Anime castle heals our hearts and bodies this winter.
The Ghibli goods are coming thick and fast at Donguri Kyowakoku, the anime studio’s official merchandise chain in Japan. Hot on the heels of the recently released sukajan jacket and cushion blankets, the chain is now giving us a range of Howl’s Moving Castle merchandise, only revealing the collection today, a day before it goes on sale.
So let’s waste no time with the small talk and jump right into the new items coming our way.
▼ The first item to tempt us is Markl’s Pouch Pochette (4,950 yen [US$34.11]).
This synthetic leather pochette has been designed to look like the bag worn by young boy Markl from the movie, with the same bulbous shape.
▼ The strap is removable, so the bag can be used as a pouch or shoulder pochette.
Markl himself appears on the bag while wearing the bag, like some sort of Ghibli inception, while the fabric inside, which features images and characters from the film, is the same green colour as the character’s vest.
Next up, we have some jewellery, starting with a collection of earrings, available for either pierced and non-pierced ears, sold in a set of six for 2,420 yen.
▼ Pierced Earrings Set
▼ Non-pierced Earrings Set
Those wanting to coordinate their look will want to wear their earrings with one or both of the rings in the Howl and Sophie Ring Set.
▼ The rings look identical to the one Howl gifts Sophie in the movie.
Available in one of two sizes — 22 or 23 millimetres (0.87 or 0.9 inches) in diameter — the rings come in a set of two, priced at 2,420 yen.
▼ The larger “size 13” set (left) and the smaller “size 11” set (right)
Each set contains one ring with a blue stone and one with a red stone to resemble the blue light that leads to the past world and the red light that leads to the castle in the movie.
▼ Role play Howl and Sophie with your partner or simply wear the rings on your own.
Next up, we have the pièce de résistance in the collection — the Howl’s Moving Castle Small Humidifier (5,830 yen).
This compact humidifier is inspired by the calm image of Howl’s castle when it takes a well-earned break in the movie.
The castle really does look like it’s taking a break from its travels, and the mist emanating from its chimney stacks is a sight to behold.
Simply fill the attached bottle with water and connect the USB cable, and Howl’s Castle will re-energise your workspace with healing moisture during the dry winter season.
The bottle will relax you even further with its image of dog Hin and the clothesline gently swaying in the breeze, as it does in the film.
While the next product isn’t new, Ghibli has added it to the lineup to remind us of its beauty, as it makes for a perfect partner to the tabletop humidifier.
▼ Calcifer’s Flickering Candlelight (4,400 yen)
Beautifully boxed, the battery-run Calcifer lights up when shaken, cycling through changes in flame colour at intervals of several seconds to several tens of seconds.
▼ Red light…
▼…blue light!
The range can be purchased at Donguri Kyowakoku stores and online from 10 a.m. (JST) on 8 December. If Ghibli’s The Boy and the Heron is more your thing, there’s an equally impressive collection heading our way just a day later, on 9 December!
Source: Donguri Kyowakoku
Featured image: Donguri Kyowakoku
Insert images: Donguri Kyowakoku (1, 2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7)
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