kill Cinna. In a rage Haku cuts off her head. The fact that he killed her still haunts Haku to this day. Jouma is based on the jorōgumo.
Kaonashi. One of the most frequently asked questions I receive when I give presentation about Spirited Away deals with Kaonashi's origin. What is he? What exactly is a, "No Face?" Although Kaonashi derives from many spiritual and folklore beliefs, the closest origin I would like to offer is muenbotoke (無縁仏). Hotoke, also pronounced botoke, has many meanings but more commonly refers to the ghost or spirit of a dead person. Muenbotoke can be translate as, "homeless ghost," in the sense that they do not have a surviving family household to pray and make offerings that sustains the spirit in the time it is forced to linger before it assimilates into the collective "ancestor spirit." During this time the unhappy muenbotoke wanders, growing starved and miserable. Muenbotoke are said to haunt places where the worlds become thin, such as crossroads and bridges. In their suffering they have been known to lash out at living humans, often going so far as to possess them in order to gain a voice to make themselves known. Sound familiar? For more on Muenbotoke see, Blacker, Carmen. The Catalpa Bow: A Study of Shamanistic Practices in Japan. London: Allen & Unwin, 1975. "The Bridge" (pp. 19-32), "The Sacred Beings" (pp. 34-50) .
Kai Amano. Amano's 10-year-old son. Although annoying at first, it turns out he just wants attention as most of the kids in town aren't very nice to him. He inherited his mother's ability to see and interact with kami. Kai has a big crush on Satako and tries to use his abilities to impress her. His best friend is Little Green Frog. Incidentally, Kai means strange.
Kana Minehara. Kana is a human waitress at Le Pichet restaurant in Ueno Park. She is obsessed with staying thin and makes Fuu eat all her food. She has been studying ballet for years but struggles with self-image issues that make her performance suffer. Kana has a major crush on Jae but the feelings aren't mutual. Jae treats her like a sister. The positive attention he gives Kana makes Megumi jealous, hence she's especially mean to Kana.
Karasu. Karasu is a crow kami and one of the last Ue-no-kami. He has a black bowler hat that Bozu covets. Bozu is always trying to steal it because secretly he's imitating Karasu and he wants to be cool like the crow. Karasu is one of the orphans under Kubi's care. He openly admits that he's in love with her and follows her around. Kubi does not return his affections and has given the bird multiple black eyes. Karasu is extremely nice to Haku and calls him brother because he wants Haku to feel welcome. He enjoys shiny things and has a habit of perching rather than sitting. Although he is a bit of a coward he cares deeply about the Ueno kids. He is based on the big scary jungle crows you find in Ueno Park and karasu tengu from which his name derives.
Kei / Keiichi Suzuki. The junior priest of Kumomi-jinja, he is Kiri's twin brother and Goshiro's grandson. Overly proud and utterly devoted to his profession, Kei is initially utterly blind to the supernatural. He openly disapproves of his sister because she reminds him too much of their mother and they fight frequently. Secretly he is in love with Naniko, who is married to one of the local fisherman. Segen is extremely fond of the junior priest.
Kenka Sato. One of the junior cooks at Le Pichet. He is an orphan from Iwate Prefecture who transfered to Kyoto where he and his boyfriend Shouta met in their high school French club. Kenka has a heart disorder that causes him to faint frequently. It keeps him from participating in his passion for ballroom dance, which Shouta shares. They're both obsessed with Ginger Rogers and Fred Astaire.
Kiri / Ikiri Suzuki. A 24 year old twin sister of Keiichi Suzuki, the junior priest at Kumomi shrine. She had one gray eye and is extremely busty, much to Chihiro's chagrin. Her dad died a long time ago and her mother skipped out on she and her brother leaving them to be cared for by their aging grandfather Goshiro, the senior priest at the Kumomi Shrine. Kiri reluctantly acts as the shrine miko and doesn't take her duties seriously. In truth she hates Kumomi. She secretly smokes, drinks, and loves her banana yellow electric guitar even though she doesn't know how to play it. She and Hidé dated for a while but things didn't work out. All she wants to do is leave town but for reason she can't bring herself to leave.
Kitten. A mute cat-boy, Kitten one of the last Ue-no-kami. He is one of the orphans under Kubi's care. Although he doesn't speak he makes himself known through hissing and claws. He is extremely brave and will strand up to anyone, even Aki. He is based on bake-neko and neko-mata yokai.
Kou. Kou is the name Haku takes when he comes to lives as a human in Tokyo. Kou is half of his true name (Kohaku) and the name represents all the vulnerable aspects of Haku's new human self. Kou is shy, easily embarassed, awkward, and extremely unsure of himself. Kou also learns very quickly what it means to suffer. He experiences fear, helplessness, weakness, hunger, and extreme pain. As a result he learns empathy, something of which that Nigihayami Kohaku Nushi had little understanding. As a result of this empathy Kou develops extreme sensitivity that leads him to become generous and caring. See also Nigihayami Kohaku Nushi. See also Haku.
Kubi. The unofficial den mother of the the last Ue-no-kami. Originally from Hiroshima, she survived the dropping of the atomic bomb but at great cost. She is like Haku, both mortal and kami. She keeps a bell that opens the way to the cavern beneath Ueno Park. Sought after by both the Uguisudani Cavern spiders and the Shitamachi soldiers, she is forced to hide in human buildings to keep herself from getting killed. Although why the spiders and the dogs want her remains a mystery. She is based on a rokuro-kubi.
Kuromi. Kuromi, like her sister Ristuko, is unique. She is not effected by electricity and can walk among humans in even the most modern of structures. After Shurui kills her sister Ristuko, Kuromi abandoned the Uguisudani spiders to follow Haku and Chihiro. Kuromi wants to be human and forces Haku to promise to help her become mortal in exchange for her help in finding Lin. Quiet and withdrawn, she often wears a high school uniform but no shoes. She likes to weave and is constantly making things for Chihiro. Kuromi is based on the jorōgumo.
Lin. Originally from Lake Shikaribetsu in Hokkaido, Lin abandoned her home after fur trappers killed her whole family. Wandering south until she found work at Yubaba's Bath House, she was trapped by her contract after the Forgotten broke loose. She lost her left arm to the Forgotten while trying to protect the bath house employees. She still bears the scars her face where it touched her. After the magic binding her and the others to the bath house faded enough to let them leave Lin lead the survivors to Izu. It's there she meets Suzume and both their lives are changed. Lin is a no-nonsense bad-ass who has little tolerance for idiots and isn't afraid of anything. Even though she only has one arm she is a ferocious warrior. She wields a sword called Hanoane (trans. sister's teeth) which she eventually gives to Haku. She is based on the kama-itachi. See also Hayashimi.
Little Green Frog. One Yubaba's employees who survives the Forgotten and follows Lin to Izu. He is best friends with Kai Amano. He frequently runs around disguised as a little boy with blonde hair and a gap between his front teeth.
Maboru Nikkou. Mrs. Nikkou's only son and Hidé 's father. Maboru owns and operates a fishing company in Matsuzaki Bay and doesn't get along with his family. He is estranged by the fact his mother sold her property to a stranger rather than bequeathing it to him. He hates Kumomi for other reasons, most specifically an encounter with a strange woman he met on the beach 25 years ago that left him forever scarred.
Manami Amano. Amano's dead wife and Kai's mother. She used to work for Mrs. Nikkou and would have inherited Suzume and onsen if she hadn't died in a car crash.
Megumi Ihara. Megumi has trained her entire life to be a principal ballet dancer. She trained exclusively with her brother pretty much her whole life. Her brother Sora is a serious bitch with a massive power complex. He isolated Megumi from other dancers on purpose because she is better than he is. At least she used to be. She is a fantastic solo performer but she can't dance with anyone other than her brother. This is a crippling deficiency for any dancer, not just a principle. She never got past it. Her brother's career took off but she never went anywhere but his practice studio. At least until she met Jae.
Naniko Ikura. The sweet faced grocery store clerk from Kumomi who is nice to everyone and tries to get everyone to get along. She has two son's Kai's age.
Nigihayami Kouhaku Nushi. The name Haku bore as a God. Nushi (主) are the spiritual "masters" of a particularly resonant natural phenomenon. In this case a river. See also Haku. See also Kou.
Officer Gedo. The burly police officer from Kumomi who plays taiko with the local school.
Officer Ikeda. The skinny police officer from Kumomi who plays taiko with the local school.
Okesa no Sado. Cinna's stage personality. Okesa is a flamboyant and sultry dancer who can inspire instant fun and fascinate both God and human alike. While performing she never speaks and never smiles with her mouth so that her teeth remain hidden. See also Cinna / Cinnamon.
Origa Yakovleva. Hitomi Kazuo's companion. The prim tight-faced ballet instructor oversees the dance studio above Le Pichet.
Pops. The mole kami who helps Cinna and Haku when they first arrive in Shitamachi. He knew Cinna when she was a little kitten long before she grew up to become Okesa no Sado.
Reika Nikkou. This is because their family are tsukimono-suji, or fox witches. As such, Suzume and Onsen can only be inherited by a woman. For more information see the "Witch Animals," chapter of Carmen Blacker's Catalpa Bow.
Ritsuko / Ritzy. Kuromi's little sister. Ritsuko, like her sister Kuromi, is unique. She is not effected by electricity and can walk among humans in even the most modern of structures. She is not effected by electricity and as a result spends most of her time outside of the caverns immersed in human culture. It is through Ritzy that Kuromi comes to want to be human.
Satako Tanaka. A ten-year-old girl with terminal cancer. As her last wish she comes to Kumomi to stay at the Onsen. Chihiro sees herself in the girl and saves her life with the wish granted her during Sengen's matsuri in book one. After that Satako's destiny becomes irrevocably intertwined with Chihiro's. Satako is a brilliant artist and illustrated the 10th anniversary printing of Chihiro's story during book two. Satako can see kami. Kai has a major crush on her because of her drawing ability. Haku adores her because she reminds him of Chihiro as a child. Satako and Chouchin become best friends after Haku leaves the girl in her care in the middle of book three.
Sen. The alter-ego of Chihiro Ogino. Like Kou/Haku, Sen is both and neither: not human, not kami. The seed of Sen's creation was planted in Chihiro when Nigihayami Kohaku Nushi saved her from drowning in his river. In doing so Kohaku marked her with a touch of the spirit world, pulling her a step out of place with the human world. Realizing what happened, Kohaku put a spell on her to make her forget thinking he could undo this consequence. That's why she didn't recognize him but he recognized her when she crossed worlds on the bridge in front of Yubaba's bath house. Because she is already a step into their world, Chihiro easily masters new abilities and transforms into Sen as she finds a place among Gods. But upon returning to the human world Chihiro becomes more and more isolated as the power of disbelief eventually robs her of her true self. It's not until she re-encounters Kohaku again in Kumomi, and remembers herself in the process, that Sen begins to emerge once more. Selfish, whiny, and childish, Chihiro resists as Sen begins to eclipse and disrupt more and more of her normal life. Because it isn't possible for both to occupy the same existence; and so a choice must be made.
Sengen / O-Sengen-sama. The goddess of Kumomi bay. She is Hidé's mother.
Shimizu.
Shouta Yoshida.
Shurui.
Sumirei.
Suzume.
Taisho.
Tetsuo Amano.
Tomoe.
Tsuke.
Yoshi.
Aniyaku. A bull-frog kami and the former foreman at Yubaba's bathouse. Aniyaku does not remember his name and is therefore forced to work alongside the other bathhouse kami once they take refuge at the Kumomi Onsen. Gregarious and good with people, he often staffs the welcome station in order to avoid physical labor. He enjoys performing with the other employees and is known for his comic routines.
Bah-Fuh. A bat who can see the future by reading blood. A god-not-of-this-land originally from China and once imprisoned in Shitamachi, Bah-Fuh is now part of Shurui's entourage.
Bozu. A yokai who has a huge platonic crush on Kubi. Bozu doesn't like sass and is constantly shushing people he disagrees with. Kubi adores him and treats him like a child, carrying him around when he could just walk. Bozu lived at the Kan'ei-ji in Ueno Park prior to the Battle of Ueno during the Boshin War. He is based on hitotsume-kozō.
Chihiro Ogino. Now 21 years old, Chihiro Ogino is contending with the fame she garnered as the author of a children's book upon which Hayao Miyazaki based his animated film. After dropping out of college, breaking up with her cheating boyfriend Karou, she takes off. On a whim she buys a traditional hot spring inn in the tiny town of Kumomi on the Izu peninsula. Chihiro has backslid over the years and displays many of the bad habits inherent in her character from before her first encounter with the spirit world. She is whiny, self-centered, and can't make decisions. See also Sen.
Chouchin / Cho-Cho. Chouchin is one of the last Ue-no-kami. Originally Kubi's lantern, Chouchin becomes smitten with Haku and won't leave him alone. Although he adores her, eventually Haku convinces Chouchin to look after Satako in his absence. Satako calls her Cho-Cho, which is a euphemism for butterfly. Butterflies, although associated with marital happiness, are also associated with souls of the dead. Cho-cho is based on a chouchin-obake, which is a type of tsukumogami.
Cinna / Cinnamon. A cat who has chosen to stay at the Onsen, her past is as changeable as she is. Although she can be rude, filthy, often steals and drinks sake to excess, she is extremely loyal to those who come close to her heart. She is an expert musician and is the keeper of a shamisen haunted by the spirit of a dead musician named Tomoe. Cinna is based on a bake-neko, the neko-mata, and the Okesa no Sado legend and my black-Siamese space alien cat.
Dr. Yanagi. The ex-pat doctor who works at the clinic in Kumomi.
Fumiko. A spider in Shurui's entourge who has taken it upon herself to look after Lin. She refuses to call Shurui mother and apparently had her own agenda. The soldier spiders treat her with great respect. What she did to earn their respect still remains a mystery. Fumiko is based on the jorōgumo.
Fuu Ikehara. Fuu is a human waitress at Le Pichet restaurant in Ueno Park. She loves to eat and is best friends with Kana. She studies ballet and other forms of dance in the upstairs studio. She and Shouta love Spirited Away. They dress up as "Sen" and "Haku" for a cosplay event associated with a reprint of Chihiro's book. Although she comes off as ditzy, Fuu is extremely observant. She figures out who and what Haku is way before the rest of the dance studio humans.
Gohan. A teenage badger kami and one of the last Ue-no-kami. He favors his battered old fedora hat because secretly he's imitating Karasu and he wants to be cool like the crow. Gohan is one of the orphans under Kubi's care. He is based on the mujina.
Goshiro Suzuki. The senior kannushi of Kumomi-jinja, Goshiro is the aging grandfather of Ikiri and Keiichi. After his daughter forsake her children Goshiro took in the twins. Battling dementia, he alternates between clarity and forgetfulness. When he is sharp the old priest displays a quiet calm and shunning knowledge of the spirit world. When he is foggy he often mistakes the living for the dead. Sengen greatly favors the old priest. So too does Suzume.
Grandpa Bean. An old yokai and one of the last Ue-no-kami. He is obsessed with his copper kettle full of azuki, a type of red soybean that features prominently in Japanese cooking and folklore. Although he knows a great deal about both kami and humans. Like the rest of the kids he is under Kubi's care. He is based on the azuki-arai yokai.
Haku. Haku is the partial name by which most people know Nigihayami Kohaku Nushi. After he regains his true name Chihiro still tends to call him Haku. The name begins to embody the being he is becoming. Haku is an intermediary name, an inbetween name that represents the state in which he soon finds himself. It is a name that is both and neither. See also Nigihayami Kohaku Nushi. See also Kou.
Hayashimi. Lin's true name as discovered by Suzume when he realizes he loves her. Only Suzume calls her Hayashimi. See also Lin.
Hidé Nikkou. 25 years old fisherman and scuba diving instructor with serious arm muscles. He is also Mrs. Nikkou's grandson. Born and raised in Kumomi, he's never left the city limits. He has blue eyes, which are often attributed to Mrs. Nikkou's American husband. He and his dad don't get along at all. Nothing is known about his mother. He is best friends with Kiri, who also happens to be his ex-girlfriend. He is distantly inspired by Makoto Nagano, my favorite Ninja Warrior Champion.
Hitomi Kazuo. The mysterious owner of the property on which Le Pichet and the dance studio are located. She has gray eyes and a pronounced limp. She is named after Hitomi from Vision of Escaflowne.
Inari / O-Inari-sama / Inari Ōkami. The patron deity of the Nikkou Household and the goddess who Suzume serves. Worship of the God/Goddess Inari is old and complicated. Read more on wikipedia for a start. For an excellent description of Inari worship in English see, "Smyers, Karen Ann. The Fox and the Jewel: Shared and Private Meanings in Contemporary Japanese Inari Worship. Honolulu: University of Hawaii Press, 1999. ISBN 0-8248-2102-5."
Izuko "Izzie" Ikura. Naniko's husband.
Jae Kim. Half Korean and half Japanese, this 26 year old is originally from Osaka where his mother and grandmother live. Jae learned to dance ballet from his Korean grandmother and continued dancing to piss off his father, who eventually left the family. Jae became so talented that he auditioned and was offered a chorus role at the Tokyo Ballet. He then lost that position after breaking the face of a performer who didn't make the cut who made taunts about his Korean heritage. Hitomi Kazuo found Jae shortly after and convinced chef Jean-Paul hire Jae to work in the kitchen of Le Pichet. With almost five years of experience working in french cuisine, Jae has advanced to become the sous chef of Le Pichet. He also teaches dance in the upstairs studio. His relationship to Megumi is strained and ambiguous.
Jean Paul Francois Batiste Claret. Head chef at Le Pichet, the french restaurant in Ueno Park where Haku was briefly employed. An ex-pat recruited by Hitomi Kazue, the Frenchman is fat, full of gusto, and does not care for nonsense in his kitchen. Incidentally, Le Pichet is based on a real restaraunt in Ueno Park called Ueno Seiyōken. Originall openned in 1877, it was one of the first restauraunts to serve French cuisine in Japan.
Jouma. The spider kami proprietress of the first level inn in Shitamachi. As a kitten Cinna watched from a hiding place in a cabinet as Jouma tries to kill Shurui because she was a better dancer. Cinna runs away after that, making her way to Sado. When Cinna returns to Shitamachi with Haku she proves that she's become a better dancer. Jouma kills pops and then tries to kill Cinna. In a rage Haku cuts off her head. The fact that he killed her still haunts Haku to this day. Jouma is based on the jorōgumo.
Kaonashi. One of the most frequently asked questions I receive when I give presentation about Spirited Away deals with Kaonashi's origin. What is he? What exactly is a, "No Face?" Although Kaonashi derives from many spiritual and folklore beliefs, the closest origin I would like to offer is muenbotoke (無縁仏). Hotoke, also pronounced botoke, has many meanings but more commonly refers to the ghost or spirit of a dead person. Muenbotoke can be translate as, "homeless ghost," in the sense that they do not have a surviving family household to pray and make offerings that sustains the spirit in the time it is forced to linger before it assimilates into the collective "ancestor spirit." During this time the unhappy muenbotoke wanders, growing starved and miserable. Muenbotoke are said to haunt places where the worlds become thin, such as crossroads and bridges. In their suffering they have been known to lash out at living humans, often going so far as to possess them in order to gain a voice to make themselves known. Sound familiar? For more on Muenbotoke see, Blacker, Carmen. The Catalpa Bow: A Study of Shamanistic Practices in Japan. London: Allen & Unwin, 1975. "The Bridge" (pp. 19-32), "The Sacred Beings" (pp. 34-50) .
Kai Amano. Amano's 10-year-old son. Although annoying at first, it turns out he just wants attention as most of the kids in town aren't very nice to him. He inherited his mother's ability to see and interact with kami. Kai has a big crush on Satako and tries to use his abilities to impress her. His best friend is Little Green Frog. Incidentally, Kai means strange.
Kana Minehara. Kana is a human waitress at Le Pichet restaurant in Ueno Park. She is obsessed with staying thin and makes Fuu eat all her food. She has been studying ballet for years but struggles with self-image issues that make her performance suffer. Kana has a major crush on Jae but the feelings aren't mutual. Jae treats her like a sister. The positive attention he gives Kana makes Megumi jealous, hence she's especially mean to Kana.
Karasu. Karasu is a crow kami and one of the last Ue-no-kami. He has a black bowler hat that Bozu covets. Bozu is always trying to steal it because secretly he's imitating Karasu and he wants to be cool like the crow. Karasu is one of the orphans under Kubi's care. He openly admits that he's in love with her and follows her around. Kubi does not return his affections and has given the bird multiple black eyes. Karasu is extremely nice to Haku and calls him brother because he wants Haku to feel welcome. He enjoys shiny things and has a habit of perching rather than sitting. Although he is a bit of a coward he cares deeply about the Ueno kids. He is based on the big scary jungle crows you find in Ueno Park and karasu tengu from which his name derives.
Kei / Keiichi Suzuki. The junior priest of Kumomi-jinja, he is Kiri's twin brother and Goshiro's grandson. Overly proud and utterly devoted to his profession, Kei is initially utterly blind to the supernatural. He openly disapproves of his sister because she reminds him too much of their mother and they fight frequently. Secretly he is in love with Naniko, who is married to one of the local fisherman. Segen is extremely fond of the junior priest.
Kenka Sato. One of the junior cooks at Le Pichet. He is an orphan from Iwate Prefecture who transfered to Kyoto where he and his boyfriend Shouta met in their high school French club. Kenka has a heart disorder that causes him to faint frequently. It keeps him from participating in his passion for ballroom dance, which Shouta shares. They're both obsessed with Ginger Rogers and Fred Astaire.
Kiri / Ikiri Suzuki. A 24 year old twin sister of Keiichi Suzuki, the junior priest at Kumomi shrine. She had one gray eye and is extremely busty, much to Chihiro's chagrin. Her dad died a long time ago and her mother skipped out on she and her brother leaving them to be cared for by their aging grandfather Goshiro, the senior priest at the Kumomi Shrine. Kiri reluctantly acts as the shrine miko and doesn't take her duties seriously. In truth she hates Kumomi. She secretly smokes, drinks, and loves her banana yellow electric guitar even though she doesn't know how to play it. She and Hidé dated for a while but things didn't work out. All she wants to do is leave town but for reason she can't bring herself to leave.
Kitten. A mute cat-boy, Kitten one of the last Ue-no-kami. He is one of the orphans under Kubi's care. Although he doesn't speak he makes himself known through hissing and claws. He is extremely brave and will strand up to anyone, even Aki. He is based on bake-neko and neko-mata yokai.
Kou. Kou is the name Haku takes when he comes to lives as a human in Tokyo. Kou is half of his true name (Kohaku) and the name represents all the vulnerable aspects of Haku's new human self. Kou is shy, easily embarassed, awkward, and extremely unsure of himself. Kou also learns very quickly what it means to suffer. He experiences fear, helplessness, weakness, hunger, and extreme pain. As a result he learns empathy, something of which that Nigihayami Kohaku Nushi had little understanding. As a result of this empathy Kou develops extreme sensitivity that leads him to become generous and caring. See also Nigihayami Kohaku Nushi. See also Haku.
Kubi. The unofficial den mother of the the last Ue-no-kami. Originally from Hiroshima, she survived the dropping of the atomic bomb but at great cost. She is like Haku, both mortal and kami. She keeps a bell that opens the way to the cavern beneath Ueno Park. Sought after by both the Uguisudani Cavern spiders and the Shitamachi soldiers, she is forced to hide in human buildings to keep herself from getting killed. Although why the spiders and the dogs want her remains a mystery. She is based on a rokuro-kubi.
Kuromi. Kuromi, like her sister Ristuko, is unique. She is not effected by electricity and can walk among humans in even the most modern of structures. After Shurui kills her sister Ristuko, Kuromi abandoned the Uguisudani spiders to follow Haku and Chihiro. Kuromi wants to be human and forces Haku to promise to help her become mortal in exchange for her help in finding Lin. Quiet and withdrawn, she often wears a high school uniform but no shoes. She likes to weave and is constantly making things for Chihiro. Kuromi is based on the jorōgumo.
Lin. Originally from Lake Shikaribetsu in Hokkaido, Lin abandoned her home after fur trappers killed her whole family. Wandering south until she found work at Yubaba's Bath House, she was trapped by her contract after the Forgotten broke loose. She lost her left arm to the Forgotten while trying to protect the bath house employees. She still bears the scars her face where it touched her. After the magic binding her and the others to the bath house faded enough to let them leave Lin lead the survivors to Izu. It's there she meets Suzume and both their lives are changed. Lin is a no-nonsense bad-ass who has little tolerance for idiots and isn't afraid of anything. Even though she only has one arm she is a ferocious warrior. She wields a sword called Hanoane (trans. sister's teeth) which she eventually gives to Haku. She is based on the kama-itachi. See also Hayashimi.
Little Green Frog. One Yubaba's employees who survives the Forgotten and follows Lin to Izu. He is best friends with Kai Amano. He frequently runs around disguised as a little boy with blonde hair and a gap between his front teeth.
Maboru Nikkou. Mrs. Nikkou's only son and Hidé 's father. Maboru owns and operates a fishing company in Matsuzaki Bay and doesn't get along with his family. He is estranged by the fact his mother sold her property to a stranger rather than bequeathing it to him. He hates Kumomi for other reasons, most specifically an encounter with a strange woman he met on the beach 25 years ago that left him forever scarred.
Manami Amano. Amano's dead wife and Kai's mother. She used to work for Mrs. Nikkou and would have inherited Suzume and onsen if she hadn't died in a car crash.
Megumi Ihara. Megumi has trained her entire life to be a principal ballet dancer. She trained exclusively with her brother pretty much her whole life. Her brother Sora is a serious bitch with a massive power complex. He isolated Megumi from other dancers on purpose because she is better than he is. At least she used to be. She is a fantastic solo performer but she can't dance with anyone other than her brother. This is a crippling deficiency for any dancer, not just a principle. She never got past it. Her brother's career took off but she never went anywhere but his practice studio. At least until she met Jae.
Naniko Ikura. The sweet faced grocery store clerk from Kumomi who is nice to everyone and tries to get everyone to get along. She has two son's Kai's age.
Nigihayami Kouhaku Nushi. The name Haku bore as a God. Nushi (主) are the spiritual "masters" of a particularly resonant natural phenomenon. In this case a river. See also Haku. See also Kou.
Officer Gedo. The burly police officer from Kumomi who plays taiko with the local school.
Officer Ikeda. The skinny police officer from Kumomi who plays taiko with the local school.
Okesa no Sado. Cinna's stage personality. Okesa is a flamboyant and sultry dancer who can inspire instant fun and fascinate both God and human alike. While performing she never speaks and never smiles with her mouth so that her teeth remain hidden. See also Cinna / Cinnamon.
Origa Yakovleva. Hitomi Kazuo's companion. The prim tight-faced ballet instructor oversees the dance studio above Le Pichet.
Pops. The mole kami who helps Cinna and Haku when they first arrive in Shitamachi. He knew Cinna when she was a little kitten long before she grew up to become Okesa no Sado.
Reika Nikkou. This is because their family are tsukimono-suji, or fox witches. As such, Suzume and Onsen can only be inherited by a woman. For more information see the "Witch Animals," chapter of Carmen Blacker's Catalpa Bow.
Ritsuko / Ritzy. Kuromi's little sister. Ritsuko, like her sister Kuromi, is unique. She is not effected by electricity and can walk among humans in even the most modern of structures. She is not effected by electricity and as a result spends most of her time outside of the caverns immersed in human culture. It is through Ritzy that Kuromi comes to want to be human.
Satako Tanaka. A ten-year-old girl with terminal cancer. As her last wish she comes to Kumomi to stay at the Onsen. Chihiro sees herself in the girl and saves her life with the wish granted her during Sengen's matsuri in book one. After that Satako's destiny becomes irrevocably intertwined with Chihiro's. Satako is a brilliant artist and illustrated the 10th anniversary printing of Chihiro's story during book two. Satako can see kami. Kai has a major crush on her because of her drawing ability. Haku adores her because she reminds him of Chihiro as a child. Satako and Chouchin become best friends after Haku leaves the girl in her care in the middle of book three.
Sen. The alter-ego of Chihiro Ogino. Like Kou/Haku, Sen is both and neither: not human, not kami. The seed of Sen's creation was planted in Chihiro when Nigihayami Kohaku Nushi saved her from drowning in his river. In doing so Kohaku marked her with a touch of the spirit world, pulling her a step out of place with the human world. Realizing what happened, Kohaku put a spell on her to make her forget thinking he could undo this consequence. That's why she didn't recognize him but he recognized her when she crossed worlds on the bridge in front of Yubaba's bath house. Because she is already a step into their world, Chihiro easily masters new abilities and transforms into Sen as she finds a place among Gods. But upon returning to the human world Chihiro becomes more and more isolated as the power of disbelief eventually robs her of her true self. It's not until she re-encounters Kohaku again in Kumomi, and remembers herself in the process, that Sen begins to emerge once more. Selfish, whiny, and childish, Chihiro resists as Sen begins to eclipse and disrupt more and more of her normal life. Because it isn't possible for both to occupy the same existence; and so a choice must be made.
Sengen / O-Sengen-sama. The goddess of Kumomi bay. She is Hidé's mother.
Shimizu.
Shouta Yoshida.
Shurui.
Sumirei.
Suzume.
Taisho.
Tetsuo Amano.
Tomoe.
Tsuke.
Yoshi.