Cute plushies, art and pottery make this a hanami flower-viewing experience like no other.

Studio Ghibli has a knack for creating beauty, both in its anime movies and its related merchandise collections, which are sold through the affiliated Donguri Kyowakoku (literally “Acorn Republic“) retail chain.

Now with sakura season on the way, the retail chain is blooming with even more beauty, thanks to a huge collection of cherry blossom goods, with Totoro as the star. Having previously appeared in years past, these goods are continuing to be a hit with fans, who crowded the online store in such great numbers it became inaccessible when the three stars of the show, pictured below, went on sale at 10:00 a.m. (JST) on 8 February.

Thankfully, Studio Ghibli did well to stock up in order to meet the high demand, so the items are still available and didn’t sell out in moments like previous years.

▼ Medium Large Totoro Cherry Blossom Beanbag Plushie (3,080 yen [US$20.24])

This soft, cuddly character brings Totoro (or “Large Totoro” as it’s often referred to in Japan, to differentiate it from the medium blue and small white Totoros seen in the film) to life in the most adorable way.

It’s as if the magical character has stepped right out of its forest home with a Soot Sprite and sakura twig over its shoulder, complete with two blossoms in full bloom.

▼ Next up, we have the Large Totoro Pink Gamaguchi (3,300 yen)

“Gamaguchi” (literally “Frog’s Mouth”) is the name given to traditional Japanese purses like this one, which open wide like a mouth, so you can easily fit lots of items inside.

This gamaguchi comes with a beautiful bell and sakura petal, which add an extra dose of charm to the already adorable pink purse.

▼ Joining the gamaguchi is a smaller pouch, which makes for a very beautiful sakura set.

▼ The Large Totoro Pink Mini Pouch retails for 2,200 yen.

▼ Like the larger purse, this pouch has a wide opening and a cute tail on the reverse side.

It also comes with a sweet sakura petal and a bell that lets out a gentle ring every time you open or close the zip.

If you’re in the market for a new pouch or purse, you’re in luck as the chain is also re-releasing its “Ohanamai Totoro” range, which sees all three Totoros enjoying a spot of “ohanami” (“flower-viewing”).

▼ Ohanami Totoro Gusseted Pouch (4,950 yen)

▼ Ohanami Totoro Glasses Case (4,400 yen)

▼ Ohanami Totoro Multi Case (3,850 yen)

▼ Ohanami Totoro Business Card Case with Metal Fittings (4,180 yen)

▼ Ohanami Totoro Pouch with Metal Fittings (3,850 yen)

Now we move on to a series of tenugui, which are decorative towels made of a light cotton material.

▼ Traditional Dyed Tenugui “Ball Sakura” (3,080 yen)

▼ Traditional Dyed Tenugui Sakura (2,640 yen)

▼ Traditional Dyed Tenugui Sakura Bloom (2,640 yen)

▼ Noren Totoro Cherry Blossom Flurry (3,278 yen)

Popping up as a nice surprise in this Totoro-heavy collection is an appearance from Laputa: Castle in the Sky characters.

▼ Traditional Dyed Tenugui Sakura Picking (3,080 yen)

Moving on, we come to a set of towels that are more practical but no less beautiful, in a design called “My Neighbour Totoro Spring Breeze“.

▼ Totoro Wash Towel (880 yen)

▼ Totoro Bath Towel (3,850 yen)

 

And now we have a range of Mino ware, a style of Japanese pottery produced in Gifu Prefecture.

▼ Small Plate (2,090 yen)

▼ Medium Plate (2,530 yen)

▼ Small Bowl (2,200 yen)

▼ Large Bowl (2,970 yen)

▼ Mug (2,860 yen)

▼ Japanese-style Teapot (6,270 yen)

Rounding off the collection, we have a couple of chopsticks, with the larger, 23-centimetre (9-inch) size retailing for 990 yen…

▼ …and the slightly smaller, 21-centimetre variety retailing for 935 yen.

Finally, we have a couple of “Totoro Fund” stickers in a sakura colour, so you can brighten up your favourite items while contributing to the non-profit charity headed up by Studio Ghibli co-founder and director Hayao Miyazaki.

This mammoth collection has us excited for sakura season, but as always, stocks are limited so you’ll want to stop by a Donguri Kyowakoku store or shop online for your favourites!

Source: Donguri Kyowakoku
Top image: Donguri Kyowakoku
Insert images: Donguri Kyowakoku (1, 2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7, 8, 9, 10, 11, 12, 13, 14, 15, 16, 17, 18, 19, 20, 21, 22, 23, 24,)
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