Japanese Folklore
The sensational movie puts the main character in a world of Japanese mythology. Relying heavily on Japanese traditional beliefs and stories, the characters Chihiro encounters in the other world are all part of Japanese tradition. Mainly the appearance of different types of Kami (ghosts) in animal, plant and creature shape plays into this theme. The whole movie is set within the boundaries of a town that is built around a massive bathhouse, another Japanese staple.
Coming of Age
The journey of Chihiro into the other world can quite literally be seen as the passage from childhood to adulthood. During her time in the other world she is considered an outsider that has to hide her true self, like a teenager trying to fit in with an older crowd. She is also stripped of her true name by the owner of the bathhouse, another symbolic gestures that releases her childhood and starts the growth of her adult character. Throughout the story Chihiro has to deal with most of the tribulations herself, having her parents transformed into pigs (a state in which they are unable to help), getting the only help from other beings on the brink, such as Haku.
Decay of Society
The whole setting of the movie is quite dark. The characters in the bathhouse are driven by self indulgence, self preservation and greed. The last being personified by Yubaba, the owner of the bathhouse, whose only concern is her income and money. Chihiro's parents are also overcome by their focus on consumer goods, which they proclaim at the beginning of the movie. Their greed literally turns them into pigs, a global symbol of gluttony. Interestingly, the movie blatantly criticizes society here, as it depicts the transformation as something slow, something the protagonists are not aware of.
Environmental Problems
Another aspect of the critique of society is the destruction of nature. As a worker in the bathhouse, Chihiro is tasked to deal with the "stink spirit", which turns out to be a completely polluted river spirit. Her friend Haku also turns out to be a river spirit, who has forgotten what he is. This can be interpreted as a natural place that has been changed and/or destroyed to a degree of being unrecognizable. The character of Yubaba, by finding glee in the memory loss of Haku, symbolizes the parts of society that profit of the destruction of nature.
