
Carry your lunch like a magical delivery from the famous anime movie.
If you love Studio Ghibli as much as you love onigiri rice balls, then you’ll be happy to know that the studio is here to deliver, with a brand new lunch bag shaped like an onigiri, that fits two triangular convenience store rice balls inside.
Called the Insulated Rice Ball Shaped Lunch Bag, this sweet zippered pouch comes with a handle and a design that resembles a picnic basket, and is adorned with characters and motifs from the 1989 film Kiki’s Delivery Service.
▼ The lunch bag retails for 1,100 yen (US$7.12).
The beautiful triangular shape gives the pouch a unique look that makes it feels like it could be a package that Kiki might deliver by broomstick.
Although convenience store onigiri is given as the benchmark for what it can hold, the bag can comfortably fit small cut sandwiches, fruit, or if you’re feeling creative, one very large rice ball.
While Kiki appears on the front of the bag with Jiji, Jiji’s footprints appear on the back, alongside the title of the movie.
With aluminum-coated material on the inside, the bag has excellent cooling and heat retention properties, and the sturdy core material prevents the rice ball from getting crushed, which is another nice feature.
While the bag can be used for all sorts of things, the retail chain that sells it recommends using it as part of a wider picnic set dedicated to Kiki’s Delivery Service.
▼ Insulated Lunch Set – Medium (3,960 yen)
This handy set comes with two separate containers, a removable insulated tray and an ice pack, which can be popped into the mesh pocket to keep things cool.
▼ Insulated Lunch Set – Large (5,280 yen)
This larger version also comes with an ice pack and a removable insulated tray, but it includes four separate containers, with one divider for a large container and one for a small.
▼ Four-piece Plate Set (1,870 yen)
These gorgeous plates showcase two designs, one showing Kiki riding a broomstick, alongside Tombo riding a bicycle, with images of airships and clock towers evoking the town of Koriko. Jiji and his girlfriend Lily appear on the second design, with motifs that recall the bakery from the film.
▼ Stackable Cups with Container (1,650 yen)
No picnic is complete without drinks, and for that we have a four-piece cup set, with designs that match the plates.
The cups stack away neatly into the container, with a handle for easy transport and storage.
▼ Leisure Sheet – Medium (3,630 yen)
While people overseas might use picnic rugs on their outings, here in Japan people opt for “leisure sheets”, which are lightweight, foldable and water resistant.
▼ This one comes with an aluminium coating on the underside to protect against moisture and coldness.
Measuring 141 x 90 centimetres (55.5 × 35.4 inches), the leisure sheet folds up beautifully and is secured with a press-button closure.
▼ Leisure Sheet – Large (5,830 yen)
Whereas the smaller version featured Jiji and Lily with bakery motifs, this larger version is adorned with images of Kiki and Tombo in their town setting.
▼ The sheet measures 180 x 141 centimetres, and also folds up neatly and easily.
These products are perfectly timed for picnics now that the summer weather has eased up, making the days more comfortable for outdoor events. They can be purchased now at Donguri Kyowakoku stores and online (links below) while stocks last.
Source: Donguri Kyowakoku
Top image: Donguri Kyowakoku
Insert images: Donguri Kyowakoku (1, 2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7)
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