21743


In the scene where Chihiro's parents start _pigging_ out,

![O Nom Nom Nom](https://i.stack.imgur.com/RFOcC.jpg)

We see Chihiro's father eating some soft, almost gelatinous blob that seems to
have fins or something.

Is this an actual food item? If so, what is it? If not, is it based off any
real life dishes?

![I want some!](https://i.stack.imgur.com/2JliW.jpg)
![Moar!](https://i.stack.imgur.com/z9KJR.jpg)


CC BY-SA 4.0
2014-11-26T04:17:15.570
15302
2023-06-23T15:07:21.543
2023-05-01T20:15:17.197
19307
63
question
spirited-away
What is Chihiro's father eating?


It appears that the food was noted as "lamb stomach"
([haggis](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Haggis) or similar) at the [Studio
Ghibli Layout Designs](https://www.ntv.co.jp/layout/index.html) exhibitions.

![Haggis](https://i.stack.imgur.com/4oJTJ.jpg)

The "fins" are where the haggis is sewn or tied.

On page 220 of the exhibition catalogue, the following description is given
about the food in question:

> 中に汁気たっぷりの  
>  具がつまっている  
>  外の皮はやわらかく  
>  まるでトロトロの小羊の  
>  胃袋のよう

[![the exhibition catalogue says it's lamb
stomach](https://i.stack.imgur.com/lE5ky.jpg)](https://i.stack.imgur.com/lE5ky.jpg)

While the description doesn't tell us the name of the food, it likens it to,
and probably is, a lamb stomach.

Then on September 19, 2020, Spirited Away's key animator, Hiromasa
Yonebayashi,
[tweeted](https://twitter.com/MaroYonebayashi/status/1307128080725684224) that
the food as written in the storyboard was
[Coelacanth](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Coelacanth)'s stomach (thanks to
[кяαzєя](https://anime.stackexchange.com/questions/15302/what-is-chihiros-
father-eating/21743#comment73204_21743) for bringing this to my attention).
However, in the responses to the tweet, people pointed out that this
information was never published in _Studio Ghibli Storyboards Volume 13:
Spirited Away_ , and what was published, in the aforementioned _Studio Ghibli
Layout Designs_ , contradicts his answer. Considering that in the [anime
production process](https://anime.stackexchange.com/a/2517/8486), the layout
designs come after the storyboards, Yonebayashi's answer recited from memory
might have been revised later on. In light of the observations made above, and
of the available images of haggis and a hypothetical dish of Coelacanth's
stomach, I am more inclined to believe that the food Chihiro's father was
eating was lamb stomach.

By the way, you can see the reconstructed food on display at the [Ghibli
Park](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Ghibli_Park).

[![The food that the gods
eat](https://i.stack.imgur.com/imxJP.jpg)](https://i.stack.imgur.com/imxJP.jpg)

* * *

### Addendum

Perhaps you've been told that the food is [ba-
wan](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Ba-wan), a Taiwanese street food. Perhaps
you've been told that the town from Spirited Away is modeled after
[Jiufen](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Jiufen), a tourist attraction in
Taiwan. They are at best misinformation and at worst disinformation propagated
by travel agencies and shopkeepers to increase sales. Hayao Miyazaki has
denied twice, once in the [TVBS news
interview](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=XJ9BnbkRzOg&t=3m20s), and once more
in the [CTi news
interview](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=9i6_h3A6QaM&t=1m15s) that Jiufen
was an inspiration for the film's settings. What were really the inspirations
and/or models for the settings are listed in this well-researched
[article](https://web.archive.org/web/20150523055156/https://note.chiebukuro.yahoo.co.jp/detail/n164416):
the [Dougo Onsen](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/D%C5%8Dgo_Onsen), the [Edo-
Tokyo Open Air Architectural Museum](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Edo-
Tokyo_Open_Air_Architectural_Museum) and [Meguro
Gajoen](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Meguro_Gajoen) being the **officially
confirmed** places.


CC BY-SA 4.0
2015-05-23T07:09:44.173
21743
2023-06-23T15:07:21.543
2023-06-23T15:07:21.543
8486
8486
15302
answer


No it's called Ba-wan. That's what it is.. There are tons of links that will
tell you. <https://www.buzzfeed.com/christinalan/heres-how-to-eat-everything-
youve-ever-wanted-fr>


CC BY-SA 3.0
2016-12-21T05:40:43.953
37980
2016-12-21T05:40:43.953
29875
15302
answer