Hayao Miyazaki’s anime forest spirit and Catbus grace the made-in-the-U.S.A. bags.
As a chain devoted entirely to Studio Ghibli merchandise, you can find all sorts of anime goodies at Japan’s Donguri Kyowakoku, and not just kids’ stuff either. Sure, they have plenty of plushies and toys, but there’s also a range of practical items for adult fans too.
The latest grown-up Ghibli items? A line of tote bags, produced by none other than American outdoor goods company L.L. Bean!
The bags are part of L.L. Bean’s Boat and Tote series, which the company first began selling way back in 1944 for customers to carry ice in.
Simple and sturdy yet playfully fashionable, a total of four designs are available, mixing illustrations of My Neighbor Totoro’s titular forest spirit Totoro on his flying top or a profile of the running Catbus with blue or green trim.
The all-cotton canvas, made-in-the-U.S.A. bags measure 33 x 30 x 15 centimeters (13 x 11.8 x 5.9 inches), meaning you’ll be able to carry home a lot of the other stuff you find at Donguri Kyowakoku that you didn’t initially plan to buy, but just had to have once you saw it (an extremely common and thoroughly enjoyable predicament).
▼ Along with the L.L. Bean tag on the inside, there’s also a My Neighbor Totoro one in classic font used for the Hayao Miyazaki-directed classic’s title.
The Totoro and Catbus totes go on sale at Donguri Kyowakoku branches and the chain’s online shop on October 26, priced at 13,000 yen (US$120). We think they’d also make great picnic lunch carriers, since there’s nothing like lunch outside on a crisp autumn afternoon, as long as you’re bundled up in your Catbus scarf.
Source: PR Times via Ghibli no Sekai
Top image: PR Times
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