Latest news with #SootSprite
SoraNews24
3 days ago
- Entertainment
- SoraNews24
Totoro travel bags, suitcase ready to take responsibility for inspiring your Japanese countryside trip
Hey, Totoro, can you hold our stuff while we go for a walk in the forest? It may not be a travelogue or official tourism promotion video, but it's safe to say that My Neighbor Totoro is a major reason for a whole lot of trips to Japan. For many people, the Studio Ghibli anime's depictions of the Japanese countryside are their first inkling of the bucolic beauty waiting outside the concrete jungles and neon thickets of the country's big cities, and 'Whoa, this looks like something out of Totoro!' is something countless visitors have thought to themselves when they see farm and forestland in Japan. So if Totoro is going to be inspiring people to travel to/in Japan, it's only fair that he help them carry their stuff, right? Ghibli specialty shop Donguri Kyowakoku has a whole line of Totoro travel bags, including a roller suitcase decked out with illustrations of the forest spirit frolicking in a clover patch, along with the white Little Totoro and some Soot Sprite friends. ▼ There don't appear to be any four-leaf clovers, but who needs luck when you've got this much cuteness? The rollers and TSA-compliant combination lock add convenience and security to the suitcase, which is 33 x 52 x 21 centimeters (13 x 20.5 x 8.3 inches) and has a carrying capacity of 30 liters. If you need more room, you'll be happy to know that with the handle extended… …you can slide it through a Totoro Boston bag. This one doesn't just show off Totoros on the fabric pattern, either, because the zipper pulls are little metallic Totoros too. Actually, the suitcase also has Totoro zipper pulls, but they're located inside, and a shiny silver color instead of the rustic bronze shade for the Boston bag's. Size-wise, these are both luggage pieces you'll want to leave in your hotel or inside a locker while doing your sightseeing, but there are two day-use bags in the line as well, a backpack… …and a 'town shoulder bag.' ▼ The shoulder bag is also sized to perch nicely on top of the suitcase. Prices start at 4,950 yen (US$34) for the shoulder bag, with the Boston bag 5,500, the backpack 5,940, and the suitcase 24,200 yen. The whole bunch is available through the Donguri Kyowakoku online store here following a restock, and if you'd like Totoro to help support your neck while you catch some Zs on the plane (and transform too), they've got you covered on that as well. Source: Donguri Kyowakoku Top image: Donguri Kyowakoku Insert images: Donguri Kyowakoku (1, 2, 3, 4) ● Want to hear about SoraNews24's latest articles as soon as they're published? Follow us on Facebook and Twitter!
SoraNews24
04-06-2025
- Entertainment
- SoraNews24
Studio Ghibli wind chime adds anime charm to the summer breeze
The sounds of a Japanese summer, with the help of magical movie characters. Studio Ghibli's 1988 film My Neighbour Totoro is famous for its titular star, but the giant grey Totoro, known as the 'Big' Totoro in Japan, is only one of three that you'll see in the film. The other two are blue and white, known as 'Medium' and 'Small' respectively, and they're now here to step into the spotlight with the big fella, in a beautiful wind chime. Each Totoro has a cute little companion keeping it company, with the white one on top joined by a red ladybug, the blue in the middle joined by a yellow butterfly, and the grey star Totoro appearing with a Soot Sprite by its side. Wind chimes like this one are commonly used in summer, where the tinkling sound acts as an auditory reminder of the breeze. While they come in many shapes and forms, one common element is the oblong paper tag at the bottom, which helps to catch the wind and cause the chimes to ring. This tag is beautifully adorned with Totoro and a Soot Sprite, alongside fireworks, another symbol of summer in Japan, and the word 'furin' ('風鈴' ['wind chime']), which combines the kanji for 'wind' ('風') and 'bell' ('鈴'). The wind chime is made from pottery to give it a beautiful sound, and it measures 7.5 centimetres (3 inches) in length. The refreshing turquoise hues will help keep you cool in the summer heat, and the box it comes in is so gorgeous you'll want to keep it for storage come autumn. Each wind chime is priced at 3,080 yen (US$21.41) and can be purchased at Donguri Kyowakoku stores and online, thanks to a recent restock. Like many Ghibli items, though, this seasonal item looks set to be very popular with fans so you'll want to get in quick while it's still available. Source, images: Donguri Kyowakoku ● Want to hear about SoraNews24's latest articles as soon as they're published? Follow us on Facebook and Twitter!
SoraNews24
06-05-2025
- Entertainment
- SoraNews24
Studio Ghibli serves up My Neighbour Totoro with a side of traditional Japanese wagashi sweets
Proof that Totoro loves sweets and matcha as much as we do. Studio Ghibli loves to champion traditional Japan in its movies and its merchandise lines, highlighting aspects of the culture to remind us of the things that make it so unique. One of the tastiest examples of this can be found in the Totoro Wagashi Burarin Series, a collection of charms — burarin loosely translates as 'dangly' — that combine the titular character from My Neighbour Totoro with wagashi, Japanese sweets. ▼ There are four to collect, starting with the Sakura Mochi no Omiyage. 'Omiyage' is the Japanese word for 'souvenir' and is often used to refer to sweet local specialty souvenirs purchased while away on a trip. Judging by the look of the sakura mochi dangling from the chain, Totoro may have returned from a trip to Kansai, the region of Japan in and around Osaka, as its made in the Domyoji style, which wraps a mound of sakura mochi rice in a cherry blossom leaf. The product has loads of cute details, including a Soot Sprite, which we hope is able to hop out of the way before being eaten. ▼ Next up, we have the Dango de Hitoyasumi. With a name that translates as 'Taking a Break with Dango', this is a particularly sweet design, with a small white Totoro leaning back on three sanshoku dango (literally 'three-coloured rice dumplings'), which also go by the name 'hanami dango' ('flower-viewing dango'), due to the way the colours match the sakura trees, making them popular during cherry blossom season. Traditional sweets pair incredibly well with matcha and Totoro makes the most of breaktime by enjoying a serving of powdered green tea with his dango. ▼ Here's hoping the white mochi-resembling Totoro doesn't get gobbled up by accident. ▼ The next item in the range is cutely named Taiyaki Tsuri ('Taiyaki Fishing'). This red snapper-shaped cake is filled with sweet red bean paste, and Totoro appears to be fishing for it, in a bowl that looks like a boat. ▼ This sweet contains another Soot Sprite that's in danger of being eaten. ▼ Finally, we have the Shinsen Ichigo no Daifuku Mochi ('Fresh Strawberry Daifuku Mochi') Totoro looks incredibly excited by the fresh strawberry, which appears in his hand as well as the soft rice cake that dangles beside him. Ichigo daifuku are known for containing whole strawberries, and this one includes a mound of red bean paste, alongside… ▼ …a tiny Soot Sprite! This is a collection that's as cute as it is mouthwatering, and with each item in the range priced at 1,650 yen (US$11.46), we can easily take them all home for 6,600 yen. They'll look right at home with these igusa rush cushions and Totoro noren curtains. Source: Donguri Kyowakoku Top image: Donguri Kyowakoku Insert images: Donguri Kyowakoku (1, 2, 3, 4) ● Want to hear about SoraNews24's latest articles as soon as they're published? Follow us on Facebook and Twitter!
