Its months don’t start until 2027, but the artwork is adorable and beautiful already.
My Neighbor Totoro is unquestionably a classic of animated cinema, and that status is even more impressive when you consider that for almost the entirety of its 86-minute runtime, hardly anything is happening that pushes any sort of narrative forward. Of course, as fans know, that’s part of the film’s charm. The loose connection from one scene to another helps create a dreamlike plausibility for the anime film’s supernatural elements, and the leisurely pace of what story there is cultivates a permeating sense of nostalgia for the unhurried days of childhood.
Unfortunately, as we grow up and take on adult responsibilities, we have to adhere to more structured schedules than “Go look for forest spirits in the woods, or maybe at the bus stop later if I take a nap first.” But if you want a calendar for keeping track of appointments which will also remind you of the importance of stopping to smell the roses (or other pleasing agrarian aromas),the 2027 Totoro calendar is now available at Studio Ghibli specialty shop Donguri Kyowakoku.
Each page features a scene from the anime, with ample space for writing in your schedule with pen or pencil (Studio Ghibli does love doing things by hand, after all).
There’s even a little bit of linguistics fun to be had, as the artwork for May is taken from the scene where Totoro first meets Mei, whose name is pronounced like “May” (though big sister Satsuki’s name itself means May under the old Japanese naming system for the months of the year).
Official Studio Ghibli merch designers are never ones to skimp on quality, and the calendar’s creators say they made sure to use a paper stock that’s both sturdy and easy to write on, and with a size of 51.5 x 36.4 centimeters (20.3 x 14.3 inches), the illustrations should be large enough to have some visual impact on your home or office.
We’ve still got a few months left to go in 2026, but Donguri Kyowakoku seems to be operating under the sound logic that people who buy calendars are the sort of people who like to plan ahead, and so the calendar is on sale now, priced at 1,980 yen (US$12.50), and can be ordered through the chain’s online store here. Alternatively it remains available through the Ghibli museum shop here.
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