My Neighbour Totoro and Spirited Away characters set the scene for desktop adventures with special details that fans will love.
Studio Ghibli has a remarkable talent for conjuring up delightfully charming animated worlds, drawing us into the intriguing lives of the characters in ways that are both intimate and magical. Now there’s an enticing way to bridge the gap between Ghibli and reality even further, thanks to a new duo of dioramas that are as beautiful as they are practical.
▼ The first little miniature work of art is called “My Neighbour Totoro Diorama Pen Stand with Paperweight: Totoro’s Home” (9,460 yen [US$59.45])
This diorama recreates the scene whereTotoro sleeps at the base of a giant camphor tree. Beside the sleeping giant are a Small and MediumTotoro, appearing as they do in the anime scene, with the Medium Totoro clutching a sack of acorns, complete with a hole in the side, where acorns pop out from.
▼ If the Small Totoro had hands, you know it’d be reaching for that acorn.
▼ While the diorama looks beautiful, it’s also practical, as it’s designed to be used as a penstand.
Remove the sleeping Totoro and you have a gorgeous paperweight that’ll fill you with a sense of serenity every time you look at it.
When Totoro is sleeping outside, the den can be used to store other small stationery items like clips.
Acorns can be seen hiding out all around the design, so you can feel like you’re going on your own acorn hunt as your eyes scan every nook and cranny.
▼ You’ll find some Soot Sprites on your travels too.
▼ Totoro might be sleeping, but it still has one protective paw over its beloved acorn!
The entire diorama weighs 618 grams (21.8 ounces) and measures around 12 x 8.3 x 10.5 centimetres (4.7 x 3.3 x 4.1 inches). The Totoro paperweight measures 6.9 x 3.1 x 3.7 centimetres.
▼ The second diorama is the “Spirited Away Diorama Tray with Paperweight: Stone Figure’s Tunnel” (9,020 yen)
Fans of Spirited Away will instantly recognise this setting, which is pivotal to the storyline as it acts like the entry point between real and magical worlds in the film. The stone statue sits in the middle of the road that protagonist Chihiro and her parents drive along at the beginning of the movie, preventing them from going any further and prompting them to step out of the car andventure through the tunnel thateventually leads them to be spirited away.
The vibrant colors of the leaves on the trees evoke a sense of movement and the passage of time, while also serving to to create a wonderful sense of depth.
▼ The mysterious stone figure acts like a sentinel guarding the entrance.
▼ … and you’ll reveal the portal to the magical world that exists beyond the red building.
With its slightly eerie yet somehow endearing expression, the statue acts like a small, sculptural object, creating a mysterious sense of energy wherever you place it, as if a gateway to another world has quietly appeared.
The base of the figure and the tray section have built-in magnets, making it convenient for organising small items such as clips.
▼ The magnetic pull evokes the same sense of curiosity felt by the characters that draws them into the darkened tunnel.
The sign above the tunnel features the characters 湯 (hot water), 油 (oil) and 屋 (shop or establishment), playing on 湯屋 (yuya), meaning bathhouse, and 油屋 (Aburaya), the name of the bathhouse in the film.
This diorama is slightly lighter than the Totoro version, at 509 grams. It’s also a little smaller, as the diorama measures 8 x 8 x10 centimetres and the paperweight 3.7 x 4.8 x 4.4 centimetres.
Both products are said to be suitable for people aged 15 and older, and can be purchased at physical branches of Ghibli specialty retailer Donguri Kyowakoku from 22 August. Sales at the online store are due to commence from 12:00 p.m. on 21 August, but one thing to be aware of is online orders will be sent out in mid-September, so if you’d like to enjoy your diorama before then, it’s recommended that you make your purchase at a physical store to avoid having to wait a month to receive it.
