Spirited Away

Night view of a traditional Japanese inn surrounded by trees, with a red bridge leading to the entrance.

“Spirited Away”
Location: Nakanojo- Shima, Japan
Date: November 2025
Photographer: Carter Burke
Affiliation: Undergraduate Student
Home Country: United States
Category: Places
2026 International Photography Exhibition

“The ryokan in this photograph is often cited as one of the real-world inspirations behind the bathhouse in Hayao Miyazaki's Spirited Away, which made seeing it in person feel even more surreal. This photograph is meaningful to me because it captures one of those rare moments when traveling starts feeling like a thin place between earth and something much greater.”