Representation of Onsen Culture in Miyazaki Hayao’s Anime Sen to Chihiro no Kamikakushi

Abstract

Onsen culture is one of the most important aspects of Japanese life. It is not only a physical space for cleansing the body, but also a cultural symbol that represents the relationship between humans, nature and spirituality. In the anime Sen to Chihiro no Kamikakushi, onsen is represented visually and narratively through popular media such as anime that allows the delivery of cultural values to a general audience. The purpose of this study is to describe the representation of onsen culture in anime and identify onsen culture as a ritual of purification, recreational space, and social relations. In this study, the researcher uses Stuart Hall's representation theory as the main framework and the method used is descriptive qualitative by collecting data from visual scenes and dialog in the anime Sen to Chihiro no Kamikakushi. Based on the data obtained, onsen is not only shown as a place setting but also a symbol of meaning that reflects spiritual values, physical and spiritual relaxation and social harmony contained in the traditional Japanese hot spring system, onsen.