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Revision as of 06:35, 25 July 2012
The Bathhouse (油屋, yuya) is a core location of character development in the Japanese animated film Spirited Away. It is owned by the witch Yubaba, who made a promise to hire anyone asking for a position as a worker.
Exterior
The Bathhouse is a very grandiose and opulent structure in the Spirit World. Built in a traditional Japanese bathhouse style, its color scheme encompasses shades of red, green and semi-dark tones of brown. A waterfall is also present at its bridge crossing. Early in the series it is established that the bathhouse has a set of old unstable side stairs that lead directly into Kamajii's Boiler Room, bypassing the usual method of arriving by internal elevators.
Aside from the bridge, waterfall, entrance and side stairs the Bathhouse has multiple side entrances and back doors that can be used to dump water outside without being seen by customers. Haku takes Chihiro through one of these backyard routes and instructs her to enter the Boiler Room via the side stairs.
Interior
The Bathhouse is a structure with multiple floors. The floors above ground level are numbered in a special manner that incorporates use of the words "天", literally meaning "heaven" and "地", literally meaning "ground". The floors below ground are not given names in the film. It is shown in the film that The Bathhouse does have working one-way elevators that travel to all floors by the pull of a lever.
The workers are also assigned to quarters in the bathhouse (most likely separated by male and female divisions) though it is unknown which floor of The Bathhouse they sleep in. It is accentuated that their living space is extremely cramped and limited compared to Yubaba's office and Boh's room. It is unknown if workers higher on the job ladder have private quarters.
The Boiler Room
The boiler room furnace.
Located below ground (but can be accessed by side stairs jutting outside the exterior of The Bathhouse) the Boiler Room is home to Kamajii and countless Susuwatari (soot sprites). Most of the room is taken up by an imposing furnace. Its walls are lined with drawers containing herbs that Kamajii memorizes in order to send herbal water up to the baths. The rest of the space is largely empty, save for a large wooden structure that acts as Kamajii's bed and workplace as well as the multiple holes in the wall that act as living space for the Susuwatari. Haku stays here as he recuperates from his magical injuries due to Kamajii's medicinal knowledge.
A bathhouse customer on the ground floor.
Ground Floor
The ground floor (地 ji, lit. ground) is seemingly wholly dedicated to kitchens and customer-use baths. Due to their popular and constant use, some of the baths are notoriously known to be extremely dirty. During Chihiro's stay as a worker she is assigned (with Lin) to clean the biggest and dirtiest tub on the ground floor.
Second Floor
The second floor hallway.
The second floor (二天 niten, lit. second heaven) is dedicated to traditional Japanese tatami matted dining rooms for customers. It is first shown during Chihiro's elevator ride through the complex with the Turnip Spirit. A long hallway with rooms separated by rice paper wooden doors line the second floor. They also seem quite popular with customers, as seen when all rooms are occupied Chihiro arrives on the level.
Top Floor
The halls and doors leading to Yubaba's office.
The top floor (天 ten, lit. heaven) is home to Yubaba's office and Boh's room. It is an opulently built, largely unoccupied space lined with expensive vases accentuated by intricate architecture. Yubaba's office lies on this floor, conjoined with Boh's bedroom. Multiple large wooden doors block the path to Yubaba's office, followed by many twisting hallways. As shown by Haku, the top floor can also be accessed by a long spiraling set of stone stairs.
