Say goodbye to plastic with anime characters that sit on your shoulder as you shop.

Donguri Kyowakoku is the nation’s go-to chain of retail stores for anything and everything Ghibli-related. Now, after spending our-hard-earned yen on Spirited Away desk calendars and Laputa clocks, it’s time to reach into our Totoro wallets to make another purchase at the retail chain, because they’ve just announced the arrival of plush toys that turn into eco-friendly tote bags.

The new plushies feature characters from two of Ghibli’s most beloved films. First up is the fox squirrel from the 1986 animated feature film Laputa: Castle in the Sky. 

When you reach inside the little plushie, it unravels to reveal a beautifully adorned eco bag. And because these little fox squirrels love to ride on the shoulder of Laputa’s caretaker robot in the film, it makes sense that these magical animals want to take a ride on your shoulder too.

▼ The clever design lets you show off the magical fox squirrel and the giant robot while you shop.

A fox squirrel called Teto rides on the shoulder of Nausicaä in the 1984 film Nausicaä of the Valley of the Wind, so this tote bag will appeal to fans of both films.

The other plushie available features two supporting characters from the 2001 anime film Spirited Away.

Sitting in a wooden bathtub is baby Boh, in his guise as a big, chubby purple mouse, being carried by Yubaba’s tiny transformed bird.

Like a transformation inception, the transformed characters transform into a stylish eco bag, in a gorgeous lavender hue that celebrates the funny duo from the film.

▼ An eco bag that turns heads wherever you go.

Both these plushie eco bags went on sale from 1 July at Donguri Kyowakoku stores around Japan and online, where they retail for 2,800 yen (US$26.04) each.

The new release is perfectly timed for a new law in Japan that came into effect on this same date, which requires all retailers around the country to now charge customers for single-use plastic bags — news the plastic-eating deer in Nara will no doubt be happy for.

Source, images: PR Times 
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