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Songs from Spirited Away: theme song and insert songs

Deputy Editor of RAG MUSICSasashina
Deputy Editor of the web media RAG MUSIC. I’m Sasashina, a mom currently raising an elementary schooler and a preschooler. In my student days, I studied broadly at Kyoto College of Science and Technology, covering sound, lighting, and video technology, and acquired skills from comprehensive stage production to the fundamentals of creative expression. After graduation, I joined a music production company, where I still work, and have consistently built my career on the production side, taking on diverse tasks centered around music. Currently, I mainly handle articles for children, drawing on what I’ve learned about parenting in my own way, as well as insights and discoveries from interacting with my kids every day. I hope I can be of help to you, even just a little!

We’re introducing the theme and insert songs from Spirited Away, one of the most beloved and moving Studio Ghibli films!

This record-breaking film, the highest-grossing in Japanese box-office history, tells the story of a young girl who wanders into a world inhabited by myriad gods and struggles to return to her original world alongside her parents, who have been turned into pigs by the gods.

Her determination to keep moving forward despite loneliness inspires courage in everyone.

In this article, we’ve gathered the music from Spirited Away.

If you’re thinking, “I want to hear that song again!” or “I want to know the popular tracks!”, be sure to check it out!

Songs from Spirited Away. Theme song and insert songs (1–10)

Dragon BoyJoe Hisaishi

Spirited Away: “The Dragon Boy” (by ear transcription)

Joe Hisaishi, the Dragon Boy

Until then, Haku had sometimes seemed cold, but he had always protected me.

Now that same Haku, in his dragon form, is rampaging, covered in wounds.

It’s a dramatic piece that marks the sudden turning point in the story of Spirited Away.

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Dear godsShizuru Otaka

Gods (from Spirited Away)

Divine beings, Ootaka Shizuru

This is another highly memorable piece with a Japanese-style melody that seems to symbolize Spirited Away.

As the title “Kamigami-sama” suggests, it’s a song about the gods who gather at the bathhouse.

There are versions of this piece with lyrics, giving it a different flavor from the one used in the film.

Just listening to it, you can almost hear Yubaba’s voice—such a delightful track.

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boiler bugJoe Hisaishi

Boiler Bugs (Piano) ~ from the film Spirited Away ~

Boiler Bug Joe Hisaishi

In Spirited Away, it’s a somewhat suspicious-sounding piece that plays in Kamaji’s boiler room.

A lot of little soot sprites are working at his feet, and the music reflects their mysterious nature.

That said, Kamaji himself is plenty mysterious too (lol).

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Songs from Spirited Away. Theme song and insert songs (11–20)

Resident(s) of WonderlandJoe Hisaishi

Spirited Away – People of the Wonderland

Joe Hisaishi, a resident of Wonderland

This piano instrumental track titled “Residents of a Mysterious Land.” If you can identify the scene just by listening, you’re probably quite the Spirited Away fan.

This piece plays in Kamaji’s boiler room, in the scene where the soot sprites—yes, the Makkuro Kurosuke—appear.

While it conveys the unsettling atmosphere of that mysterious world, it also brings a gentle, heartwarming feeling thanks to that familiar character we all recognize.

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Night comesJoe Hisaishi

Transcribed by ear. Night Comes (Spirited Away) — Joe Hisaishi

Yoru Kuru by Joe Hisaishi

This is the song used in the scene where Haku—the first person Chihiro meets and gradually opens her heart to—comes to speak with her while she’s hiding.

The arrangement begins gently, with a sense of kindness, and gradually becomes more dynamic, enhancing the atmosphere of the scene.

It may not be a particularly prominent moment, but Haku fans will definitely want to pay close attention.

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YubabaJoe Hisaishi

“Yubaba” from “Spirited Away,” played by ocha

Yubaba Joe Hisaishi

Titled “Yubaba,” this track was used for the unforgettable first appearance of that iconic character.

It perfectly amplifies the entrance of that potentially traumatizing, ultimate villain with an irresistibly eerie and unsettling mood.

The piano arrangement, brimming with a sense that something is about to happen and loaded with heart-pounding tension, is superb!

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The day I go backJoe Hisaishi

"The Day of Returning" by Joe Hisaishi (Spirited Away) / Piano / Rion Piano Channel

Joe Hisaishi Returns Home

When I listen to this piece, that line “Jackpot!” immediately pops into my head.

It’s the farewell song for Chihiro, Haku, and everyone at the bathhouse.

It’s the music used in that scene where their strange, grand adventure comes to an end and, together with her parents, she returns to the real world.

From its initial swell, the arrangement grows increasingly dramatic and bittersweet—a masterpiece that brings tears to your eyes.

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