A beautiful way to add a calming sense of escapism to your day.

Every animated film from Studio Ghibli will take you on a journey, but in the case of the 1989 movie Kiki’s Delivery Service, that journey begins right away, with young witch Kiki packing for a year of witch training. As she rushes around her room, picking out favourite items to pack, she reaches into her bookshelf to retrieve a red tin that’s been secreted away before stuffing it into her knapsack as one of her must-take items.

Now, that special tin has jumped out of the anime world and into the real one, thanks to a new range of teatime products produced by Ghibli specialty chain Donguri Kyowakoku.

While the tin in the film has a round blue accent on one side, the details of the design remain unclear. That gives Donguri Kyowakoku a bit of creative freedom with the product, and they’ve decided to place Kiki inside the blue circle, where she can be seen rattling the tin with a smile, just as she does in the moment she retrieves the item from her bookshelf in the film.

▼ A sweet case of Ghibli inception.

Other details around the tin depict some of the items seen in Kiki’s room, including the stuffed toys on top of her chest of drawers…

…and her knapsack, with the items she packs into it, as well as her father’s red radio, which she takes with her.

One side of the tin features Kiki’s feline friend Jiji, peering upwards and with tail upright, recalling the cat’s stance during the pre-journey bedroom packing scene.

And on the lid, we have a witch on her broomstick, with the sun and moon on either side, as a nod to the three images seen on the signboard outside Kiki’s home.

With gold accents throughout, the tin is beautifully made, and the attention to detail extends to the eight original tea bags inside, which contain a blend of Ceylon tea and chamomile. The tea is said to have a fruity aroma and is gentle and easy to drink, and the tag is gorgeous to look at, as it recalls the witch motif seen on the wooden board outside Kiki’s family home.

▼ The colourful appearance of each teabag is reminiscent of the tinctures and potions made by Kiki’s mother, Kokiri.


With the words “I’ve been excited about making this trip” appearing on one side of the tin, every sip of the tea will add a calming sense of escapism to your day.

▼ This product is aptly called “Kiki’s Departure Original Tea Blend“.


Once you finish all the teas inside, you can still enjoy the magic by repurposing the tin as a container for small items. Storing it behind the books in your bookshelf will really add to the anime charm.

 

With teas this good, you’ll want something equally enchanting to drink them in, and for that the chain has two options for us to choose from.

The Kiki’s Delivery Service One-Cup Tea Mug Jiji and Bread Wreath is the obvious choice for a cup of Kiki’s Departure tea.

This heat-resistant glass mug has been made by respected Japanese manufacturer Hario, and it comes with a convenient strainer that makes it easy to brew a single serving of tea.

The strainer is removable, so you can easily use the mug with teabags or loose-leaf teas. And if you turn the lid upside down, it acts as a stand to place the strainer on after brewing.


▼ With muted beige colour details, the color of the tea truly shines.


▼ The mug features Jiji on the front…

▼ …and a bread wreath design on the back.

Fans of My Neighbour Totoro will want to add the “Large Totoro and Soot Sprites” mug to their teatime collection.

▼ This design also comes with a lid and removable strainer.

▼ On the front of the glass is Totoro (or “Large Totoro” as he’s sometimes known)…

▼ …and on the back is a trio of cheeky Soot Sprites.

The Totoro mug is perfectly suited to green tea blends, which will give the characters a charming forest-like backdrop.

All these new products will warm your heart and your body as the cool weather descends, and they’re not too much of a splurge, as the tea tin is priced at 3,080 yen (US$20.20) and the mugs at 2,860 yen each. They can be purchased now at Donguri Kyowakoku stores around Japan and online (links below), where you’ll also find a collection of coasters that’ll add even more joy to your anime teatime.

Source: Donguri Kyowakoku
Featured image: Donguri Kyowakoku
Insert images: Donguri Kyowakoku (1, 2, 3)
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