Need a stress-soothing break? This figurine’s return means you can wait with Totoro while he waits for the Cat Bus.
A bonsai tree can be a great way to add some picturesque tranquility to your home or work/study space. However, bonsai often require complex care routines, and if you don’t have much of a green thumb, the hassle and stress of keeping one healthy can undo the sense of calm relaxation you were longing for.
So today let’s take a look at an alternative kind of bonsai that, in addition to being easier to care for, also has the major advantage of coming with Totoro.
Studio Ghibli specialty shop Donguri Kyowakoku has restocked its previously sold-out My Neighbor Totoro Water Garden Bonsai, which carries the subtitle of “Kasayadori.” Kasayadori refers to taking shelter from the rain, especially under the boughs of a tree, and that’s exactly what Totoro is doing in this recreation of the scene from the anime movie where he’s waiting for the Catbus to come by.
The Totoro factor isn’t the only thing that separates this from a conventional bonsai tree, either, because this figurine can make its own weather.
Drawing power from an attached USB cord, the Water Garden Bonsai functions as a desktop fountain, with rivulets pouring down around Totoro and Mei.
The clever design means that once the water falls, it gets picked up in the base of the figurine…
…and cycled back up into the upper part to fall again, so there’s no need to refill it every time you want the soothing sound of rain.
Though big sister Satsuki is absent from the scene, Mei and Totoro are joined by a friendly frog, Soot Sprites in the tree branches, and a small Totoro with a leaf for an umbrella, who wobbles as the rain falls on him.
The fountain effect can be turned on and left to run indefinitely, or set to a “voice-activated” mode that will cause rain to fall for a five-minute cycle.
▼ A video showing the fountain turned in action
Unfortunately, the other Ghibli bonsai-style water gardens shown in the video are no longer available, but the Totoro Kasayadori version, which is 22 centimeters (8.7 inches) tall and priced at 17,600 yen (US$112) is once again available for order through the Donguri Kyowakoku online store here.
Source, images: Donguri Kyowakoku
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