The mysterious god even has a moving mouth, to eat the tasty anime meals on the note pads.
As ardent lovers of both Studio Ghibli and Japanese stationery, we’re always very excited when the anime studio releases a stationery collection. So when Ghibli specialty chain Donguri Kyowakoku unveiled a brand new range of memo pads adorned in food from some of our favourite Ghibli anime, plus a stand designed to look like the River God from Spirited Away, we had to stop ourselves from immediately purchasing the whole collection and share the find with you straight away.
Starting with the memo pads, there are three to choose from, priced at 770 yen (US$4.93) each, and they all look delicious.
▼ Kiki’s Delivery Service Round Memo – Kiki’s Cake
As fans will know, the cake on this memo pad is the one that Kiki receives as a gift from Madame, and it’s been beautifully recreated.
Inside the cake, you’ll find a 100-sheet memo pad, with Kiki and Madame bringing a dash of joy and warmth to each page.
▼ Howl’s Moving Castle Round Memo – Calcifer’s Bacon and Eggs
This memo pad features the sizzling bacon and eggs from Howl’s Moving Castle, which is beautifully printed so you can even see the smoke rising from the pan.
Inside, you’ll find 100 pages of Markl, happily gobbling up the meal, just as we would if it were placed before us.
▼ Ponyo on the Cliff by the Sea Round Memo – Lisa’s Ramen
Sosuke’s mum Lisa makes this iconic meal for him and Ponyo, bringing them comfort during a heavy storm.
The instant noodles, topped with thick slices of ham, a boiled egg, and green onions is one of the most delicious-looking meals in the Ghibli cannon, and with this pad on the table, we’ll be reminded of its deliciousness every day.
All the memo pads above have a a distinctive round shape, which Donguri Kyowakoku says has been “born from the bookbinding techniques of skilled craftsmen”. Manufactured by Movic, which operates under the umbrella of the Animate Group, which handles the planning, manufacturing and distribution of merchandise covering the world of anime, manga and video games, each pad is carefully designed for quality and ease of use.
▼ The most exciting product in the lineup for us, though, is the Spirited Away River God Memo Stand (4,950 yen).
Also produced by Movic, this stand is like a figurine, capturing the quiet, mysterious presence of the River God who appears out of the water during a pivotal moment in the bathhouse in Spirited Away.
Here, the River God acts as a memo stand, holding memos in the clip behind its head.
Although you can clip any type of paper into the stand, we’re tempted to tear a note out of the round memo pads and write the character’s iconic words, “Well done” on it for dramatic effect.
Adding to the drama is the character’s jaw, which actually moves, so you really can feel like it’s saying “Well done” whenever you finish a difficult task.
The interactive element is a very nice touch, and as it’s made of metal and quite weighty, it’s designed to put up with all your character roleplays.
▼ The stand is as solid as the presence of the character.
So if you’ll excuse us now, we’re off to make our purchase, and if you’d like to do the same, you can click on the links below to grab your favourites before they sell out!
Source: Donguri Kyowakoku
Featured image: Donguri Kyowakoku
Insert images: Donguri Kyowakoku (1, 2, 3, 4)
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