Studio Ghibli releases new anime cushions for Totoro and Kiki's Delivery Service fans
Support your tush with supporting characters from two top anime movies.
One of the recurring themes that runs through all of Studio Ghibli's movies is the support that main characters receive from the secondary characters around them. In My Neighbour Totoro, for example, young protagonist Mei and her sister Satsuki are helped by the magical Totoro forest dwellers, and in Kiki's Delivery Service the titular character can't do without the company and advice of magical cat Jiji.
Now, these caring characters are here to make you feel like the main character in your own movie, by providing you with literal and figurative support, in the form of seat cushions.
▼ The first cush to support your tush is the My Neighbour Totoro Maruta Cushion
'Maruta' means 'log', and that's what this cushion is designed to look like, with a calming shade of brown around the sides and beautifully stitched details resembling rings.
The backside features forest leaves and a couple of Soot Sprites, while the front shows a small Totoro beside the titular Totoro, whose big grin will put a smile on your dial.
Made from a super soft, fluffy material, the cushions measure 40 centimetres (16 inches) across and 8 centimetres in height.
Fans of Kiki's Delivery Service will be happy to see supporting cast member Jiji on the Chocolate Cake Cushion.
With Jiji on one side and an image of Kiki and Jiji on the other, you can choose between two display options…and two seating options.
▼ This side is evocative of the cake seen in the film.
On this side, Jiji's wide-eyed face of surprise will make you laugh every time you park your rear on it.
The cushions are priced at 5,280 yen (US$37.06) each and can be purchased at Donguri Kyowakoku stores and online (Totoro here and Jiji here). The soft material makes these a great option for keeping you comfortable and warm, but if you'd like to keep your tush cool in summer, then these Totoro rush cushions will do the trick.
Source: Donguri Kyowakoku
Top image: Donguri Kyowakoku
Insert images: Donguri Kyowakoku (1, 2)
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SoraNews24
7 hours ago
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Support Japan's real-world Totoro Forest with special Studio Ghibli collection
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Right now is the perfect time to stock up and support the cause, as a huge number of goods has been restocked at the studio's Donguri Kyowakoku retail chain, giving you a wide variety of products to choose from, at various price points. The first set of goods is a range of clothing, with hoodies and long and short-sleeved T-shirts vying for our attention. ▼ The long-sleeved T-shirts have 'National Trust Totoro Fund' written on the front… ▼ … a couple of cute Soot Sprites on the left sleeve… ▼ … and a trio of Totoros on the back. This design is called 'Furoshiki Totoro', with furoshiki referring to the cloth sacks being carried by the Totoros. The Furoshiki Totoro long-sleeved shirts retail for 4,510 yen (US$31.27) each and can be purchased in white or black. ▼ Next up, we have a couple of 'Furoshiki Totoro' hoodies, priced at 6,600 yen. 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The Furoshiki Totoros will take care of your valuable items, with different designs on the front and back of the strap. There are three bags to choose from. ▼ The Vertical Catbus Tote Bag (2,750 yen), which measures 36-37 centimetres (14.2-14.6 inches). The bag is as cute as it is functional, with an inner pocket helping to keep things easily accessible. ▼ The Sendangusa Foldable Eco Bag (1,540 yen) Light yet durable, this handy bag measures about 38 x 42 centimetres and can carry half a dozen two-litre plastic bottles. 'Sendangusa', a genus of annual plants in the daisy family, features in the adorable design, with Totoro seen relaxing in the leaves. As the name suggests, this bag folds up into a neat little square so you can keep it in your handbag without it taking up too much space. ▼ The Matcha Foldable Eco Bag (1,870 yen) Measuring around 27 x 56 centimetres, this bag is slightly shorter and wider than the previous one, making it a good fit for bento lunch boxes. 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Source: Donguri Kyowakoku Top image: Donguri Kyowakoku Insert images: Donguri Kyowakoku (1, 2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7, 8, 9, 10, 11, 12, 13, 14, 15, 16, 17, 18, 19, 20, 21, 22, 23, 24, 25, 26) ● Want to hear about SoraNews24's latest articles as soon as they're published? Follow us on Facebook and Twitter!
SoraNews24
2 days ago
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Studio Ghibli has offices in western Tokyo. | AFP-JIJI Studio Ghibli's heavy hitters Here are the studio's top five films that have delighted fans over the decades: "Nausicaa of the Valley of the Wind" (1984) Studio Ghibli was founded in 1985, but this post-apocalyptic story featuring a young, independent princess curious about giant insects is considered its first film. It was based on a comic-strip series that Ghibli co-founder Hayao Miyazaki wrote for a magazine targeted at anime fans. Set 1,000 years after a war that destroyed human civilization, the story takes place in a valley protected from toxic air emitted from poisonous forests. Miyazaki won critical acclaim and a cult following for the film about Nausicaa, who discovers the forests' secrets after getting embroiled in conflicts between countries trying to revive a lethal "giant warrior." "My Neighbor Totoro" (1988) This beloved Ghibli classic is set in the 1950s Japanese countryside where two young sisters with a sick mother move from the city. They encounter the cuddly yet mysterious forest spirit Totoro and Catbus, a 12-legged grinning cat with a hollow body in the form of a bus — two characters who have since become worldwide-known Studio Ghibli mascots. The film was also turned into a play for the first time by Britain's Royal Shakespeare Company in 2022. "Princess Mononoke" (1997) The tale of a girl raised by a wolf goddess in a forest threatened by humans was a smash hit in Japan and raised Miyazaki's profile internationally. A young prince on a journey to find a cure for his curse meets San, also known as Princess Mononoke — meaning a spirit or monster in Japanese. The prince sets out to find ways to avoid wars between destructive humans and animal gods, centered around the ultimate god which is nature itself. "Spirited Away" (2001) Miyazaki won his first Oscar with this film about a girl who gets lost in a mystical world of gods and spirits where she tries to save her parents, who are turned into pigs. In order to survive, 10-year-old Chihiro is told by a mysterious boy to get a job at an enormous Japanese bathhouse run by a witch. In a story infused with Japanese beliefs and traditions, Chihiro gains confidence through her work and solves the boy's curse before rescuing her parents. "The Boy and the Heron" (2023) Miyazaki's second Oscar-winning film — and likely the 84-year-old's last feature — follows a boy struggling to accept his new life after his mother dies in the haunting fire-bombing of Tokyo during World War II. Everything changes when he meets a talking heron and embarks on a journey to an alternate universe, shared by the living and the dead, to find his missing stepmother. In a documentary, Miyazaki, visibly affected by the 2018 death of Ghibli co-founder Isao Takahata, said the pair had had a "love-hate relationship" and that he had based the character of the grand-uncle on him.
