P.S.
After finishing Sweet Dreams Dear Totoro I discovered what those soot sprites are actually called. They are known as Susuwatari, literally meaning "traveling soot". They live in abandoned buildings and houses, leaving dust behind wherever they go.
In Totoro they are called Makkuro Kurosuke, or pitch-black blackie!
In Spirited Away, they aid Kamaji in his boiler room, helping to throw coal into the fire so he can heat water for the bath house. They appear to be more fuzzy and have grown arms and legs (but they are still cute!).
So now I finally know what my soot sprite t-shirt says, and I don't need to wonder anymore. It says "makkuro kurosuke"!
Cool! You should do little history things, or meaning things like this. I find those the most interesting.
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