Hopping Lantern

The Hopping Lantern is a minor character from Spirited Away. It is seen when Chihiro and No-Face go visit Zeniba on Swamp Bottom.

Plot
The Hopping Lantern first appears after Chihiro and her friends, Yubaba's Bird, Boh and No-Face, disembark from the Sea Train and walk up to the small group of trees separating cottage from the traintracks. The creature hops out of the trees and bows to Chihiro and company, then leads them through the trees and to the cottage. After their arrival, the lantern wraps its long, stalk-like body around an arch above the entrance through a fence in front of the cottage, again becoming a seemingly-normal, hanging lantern.

After Haku returns to the cottage to meet up with Chihiro, they fly away, leaving No-Face behind to be a weaving apprentice to Zeniba. Zeniba, No-Face and the Hopping Lantern are seen waving goodbye to Chihiro as she flies away on Haku.

Appearance
The Hopping Lantern is a small lantern attached to a flexible stick or rod with a pale (possibly gloved) hand at the other end.

Friendship
For Ghibli fans, the Lantern is an emblem for the friendship between Hayao Miyazaki and John Lasseter. The Lantern is similar to the lamp Luxo.

Laterne