Includes cameo appearances by some of the stars of the Hayao Miyazaki masterpiece.
Studio Ghibli’s Spirited Away has some of the most distinctive aesthetics work you’ll see in any anime, and that doesn’t just go for the design of the characters and creatures, but for the Aburaya bathhouse too, where the majority of the film takes place.
While several real-life locations claim to have been the inspiration for the bathhouse, the on-screen form of the enchantingly creative work of fictional architecture was put together in the imaginations of the studio’s skilled artists. There is a way to bring Aburaya into our world, though, with this gorgeous kit from Ghibli specialty store Donguri Kyowakoku.
The extremely detailed set is made of wood but requires no cutting or gluing to assemble. It’s part of Donguri Kyowakoku’s ki-gu-mi line, which the store describes as a “3-D puzzle,” although that seems to refer to the clever techniques of the construction method, not any hidden tricks you’re forced to figure out for yourself during the building process.
Though you won’t need any specialized tools, the design isn’t dummied down, and even includes touches such as the at-once inviting yet intimidating bridge that connects the bathhouse’s spirt domain to the everyday human realm.
Look close, and you’ll even spot protagonist Chihiro and scene-stealing No-Face!
While the walls of the pre-painted kit look great on their own, there’s also some inner beauty to the structure, as it’s equipped with LED lights that can be switched on for a nighttime effect.
At 20.7 centimeters (8.1 inches) tall and 30.3 centimeters across at its widest point, the kit is not only fun to build, but also makes for an eye-catching home decoration once it’s finished.
Donguri Kyowakoku has retail locations across Japan, but this Spiritied Away bathhouse ki-gu-mi set is available exclusively through the chain’s online shop here, priced at 15,000 yen (US$143) and with shipping scheduled for late November.
Source: Donguri Kyowakoku via Japaaan
Images: Donguri Kyowakoku
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