If you’re a fan of Studio Ghibli films, a Spirited Away shirt might be just the way to show it.
However, finding a good Chihiro or No Face shirt can be tricky. When I researched this article, I found that even Amazon didn’t have a huge selection. (And some of Amazon’s suggestions were completely unrelated.)
But, I was able to find a decent amount of cool Spirited Away shirts from other sellers — enough to make a Best 10 list. Before we dig into the list, let’s take a brief look at this fantastic film.
About Spirited Away
Spirited Away (2001) was one of Hayao Miyazaki’s better anime films. It won many awards, including the Oscar for Best Animated Feature. It remains one of few films to break Disney’s near stranglehold on the category. (And even it was distributed by Disney in the United States.)
As an award winner, it helped introduce Western audiences to Miyazaki films, and to Japanese animation in general. (At the time, anime was still a niche category, and not nearly as popular as it is now.)
In the film, a girl named Chihiro accidentally finds herself in a strange and mysterious world of gods and spirits (no, Touhou fans, not Gensokyo). Over time, as she overcomes new challenges, she changes from a weak and frightened child to a more capable girl, able to fend for herself. Eventually, she figures out the way to rescue her parents, and get safely back home.
Like all Ghibli films, the movie is gorgeous to look at. It’s filled with wonders to behold, strange worlds, and unique characters. In short, if you haven’t seen the film, you should definitely watch Spirited Away.
Spirited Away Shirt List
- Artistic No Face, Amazon
- On The Train, BoxLunch
- No Face Mask, Amazon
- Yubaba’s Bathhouse, BoxLunch
- Spirited Away Characters, Amazon
- Haku & Chihiro, Etsy
- Soot Sprite, Amazon
- Haku, BoxLunch
- Studio Ghibli Ramen, Amazon
- Chihiro DVD Cover, Hot Topic
Note: The story contains links to Amazon, BoxLunch, Etsy, Hot Topic, and ZenPlus.
Best Spirited Away Shirts
1. Artistic No Face, Amazon
This shirt really captures that “beautiful, but otherworldly” feeling you get when you watch this movie. On one level, No Face’s mask emerges from a spooky, mystical forest. Within the forest, No Face reaches out to Chihiro.
The shirt design is available in a wide variety of sizes and styles. In addition to a T-shirt, you can get it as a tank top, long-sleeve shirt, or as a pullover or zip-up hoodie.
You can find this item at Amazon.
2. On The Train, BoxLunch
This BoxLunch exclusive shirt replicates that memorable scene where Chihiro takes a ghostly train ride with No Face. (A screenshot of the same is shown above in the About Spirited Away section.)
The train ride is one of the better sequences in the movie. Chihiro is the only human in an old-fashioned train full of silent, ghostly passengers. The train travels through a flooded landscape, where the outside world is as mysterious as the people inside. There is no dialogue; just Chihiro alone with her thoughts (and with her companions, but they don’t speak).
Incidentally, the kanji on the shirt gives the movie’s original Japanese title, Sen to Chihiro no Kamikakushi, or Sen and Chihiro’s Kamikakushi. Kamikakushi describes a Japanese folk belief that people can be taken by spirits.
You can find this item at BoxLunch.
3. No Face Mask, Amazon
This is a very simple shirt featuring No Face’s mask. It’s available in a lot of different colors, including some raglan T-shirts. (Raglan means that the sleeves are a different color than the chest.)
No Face (Kaonashi in Japanese) is an enigmatic character in Spirited Away. He’s certainly friendly enough to Chihiro, but he seems to be neither good nor evil. Even when he starts devouring people, Chihiro assumes that he’s not in control of himself.
You can find this item at Amazon.
4. Yubaba’s Bathhouse, BoxLunch
Japan takes the concept of a hot bath, especially a steaming hot onsen hot springs bath, very seriously.
So it makes sense that one of the major locations seen in the spirit world would be this giant, luxurious, and decadent bathhouse. Yubaba the witch runs the bathhouse, and she forces Chihiro to work there.
This shirt is a BoxLunch exclusive.
You can find this item at BoxLunch.
5. Spirited Away Characters, Amazon
This shirt features various characters from Spirited Away, including Chihiro, Yubaba, No Face, and Haku. The bathhouse is visible in the background.
This item can be customized in a variety of styles, colors, and sizes. So, if you don’t want a black T-shirt, you can get a light pink hoodie. Some of the options cost more than others.
You can find this item at Amazon.
6. Haku & Chihiro, Etsy
This shirt features Chihiro with Haku in his dragon form. Haku is mostly friendly and helpful to Chihiro, although he is a slave to Yubaba. His true nature and name are eventually revealed, and Chihiro is able to help him.
Etsy items are made by dozens of independent sellers, so they may sell out or become unavailable.
You can find this item at Etsy.
7. Soot Sprite, Amazon
These little guys appear in more than one Studio Ghibli film, although they sometimes look and act differently.
In Spirited Away, they show up in the boiler room for Yubaba’s bathhouse, where they move coal into the furnace. Chihiro tries to help them. But Kamaji, the boiler room operator, explains that if they don’t work, they turn back into lifeless sootballs.
The soot sprites eat konpeito, a type of sugary Japanese candy. In Japanese, the sprites are known as susuwatari.
You can find this item at Amazon.
8. Haku, BoxLunch
This BoxLunch exclusive shirt features Haku, the dragon/ boy who helps Chihiro. He’s shown in his dragon form, and the katakana below him says Haku.
BoxLunch partners with the charitable organization Feeding America. The nonprofit helps provide meals at food banks.
You can find this item at BoxLunch.
9. Studio Ghibli Ramen, Amazon
This is more of a Studio Ghibli shirt than a Spirited Away shirt. But No Face is on there, and it’s funny, cute, silly, and weird, so we’ll allow it.
The shirt features Totoro and No Face enjoying a bowl of ramen. Calcifer from Howl’s Moving Castle sits on No Face’s head, while Jiji from Kiki’s Delivery Service watches the whole thing.
You can find this item at Amazon.
10. Chihiro DVD Cover, Hot Topic
If this artwork looks familiar, it’s essentially the same art that you will find on the cover of a DVD, or a Blu-ray disc.
This shirt is one of several Spirited Away shirts that you can get from Hot Topic. Depending upon where you live, there may be a Hot Topic store at a mall near you. But some of these items are only available through the website.
You can find this item at Hot Topic.
Final Thoughts
If you’re looking for something other than a Spirited Away T-shirt, ZenPlus has some excellent Spirited Away merch items. For example:
- Chihiro cosplay outfit: If you want to be Chihiro at your next anime convention, this costume matches the samue (traditional work outfit) that she wears while at the bathhouse. (Check the size.)
- Plushies: ZenPlus has a unique collection of Spirited Away plushies, and plush keychains.
- Toys: You can get playing cards, a jigsaw puzzle, a toy train, and other fun items.
- Fan: How about a bamboo fan for a Spirited Away fan? The round fan features No Face.
I hope this article helps you find an interesting Spirited Away shirt.
