28-05-2025
Japanese traditional Ghibli gift set lets you give Totoro teatime to a fellow fan…or yourself
Even the bundle of this three-piece bundle is a treat for fans of the anime icon.
There's quite a bit of gift-giving that goes on in My Neighbor Totoro. Mei's desire to deliver a present to her mom in the hospital kicks off the Studio Ghibli anime's final-act crisis, and Mei and Satsuki cement their friendship with Totoro by giving him an umbrella while they're waiting for their buses in the rain. But perhaps the most memorable gift is the one Totoro gives them in return for the umbrella, a packet of maybe-magical seeds wrapped up in a mambo leaf.
And if you'd like to give someone in your life a little Totoro magic, or at least some Totoro -themed warm fuzzy feelings, Ghibli specialty store Donguri Kyowakoku is offering a charming Totoro Gift Set.
Instead of an actual bamboo leaf (which would be too small), the bundle comes wrapped in a furoshiki, a Japanese decorative wrapping cloth which can also be used like a bag or sling, depending on how it's tied, or, alternatively as a tapestry or other interior decoration. The all-cotton furoshiki's pattern features a number of Soot Sprites hiding amongst the greenery, and in the corner is a Small/white Totoro, positioned such that when the gift set is bundled up, the forest spirit will be standing up at the top of the knot.
The furoshiki is beautiful by itself, but there are more gifts inside. This cylindrical container, wrapped in traditional washi paper with illustrations of Totoros walking through the forest, is a tea case.
Inside are eight tea bags of Donguri Kyowakoku's special-blend Donguri Tea. While donguri is the Japanese word for 'acorn,' the tea is actually a blend of kuromame (black bean) and genmai (brown rice) teas with jujube and quercus salicina leaf.
And because the can is made of sturdy stainless steel, you can use it to store other things long after you've drunk your last cup of the tea that comes inside it.
Ah, but what to pour that tea into? Simple: the Totoro teacup that makes up the third part of the Totoro Gift Set.
This is what's called a yunomi in Japanese, meaning a teacup with no handle. The gently rounded sides of this particular design help make a heartwarming mental association with Totoro's chubby cuddliness.
The bundle is priced at 5,280 yen (US$36) and can be ordered here through the Donguri Kyowakoku online store, where they describe it as a way to 'give a soothing, relaxing time with Totoros,' and we say there's nothing wrong with giving that present to yourself.
Source: Donguri Kyowakoku
Top image: Donguri Kyowakoku
Insert images: Donguri Kyowakoku, Studio Ghibli
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