A beautiful blend of modern and traditional Japan. 


Studio Ghibli loves to showcase Japanese culture in its movies… and its merchandise. Here to prove that fact is a new duo of lacquered trays that look like they belong in a traditional geisha teahouse, but look closely and you’ll find some beloved characters incorporated in the designs.

▼ The first tray features the three Totoros from the 1988 classic, My Neighbour Totoro.

All three characters look as surprised as we are at their traditional surroundings and the accompanying blossoms.

With the grey “Large Totoro” standing amongst blooms of wisteria and plum, we can see this is a seasonal display, with plum being a harbinger of spring and wisteria being associated with summer.

The Medium and Small Totoro are pictured alongside maple leaves and camellia blossoms, motifs strongly associated with autumn and winter.

▼ The second tray in the lineup features No Face, from the 2001 film Spirited Away.

This design features motifs from the movie that conjure up images of the magical bathhouse where a lot of the action takes place.

Surrounding No Face are the Soot Sprites, carrying their beloved colourful star-shaped komeito candies, just as they do in the film.

Both trays measure 27 × 19.8 × 2 centimetres (10.63 × 7.80 × 0.79 inches), making them perfect for serving tea and light snacks, or simply for holding precious items and small accessories. Made from melanin, the trays are light, easy to use and scratch-resistant, so you won’t have to worry about damaging the character designs.

The only problem is choosing which one to purchase, but at 3,080 yen (US$20.04) each you could purchase both without breaking the bank. If you do have funds to spare, though, your foray into the world of lacquered Ghibli items is just beginning as Donguri Kyowakoku has a wider range of matching  goods in its merchandise collection.

▼ The new Totoro tray is a beautiful addition to the existing range of Totoro lacquerware.

▼ The new No Face tray adds an extra dash of red to the Spirited Away collection.

The new trays can be purchased at Donguri Kyowakoku stores online (Totoro here and No Face here), and the wider range of lacquerware including the recently restocked Totoro bento box, can be found here.

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