Princess Mononoke’s Deer God is watching you as you dry your hands.

Who is the face of Studio Ghibli?

Some would say Totoro, but there’s a compelling argument to be made that he’s more of the tummy of the esteemed anime production house. No Face might seem like another candidate, except for the fact that, you know, he doesn’t have a face. Even Hayao Miyazaki doesn’t feel like the definitively correct answer, seeing as how the legendary director is much happier working behind the proverbial camera, and how he prefers to depict himself as an avuncular illustrated pig rather than a more accurate caricature of his actual likeness.

So perhaps the most memorable Ghibli face, specifically, is that of Princess Mononoke’s Forest Spirit.

Also known as the Shishigami (“Deer God”) in Japanese, the Forest Spirit is one of the most unique and captivating creature designs in the history of animation, at once both serene and unsettling. The combination of startlingly human facial features on a majestic animal body makes it impossible to tell if the Forest Spirit sees people who have wandered into its domain as equals, insignificant, or invaders. It’s a face that’s hard to look away from without solving the impossible puzzle of what the sentiment behind that steady gaze is, and if you want to ponder such questions while also drying your own face, you can.

Studio Ghibli specialty shop Donguri Kyowakoku has restocked its Forest Spirit and San towel line. Actually, in addition to the heroine’s mask each towel also has a quartet of kodama, the rattly-headed denizens of the anime film’s woodlands, but clearly the Forest Spirit is who’s going to be commanding attention whenever anyone looks at these.

Pictured above are the washcloth and face towel, which measure 34 by 36 centimeters (13.4 by 14.2 inches) and 34 by 80 centimeters, respectively. There’s also a mini towel (basically a soft handkerchief) that’s 25 centimeters square.

The washcloth and mini towel are both priced at 880 yen (US$6.10), and the face towel at 1,650, and the Forest Spirit would probably approve of the fact that they’re all made with organic cotton. They’re all available once again through the Donguri Kyowakoku online shop here thanks to a restock, but should you decide to pick one up to hang by your sink you might want to give any guests to your home a heads up so they don’t get freaked out when they go to wash their hands.

Source: Donguri Kyowakoku
Top image: Studio Ghibli
Insert images: Studio Ghibli, Donguri Kyowakoku (1, 2, 3)
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