In Studio Ghibli’s Spirited Away, Yubaba is the owner of the bathhouse.
Yubaba is the powerful witch who runs the luxurious bathhouse visited by spirits. She controls the workers through contracts and takes part of Chihiro’s name, renaming her Sen. This name-taking establishes Yubaba’s authority and becomes a major obstacle in Chihiro’s effort to rescue her parents.
Yubaba has a twin sister named Zeniba, who looks almost identical but behaves very differently. This similarity is a frequent source of confusion. Zeniba lives in the countryside and eventually becomes an ally to Chihiro.
The bathhouse is not simply a human resort: it serves supernatural guests, including river spirits and other unusual beings. Yubaba’s management of this world gives the film much of its social and visual structure.