Stay warm with a trio of Totoros this winter.
As the weather gets colder and we change our wardrobes from summer to winter, it’s time to rethink our bags and accessories too. Stepping in to bring a ray of sunshine to our outfits is a new bag and pouch collection from Studio Ghibli, with warm and snuggly textures that’ll make you want to cuddle them all winter long.
The Large Totoro Fluffy Tote (3,850 yen [US$25.68]) features the unmistakable face and belly of Totoro, with the giant’s usual blue-grey hue swapped for a gentle brown.
The fluffy material is said to be “outstanding to the touch”, and the area at the mouth contains a magnet, so it can be closed up, giving it an extra cute look as you go about your daily adventures.
Measuring 43 by 34 by 16.5 centimetres (17 by 14 by 6.5 inches), the bag is compact but large enough to fit a wide variety of daily accessories, with a side pocket inside to keep things neat and tidy.
The fluffy handles will keep your wrist and side warm while you carry the bag, and they’re perfectly sized for hanging mascot keychains or pouches, like the next item in the collection…
▼ …the Medium Totoro Osanpo Case (1,540 yen).
For many people in Japan, the word “osanpo” or “sanpo” (“stroll“) is synonymous with Ghibli’s 1988 movie My Neighbour Totoro, as “Sanpo” is the name of the opening song. This song and its theme of setting out for a leisurely walk sets the scene for the movie, which reminds us of the many magical things you can find when out on a stroll.
▼ Like acorns, for instance.
This cute pouch embodies the idea of a stroll by looking as if it’s mid-walk, and it’s ready to hold all sorts of small items like candy, lip gloss, eye drops or coins.
▼ It comes with a ball chain so you can easily attach it to your favourite bag and take it out for a stroll.
▼ The final item in the three-piece range is the Small Totoro Otegami Pouch (2,200 yen).
“Otegami” means “letter”, and this pouch is designed to look like an envelope, with a triangular flap on the back and soft beige and tan hues. Letter-writing is another beloved aspect from the film, as one scene shows older sister Satsuki writing a letter to her hospitalised mother, in which she includes a little doodle of a crab she calls “Mei Crab” which resembles her younger sister, Mei.
▼ While you could use this pouch to hold letters, it can also be used to hold other small items like makeup and stationery.
▼ The pouch is extra cute when carried in the large Totoro.
Another reason why the letter pouch is particularly special is because all three items have been produced by e-commerce site Ensky, who sells products like this not only through its own site but across Japan at over 1,000 post offices and the Japan Post online store.
Ghibli’s own line of merchandise stores, Donguri Kyowakoku, will also be stocking the goods in-store and online from 20 October. Stocks are limited, though, so you’ll want to get in quick so you don’t miss out on them, because if the popularity of the Ghibli mini humidifiers is anything to go by, it could be a long wait until we see these cuddly items again.
Source: Donguri Kyowakoku
Top image: Donguri Kyowakoku
Insert images: Donguri Kyowakoku (1, 2, 3)
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