Tom Cruise visits Ghibli Museum, poses for photo with Totoro
It's often the case that Hollywood movies arrive in Japan later than elsewhere, but Mission: Impossible–The Final Reckoning is scheduled to open in theaters here on May 23, the same day as it premiers in the U.S. As a matter of fact, advance screenings of the follow-up to 2023's Mission: Impossible–Dead Reckoning Part One start in Japan on May 17, and so Tom Cruise himself came out to Japan to drum up excitement for the movie…but his Japan itinerary has also included taking a moment to salute some other well-known films.
┆Ghibli Museum, Mitaka┆
25回目の来日を満喫した #トム・クルーズ 🇯🇵#クリストファー・マッカリー 監督とともに、 三鷹の森ジブリ美術館を訪れました🌳
トトロの前で記念撮影も✧#ミッションインポッシブル#ファイナルレコニング
5/17(土)より先行上映｜5/23(金)公開@GhibliML pic.twitter.com/Z873ov9CTI— 『ミッション:インポッシブル』公式 (@MImovie_jp) May 7, 2025
This week the official Japanese Mission Impossible Twitter account posted a photo of cruise and director Christopher McQuarrie posing for a snapshot with none other than Totoro! And no, this wasn't a case of the starstruck anime icon coming out to see the Hollywood A-lister, but vice-versa, as Cruise and McQuarrie paid a visit to the Ghibli Museum in Tokyo's Mitaka neighborhood.
Cruise is on his 25th trip to Japan, but this appears to be the first time he's been to the museum dedicated to the anime works of Studio Ghibli, or at least the first photograph of it, and along with several commenters saying how boyishly ' kawaii ' he looks, online reactions have included:
'Even Totoro looks surprised to see him.'
'My Neighbor Tom Cruise.'
'♪To-to-to To-m♪'
'I haven't heard him talk about Ghibli that often, so I didn't expect him to be that interested in it.'
'Please come to Nagoya too!'
'I'd like to see McQuarrie direct a short movie in which Tom hangs on the outside of the Catbus as it flies off into the sky.'
As intriguing as that last idea sounds, the Ghibli Museum's Catbus is famously only for kids, with no adults allows in or on it, so if Cruise and McQuarrie want to make that happen, they'll need to wait for another Ghibli exhibition with an all-ages Catbus.
Source: Twitter/@MImovie_jp via Ghibli no Sekai
Top image: Studio Ghibli (edited by SoraNews24)
● Want to hear about SoraNews24's latest articles as soon as they're published? Follow us on Facebook and Twitter!
Hashtags
Try Our AI Features
Explore what Daily8 AI can do for you:
Comments
No comments yet...
Related Articles
SoraNews24
11 hours ago
- SoraNews24
Two beautiful Totoro Catbus interior piece figures scamper back to the Studio Ghibli store【Pics】
Unusual names for cute-as-ever Catbus pieces. We recently took a look at some adorable Catbus face magnets, and while they're undeniably cute, you could make the argument that they really only represent half of what makes the iconic My Neighbor Totoro character special. After all, as far as his face goes, the Catbus isn't that different from a non-bus cat. Thankfully, if you're looking to add the full-form version of the Catbus' adorableness to your home, there are a couple of very cool ways to do that too. Scampering back into stock at Studio Ghibli specialty shop Donguri Kyowakoku later this month is the unusually named 'Found the Catbus!' figurine. Measuring 21 centimeters (8.3 inches) from tail tip to nose, the polyester resin Catbus is perched on an unobtrusive stand, allowing all of its 12 legs to be posed in a way that captures its expressively energetic running style. Placed in some plant life surroundings, the figure is detailed enough to make you do a double-take, since even if it's smaller than the Catbus' on-screen size, it might have you thinking there's a baby Catbus from the Totoro sequel short running around your neighborhood. However, compared to the Catbus face magnets, the 'Found the Castbus!' does have the drawback of not serving any practical purpose. If that's a deal breaker for you, though, there's also the 'Atop the Pine Tree Diorama Desk Clock.' Again, the naming is a little unusual, seeing as how most people expect some sort of painted or paneled background when they think of a diorama. Such linguistic quibbles are easy enough to dismiss, though, for something that looks this amazing. Thanks to the intricate rendering of the pine's branches, it almost looks like a bonsai tree, and there's even a little Totoro making an appearance on the clock's face. ▼ Because in fans' hearts, it's always Totoro time, isn't it? With the desk clock also recently restocked, both items can be ordered through the Donguri Kyowakoku online shop, with the desk clock priced at 13,200 yen (US$89) here, and the figurine at 49,500 yen here. Note that the figurine isn't scheduled to ship until sometime late this month, but you can imagine your Catbus is running the rest of his route while you're waiting. Source: Donguri Kyowakoku Top image: Donguri Kyowakoku Insert images: Donguri Kyowakoku (1, 2) ● Want to hear about SoraNews24's latest articles as soon as they're published? Follow us on Facebook and Twitter!
5 days ago
Most Japanese Teens Almost Never Talk About World War II
The Nippon Foundation conducted a survey of 1,000 young people in Japan aged 17 to 19 in mid-June 2025, just ahead of the eightieth anniversary of the end of World War II, with the aim of finding out their views regarding the war. Among the respondents 95% said that they had learned about World War II. Two-thirds of the respondents said that 'school lessons' were memorable, while around a third mentioned 'a trip to a museum or memorial site.' When asked which books or films about the war left the strongest impression, over 40% mentioned the Studio Ghibli anime Grave of the Fireflies . The film is an adaptation of a short story by Nosaka Akiyuki depicting the harsh life of a brother and his younger sister who are orphaned during the war. The next most influential work related to the war, mentioned by 20% of the respondents, was Barefoot Gen , a manga by Nakazawa Keiji based on his experience as a survivor of the atomic bomb attack on Hiroshima. Other influential works were Anne Frank's The Diary of a Young Girl , Saitō Ren's children's book Zō no inai dōbutsuen (The Zoo Without Elephants), and the film The Pianist . Only around 30% of the respondents said that they had heard first-hand stories from someone who had experienced the war. The most common situations for hearing such stories were cases where speakers came to schools, to either speak in the classroom or take part in a school event, or occasions where students listened to speakers at a museum or memorial hall. Fewer than 30% of the respondents had heard a story directly from a grandparent or great-grandparent. The overwhelming majority of respondents, at over 70%, said that they have almost never discussed World War II with family or friends. The next most common response was the just over 10% who said they talked about the war around once a year. (Translated from Japanese. Banner photo: A scene from Grave of the Fireflies [left] and a film tie-in collection of short stories by Nosaka Akiyuki. © Jiji.)
SoraNews24
6 days ago
- SoraNews24
Next stop for the Totoro Catbus: Your home, thanks to Ghibli magnets【Photos】
Six feline friends, with one a secret, are ready to stick to surfaces and transport some Ghibli cuteness. One of the secrets to Studio Ghibli's success is that its artists have top-tier talent both at drawing intricately detailed cool characters and also characters that are just plain cute. Recently we took a look at some Ghibli characters who fall into that first category with a selection of Princess Mononoke magnets, but what if you want to decorate with something a little lighter in mood? Then My Neighbor Totoro's Catbus is here for you. As with the Princess Mononoke series, there are a total of six different Catbus Face Magnet designs. While each one of them is made in the likeness of the feline transportation option, the variety of different facial expressions gives each one its own unique atmosphere, from sly to surprised and even hungry. ▼ The contouring on the surprised Catbus is especially detailed. As for the sixth design, Studio Ghibli specialty retailer, Donguri Kyowakoku, which has just restocked the Catbus magnets, says it's a 'secret' (シークレット), but the silhouette suggests its basic shape is similar to that of the others. The magnets are approximately 5.3 centimeters (2.1 inches) in width, and Donguri Kyowakoku recommends sticking them on refrigerators, blackboards, and whiteboards, though those specifics are just what comes to mind most immediately, because really, if you're a Ghibli fan, odds are you'd be happy to have these guys anywhere in your home or workspace. The Catbus Face Magnets are offered individually online here, priced at 1,100 yen (US$7.40), in blind-box/gacha format, but since you're assured of getting a Catbus, if you love the character you'll probably love any of the designs. However, that also means you'd probably love all of the designs, so fortunately there's also a complete box set available here, comprised of one of each of the six magnets, for 6,600 yen. Source, images: Donguri Kyowakoku ● Want to hear about SoraNews24's latest articles as soon as they're published? Follow us on Facebook and Twitter!
