Adorable accessory is also a great reminder that sometimes you need to take a break.

One of the sad, but necessary, steps on the path to adulthood comes when you finally let go of your childhood dream of riding the Catbus when you go out. Wish all you want, but the beloved character from My Neighbor Totoro is just too wonderful and whimsical to be carrying passengers anywhere outside of a Studio Ghibli anime.

But that doesn’t mean the Catbus can’t keep you company on your real-world excursions outside the house. Studio Ghibli specialty store Donguri Kyowakoku has created a new Catbus keyholder, and it’s not only adorable, it contains a clever trick in its design too.

Obviously, the first thing you’re going to notice is the Catbus’ warm smile and expectant eyes, which arguably look even more inviting here than they do in the anime. But see that little leaf on the side?

It’s actually a button, and pressing it makes the indicator on the front of the Catbus change to different destinations!

Four of the possibilities, which come from the anime, are Mei/めい, Shichikokuyama Hospital/七国山病院 (where Mei and Satsuki’s mother is receiving treatment), Tsukamori/塚森 (the name of the forest where Totoro lives), and su/す, meaning “nest” or “home.”

The My Neighbor Totoro Catbus Destination Spinning Keyholder (to use its full name) also adds two destinations not shown in the anime, a general-purpose “going out” (おでかけ)…

…and the all-important “taking a little break” (ひとやすみ).

It’s also worth noting that the leaf button is a spinner, not a clicker. In other words, pressing it doesn’t rigidly toggle to the next destination in the sequence, but instead rapidly spins the display around, stopping randomly. You could argue that that makes it sort of inconvenient if you’re trying for one particular destination, but even then the imprecise nature gives you an excuse to keep making the display spin around, and who could complain about that? Plus if you’re fiddling with it and the “short break” destination comes up, you can take it as a sign that it’s OK to stop working or studying for a while.

Though it’s not super-bulky, the keychain is substantial enough that you can also use it as a bag charm, or hang it on your wall or at your desk as a decoration, maybe even using the indicator to let people know when you’ve stepped out for a break but will be back later.

The My Neighbor Totoro Catbus Destination Spinning Keyholder is priced at 1,980 yen (US$13.75) and can be ordered through the Donguri Kyowakoku online store here.

Source, images: Donguri Kyowakoku
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