If you’ve got a hankering for some anime collectibles and some snacks, you’re covered on both fronts.
With summer vacation season coming up soon, locals and travelers alike will be out and about in Japan, trying to soak up every bit of the season’s fun. However, all that moving around in the sweltering heat can leave you sweaty and hungry.
Thankfully, you can solve both of those problems, and profess your deep respect for the anime of Studio Ghibli, with these combination handkerchief and snack sets featuring the stars of classic Hayao Miyazaki film My Neighbor Totoro.
In Japanese, these are called tenugui, a term used to describe a length of cotton fabric that can be used as a handkerchief, towel, or wrapping cloth. In addition to the titular star himself, pictured above, there’s a “mid-sized Totoro” tenugui as well.
Each cloth is square and 30 centimeters (11.8 inches) in length and made of 100-percent cotton. While your first instinct may be to go straight for the Totoro versions, the Catbus is also a compelling choice.
▼ The patterns are laid out to provide a bit of a 3-D effect when the tenugui is used as a wrapping cloth.
The sole human representative from the anime’s cast is little sister Mei.
Finally, the “souvenir” design is inspired by the bundle of seeds Mei and her sister Satsuki receive from Totoro following their moonlit garden encounter, and is the only handkerchief that includes the rustic string.
Each cloth is priced at 1,600 yen (US$14), which might seem expensive, even in light of the fact that Ghibli merchandise usually carriers a pretty big premium in its pricing. But you don’t just get the cloth, but also some snacks, which come wrapped inside. Both Totoro and the Catbus come with vegetable chips, while the remaining three designs net you a pack of mixed nuts, both of which sound like the sort of old-school munchies Miyazaki himself would approve of.
▼ Nuts (left) and vegetable chips (right)
The Totoro handkerchief/snack sets go on sale in June at Ghibli specialty retailer Donguri Kyowakoku, and will also be available for ordered through the chain’s online shop.
Related: Donguri Kyowakoku location list
Source: IT Media, PR Times
Images: PR Times
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