Bring some Ghibli magic into the kitchen with Calcifer from Howl’s Moving Castle and the famous fish pie from Kiki’s Delivery Service.
Ghibli (Page 18)
The latest news regarding renovations has revealed information about several exciting new exhibits which has us counting down the days to the July 16 re-opening.
Studio Ghibli proves they are still the masters of animation even without the esteemed Hayao Miyazaki at the helm.
If you’ve got a Vive or Rift at home, you’ll want to stop what you’re doing right now and start downloading!
Fans of Ghibli works, and especially the studio’s early fantasy adventure Castle in the Sky, will surely be wanting one of these music-enhanced Lego Castle Laputa replicas for themselves.
Donguri Kyowakoku, the chainstore that sells nothing but Studio Ghibli items, has delighted fans with the best offering of the year: a bag filled with amazing Ghibli merchandise.
From Pikachu to Totoro, these onigiri rice balls are as cute as they are delicious-looking!
If you want to feel like you’ve stepped into an animated film from Studio Ghibli, “The Road to Laputa” in Kyushu is one place you won’t want to miss.
Just let us pretend for a little while that this amazing collaboration could actually happen.
It’s no secret that Hayao Miyazaki and his team of animators find inspiration for Studio Ghibli’s movies all over the place. Ponyo’s setting was inspired by a harbor town in Japan, Spirited Away’s world was based on a location in Taiwan, and Princess Mononoke’s forest came from Japan’s Yakushima Island.
But it was recently brought to light that a lot of inspiration for Ghibli’s movies came from a more innocuous place: a manga. The title is Mudmen, named after the Asaro Mudmen of Papua New Guinea, where the manga takes place.
Who are these “mudmen” and where do their inspirations crop up in Ghibli films? Read on to find out!
We here at RocketNews love Studio Ghibli and its cast of adorable animated characters. We save all our yennies to splurge on licensed merchandise and never miss a chance to visit tourist sites where we might bump into acclaimed semi-retired director Hayao Miyazaki.
One thing we’re yet to do is adorn our bodies with permanent ink tributes to the Ghibli stars. Thankfully, there are fans out there much braver than us who have made the leap, giving us a huge collection of beautiful tattoos for us to sift through. Take a look at 12 of our favourites, from the films My Neighbour Totoro, Spirited Away and Howl’s Moving Castle.
Minecraft has shown us time and time again that it’s much more than just a sandbox game made up of tiny blocks and flat-faced sheep. We’ve seen clever builders create everything from Super Mario Bros. gameplay to Japanese-language classes and even the entire country of Japan.
Today, we bring you something straight out of the world of Studio Ghibli: the floating city of Laputa from the animated film, Castle in the Sky.
Out of all the things we wish would spring to life from Studio Ghibli’s animated films, the catbus from My Neighbor Totoro would have to be at the top of the list. Who wouldn’t want to ride an enormous, fluffy, bright orange cat over hills and through forests on their daily commute?
As with all great things, if it can’t exist in real life, it can at least exist in the imagination. And there’s one imaginative lad who’s found a way to bring the catbus to life in the cutest way possible. All it takes is two ingredients: a fluffy, compliant cat and some Finnish beer.
September in Japan is the bridge between summer and autumn, with warm humid days mixed in with cool nights and passing typhoons dumping some of the year’s highest amounts of rainfall around the country.
With the rain set to continue, umbrella sales are in full swing at the moment, and some of the best ones here are simply magic. They won’t send you flying through the air like Mary Poppins, but they will reveal hidden secrets when the rain begins to fall!
Our love of the Studio Ghibli film My Neighbor Totoro has truly blossomed during the month of May. Just when we thought things couldn’t get any better after we heard about Totoro’s Forest in Saitama Prefecture, complete with a house for black dust bunnies known as Kurosuke no Ie, it seems there’s even more reason to celebrate, with an exact replica of Mei and Satsuki’s house open to the public in Aichi Prefecture.
Studio Ghibli and Pixar are two of the most successful movie companies in the world. They’ve released over a dozen memorable movies that can be enjoyed over and over again. The connection doesn’t end there, as Japan loves Pixar movies as much as the rest of the world loves Ghibli.
There are dozens of hidden gems to be found in Ghibli movies, which pay homage to beloved characters, and Pixar is also well-known for having a slew of Easter eggs that not only give a nod of respect to past characters, but also give clues about future characters and movies! Disney has released a new video of some of their favorite hidden treasures, and fans in Japan couldn’t be more excited about it.
Artist and T-shirt designer Saqman, who, despite his pen-name inadvertently reminding this writer of genitals, actually seems like a pretty wholesome guy, recently put together this spiffy and kind of spookily appropriate-looking mashup of Spirited Away and Alice in Wonderland, and it really works on a level we never really thought about!
Parasyte, the creepy science fiction horror manga series about a boy with a sentient alien parasite living inside his arm, was almost the newest Studio Ghibli animated venture, it has been learned. Studio Ghibli’s former president Toshio Suzuki last week sensationally revealed the news that Hayao Miyazaki had intended to bid for the rights to the series, which eventually went to film studio Toho.
So, what is Parasyte and what, if anything, have we missed out on here?




















Salomon releases Japan-exclusive Mt. Fuji hiking gear that doubles as an amazing souvenir
Don’t judge this Kiki’s Delivery Service book by its cover, because it’s not actually a book!
The quest for Dragon Quest Yoshinoya figure sets: Worth taking for fans, tricky for scalpers[Pics]
How to cook shiitake mushrooms like a Japanese manga character
Japan triples departure tax, foreign tourists and locals now must pay more to leave country
Udon pudding is about to shake up the noodle scene in Japan
Starbucks Japan teams up with Converse Tokyo for a new limited-edition collection in honour of Tanabata
One Piece docking at Round 1 amusement centers in both Japan and the USA
7-Eleven Japan releases chocolate cookies that taste like freshly baked melon bread
Studio Ghibli releases a musical diorama based on a touching anime scene from My Neighbour Totoro
Sanrio Character Poll announces winners, Hello Kitty absent from top 10 in many countries
Live-action Spirited Away stage play announces world tour with first-ever U.S. and Canadian dates
Japanese overnight sightseeing train returns for summer with ramen stops and ocean views
Tokyo has only two barley tea makers, and we visited one to see how mugicha is made
Blind Tokyo commuter explains the easiest place for him to stand while riding the train
Sleep at Hoshinoya Nara Prison, one of the most unique hotels in Japan
Pikachu brings electric style to brand-new Pokémon G-Shock watch featuring every stater trio
Japan announces sudden 400-percent increase in visa fees for foreigners entering the country
Japanese ninja certification exam attracts 131 candidates from Japan and abroad
Studio Ghibli store Donguri Republic announces opening of first-ever store in America
New Japanese overnight train coming to connect Tokyo with Tohoku in sleep-travel style
Japan launches first overnight Shinkansen bullet train between Tokyo and Osaka this summer
Japanese sweets shop sells an ohagi so exquisite it sells out by noon
Forget Tokyo go-karts – there’s a new way to sightsee on four wheels in Japan
Japanese sweets brand creates new drinkable Cigare and we’re totally here for it
Japan’s human washing machines will go on sale to general public, demos to be held in Tokyo
Starbucks Japan releases new drinkware and goods for Valentine’s Day
We deeply regret going into this tunnel on our walk in the mountains of Japan
Starbucks Japan releases new sakura goods and drinkware for cherry blossom season 2026
Japan’s newest Shinkansen has no seats…or passengers [Video]
Put sesame oil in your coffee? Japanese maker says it’s the best way to start your day【Taste test】
Japan reportedly adding Japanese language skill requirement to most common foreigner work visa
Japan’s 5.3 million beautiful Hitachi Nemophila flowers are now in full bloom[Photos]
Udon pudding is about to shake up the noodle scene in Japan
Starbucks Japan teams up with Converse Tokyo for a new limited-edition collection in honour of Tanabata
One Piece docking at Round 1 amusement centers in both Japan and the USA
7-Eleven Japan releases chocolate cookies that taste like freshly baked melon bread
Studio Ghibli releases a musical diorama based on a touching anime scene from My Neighbour Totoro
Japanese overnight sightseeing train returns for summer with ramen stops and ocean views
Taco Spaghetti appears in Japan, and our taco fan rushes to try it[Taste test]
KFC Japan creates spicy summer fried chicken chips together with Calbee
Sanrio collaborates with Sesame Street for adorable merch and sweets in Japan[Photos]
Foreign resident of Japan arrested after spraying bear repellant inside post office
Sanrio Character Poll announces winners, Hello Kitty absent from top 10 in many countries
Sanrio’s new McDonald’s Japan Happy Meals give the spotlight all to Cinnamoroll[Photos]
Studio Ghibli film towels with English dialogue lines are cinematically cool and cute[Photos]