Studio Ghibli’s new Spirited Away cookbook lets fans recreate food from the film
Fans of Studio Ghibli’s Oscar winning anime movie Spirited Away will soon be able to recreate the food from the film in their own kitchens.
Publisher Shufu no Tomo has announced the release of “Ghibli’s Table: Spirited Away”, an official cookbook that compiles recipes for many of the movie’s memorable dishes, alongside new creations inspired by the film.
Studio Ghibli, co-founded by legendary directors Hayao Miyazaki and Isao Takahata, is celebrated for its visually stunning animation and memorable storytelling.
A recurring element in many Ghibli films is the detailed depiction of food.
In Spirited Away, directed by Hayao Miyazaki, food is used to symbolize everything from greed and temptation to compassion and sacrifice.
“Ghibli’s Table: Spirited Away” is the latest addition to Shufu no Tomo’s official Ghibli anime cookbook series, which has previously covered food shown in their other films such as Castle in the Sky and My Neighbor Totoro.
Themed cookbooks are proving to be a popular way to engage with fans, and they are increasingly being created for a variety of popular series such as the Final Fantasy games.
This new volume provides step-by-step instructions for a variety of dishes seen in the film, allowing fans to bring a piece of the Ghibli magic into their homes:
- Haku’s Rice Ball (Onigiri): The rice ball Haku gives to Chihiro in a pivotal moment of compassion.
- Kamaji’s Tempura Rice Ball: A quick meal devoured by the spider-like boiler-man, Kamaji.
- Non-Bitter River God Dumpling: A version of the “bitter dumpling” Chihiro receives as a token of thanks from the River God, reimagined to actually be palatable.
- Charred Newt-Shaped Cookies: A playful, edible take on the “charred newt” seen in the bathhouse.
- “The Chicken Eaten by Chihiro’s Mother”: The chicken eaten by Chihiro’s Mother before she was turned into a pig.
- Zeniba’s Cake: A recipe for the charming cake seen at Zeniba’s cottage.
The recipes utilize ingredients commonly found in a typical Japanese grocery store, making them relatively easy to source for international fans who have access to Asian supermarket, online specialty store or a supermarket with a well-stocked World Foods aisle.
Consistent with previous entries in the “Ghibli’s Table” series, the Spirited Away cookbook is designed to be accessible for both adults and children.
The “Ghibli’s Table” series are described as picture cookery books and include detailed photos for each cooking step.
They are intended to be able to be used by children cooking alongside, or under the supervision of, an adult and aim to convey cooking instructions in a way that even someone unfamiliar with cooking can understand.
While “Ghibli’s Table: Spirited Away” is currently only planned to be released in Japanese, the “Ghibli’s Table” books are written in a simple, easy-to-understand language that even non-native speakers with some basic Japanese proficiency should be able to decipher either on their own of using a translation app depending on their skill level.
The 64-page cookbook is priced at 1,760 yen (approx. $12.21 USD / £8.99 GBP) and is expected to go on sale on July 31st, 2025
Pre-orders now open at various retailers listed on the publishers website.
Source: Official Website
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