No Face, Catbus and Totoro come to life as unique puppets for your feet.
Studio Ghibli is world-famous for its creativity, which isn’t just limited to its stable of animated movies, but its range of official merchandise as well. That talent is clearly evident in the studio’s latest release, a cute sock collection that’s being sold through specialty retail chain Donguri Kyowakoku.
Known as “Puppet Socks“, these cleverly designed pieces of apparel can be used in the traditional way, as covers for your feet, but they also double as hand puppets. Ideal for young children who might need a bit of friendly puppetry to help them stay still while getting dressed, these socks are also ideal for adult fans of the studio, and so the socks come in adult and children’s sizes.
The series pays homage to a number of characters, and has already seen Jiji from Kiki’s Delivery Service and the Totoros from My Neighbour Totoro being released previously. Now, though, there are all-new additions being made to the range, with the Catbus and No Face joining the collection.
▼ The Catbus socks come in three different sizes, using Japan’s traditional centimetre measurements.
▼ The smallest, at 9-14 centimetres, is ideal for young children.
▼ This size comes with a non-slip surface for added safety, important for toddlers.
▼ Going up a size, the next Catbus, for older children, is for feet measuring 13-19 centimetres.
▼ And finally, we have the 23-25 centimetre size, which is aimed at women.
▼ Next up, we have No Face from Spirited Away.
▼ The smallest size available at the moment is 13-19 centimetres….
Followed by the 23-25 centimetre adult size.
Slip No Face on your hand and your thumb and little finger will slot perfectly behind the character’s arms, allowing you to animate it. While that might seem cute for adults, it might be terrifying for young children, and if that’s the case, you can opt for a sweeter puppet, with the Totoro variety.
Three of the above socks were released previously at Donguri Kyowakoku, but now the family is complete with a new size available, in 25-27 centimetres, which is suited to men.
Whether you wear them on your hands or wiggle them on your toes, these characters will bring a smile to your face wherever you go. Priced at 550 yen (US$3.47) each, they can be purchased at the Donguri Kyowakoku store and online (links below) while stocks last.
Source, images: Donguri Kyowakoku (1, 2, 3, 4, 5, 6)
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