The Toshio Suzuki and Ghibli Exhibition opened at The Museum of Kyoto on April 23, 2022.

Toshio Suzuki, a producer at Studio Ghibli, has worked with both Hayao Miyazaki and Isao Takahata on a number of beloved masterpieces. The exhibition will feature a large bookshelf housing 8,800 of Suzuki’s publications. Many of these were published before Suzuki joined Studio Ghibli, and guests are invited to see how the producer was inspired to join the legendary studio after working as an editor at a manga magazine. 

This exhibition was realized after Suzuki himself proposed the idea of exhibiting his books for the first time. At the press preview, Suzuki made a statement. “My dream was to collect all the books I’ve read over the past 70 years and display them in one room. Today, I’m so happy to stand in the middle of it. On one hand, I’m amazed by how much there is. On the other hand, I feel like there could always be more.”

Many of Studio Ghibli’s most famous works were born from casual conversations between Isao Takahata, Hayao Miyazaki, and Toshio Suzuki. Suzuki has played a large role in film advertising, including many of the memorable posters and ads almost everyone has seen. He has always included each film’s most inspiring song in television ads, which has dramatically increased audience attendance. After all, who doesn’t love the music in Studio Ghibli films?

What’s your favorite Ghibli film?

From July 1 until September 7, the Toshio Suzuki and Studio Ghibli Exhibition will be held at Warehouse Terrada in Shinagawa, Tokyo. The exhibition was first held in 2019 and is dedicated to Studio Ghibli’s co-founder and producer Toshio Suzuki. Following showings in Nagasaki and Kyoto, the event will come to Tokyo with bonus content including art and calligraphy by Suzuki himself.

The theme of the exhibition this time is “Words that Inspired Toshio Suzuki”, with a new exhibit being a huge bookshelf with over 8,800 books and novels. Each of the books is believed to have influenced Suzuki in some way, so fans can gain a rare insight into what kinds of works shaped the producer’s way of thinking. The exhibit has the look and feel of Suzuki’s “hideout” spot Rengaya, where he broadcasts his radio series from.

Another new exhibit is the Bath House area, which features a huge motif of the Bath House from Spirited Away! 

Which Studio Ghibli film has had the biggest impact on you?

©TS　©Studio Ghibli

The Aichi Prefectural Government announced that part of the Studio Ghibli theme park will open on November 1 in the city of Nagakute. 

During the announcement, the first video and key visual of the park was released, both created by Studio Ghibli. The tourism video highlights the appeal of Aichi Prefecture and features local tourist spots, encouraging those visiting the theme park to also spend some time touring the prefecture.

Three areas of the Ghibli Park will open on November 1 of this year: Ghibli’s Grand Warehouse, the Hill of Youth, and Dondoko Forest. Two additional areas–Mononoke’s Village and the Valley of the Witches–are scheduled to open in November 2023.

Ghibli no Daisoko (Ghibli’s Grand Warehouse)

Three times the size of the Ghibli Museum in Mitaka, Ghibli’s Grand Warehouse will be an indoor area featuring shops, restaurants, ongoing exhibitions, and a small theater. An interactive area featuring oversized objects will allow visitors to feel as though they’ve stepped into Arrietty’s world, while another part of the space will recreate the sky garden from Laputa: Castle in the Sky. The Warehouse will also have a My Neighbor Totoro-inspired playground complete with Catbus.

Seishun no Oka (Hill of Youth)

Serving as the entrance to the park, the Hill of Youth features a yellow observation tower which will double as the main gate. The area will showcase the antique shop from Whisper of the Heart, featuring curiosities from films like Laputa: Castle in the Sky and Howl’s Moving Castle. The Hill of Youth will also feature a mini version of the Cat Bureau from the movie The Cat Returns.

Dondoko Mori (Dondoko Forest)

Dondoko Forest will feature Satsuki and Mei’s house from My Neighbor Totoro. A completely immersive experience, guests will notice that much of the local nature is intact–Miyazaki himself asked that no trees were to be cut down in the building of the park. 

Which Ghibli film would you like to see brought to life at Ghibli Park?

 ©　Studio Ghibli

Preorders are now open for NECOREPA’s new ‘POCKET NECO BASKET.’ All proceeds will go towards saving the lives of shelter cats and will be used to support shelter activities. 

Calico

Polka Dot Calico

The NECO BASKET series has been very popular, and cat lovers have been eager to support this good cause. Over 3,000 bags have been sold to date. This is the only bag in the world made by cat lovers, for cat lovers, and for cats. 

Each bag is made of thick genuine leather carefully sewn together by a Japanese craftsman. With such a sturdy design, these are perfect as a fashion accessory and for daily use!

SarutaHiko Coffee have announced that as part of their 10th anniversary celebrations, their fifth celebratory project will be a collaboration with iconic Japanese bag brand PORTER. The bag will be available to preorder on the SarutaHiko Coffee webshop fromAugust 28, 2021. The collaboration bag features a mouton badge that has been dyed using SarutaHiko coffee.

PORTER x SarutaHiko Coffee ‘Coffee Bean Shoulder Bag (Bourbon) and Bean Mouton Badge: ¥22,000 (Tax Included)

PORTER x SarutaHiko Coffee 2-way Tote Bag S & Bean Mouton Badge: ¥28,600 (Tax Included)

PORTER x SarutaHiko Coffee 2-way Tote Bag L & Bean Mouton Badge: ¥33,000 (Tax Included)

The unique coffee bean shaped shoulder bag is the perfect size to fit your smartphone, keys, and other small necessities. The product is named after the Bourbon coffee bean, a bean famous for its high quality, calling back to the previous SarutaHiko Coffee collaboration. The 2-way tote bag features the SarutaHiko Coffee and PORTER logo on both sides, so you can swap it around to suit your mood. The bag also has pockets conveniently placed on both the inside and the outside. The L-size tote is suited to daily use, perfect for school and work as it can fit A4 documents and laptops, with a pocket on the side to fit a water bottle or umbrella.

The conveniently sized S-size bag is perfect for neighbourhood shopping trips or short outings.

The bag is dyed a deep coffee brown and has been crafted in a handy unisex design. All collaboration bags come with a removable Bean Mouton badge. The badge is made using mouton that has been dyed using the same beans that are used in SarutaHiko Coffee’s

espresso.

These collaboration items would make the perfect gift to any coffee-loving friend!

Maison de FLEUR is celebrating the birthday of Sanrio’s popular character My Sweet Piano with a special merch collection that’s now available to order until July 18, 2021.

My Sweet Piano Tote Bag | ¥5,049 (Tax Included)

My Sweet Piano Flat Pouch | ¥3,949 (Tax Included)

My Sweet Piano Pouch | ¥3,949 (Tax Included)

My Sweet Piano Plushie | ¥6,589 (Tax Included)

Inside print

My Sweet Piano is a soft, pink fluffy sheep and My Melody’s best friend. Her birthday falls on July 6, and Maison de FLEUR is commemorating the occasion with a collection of four items coloured the same pink as the character including a bag, pouch, and more.

The girly line-up is fitted with pretty pink lace and branded with an illustration of both her and My Melody. There’s also a fluffy plush toy which can sit cutely on a shelf, bed, desk, and anywhere else you want to add a bit of kawaii to your room.

ⓒ’21 SANRIO APPR.NO.L629257

In celebration of Spirited Away‘s 20th anniversary, Studio Ghibli’s official shop Donguri Kyowakoku and online shop Sora no Ue is holding a special campaign for the animated film.

Studio Ghibli has created an original logo for the 20th anniversary featuring Chihiro riding on Haku when he turns into a dragon. It also features Noface at the bottom on the red bridge that leads to the mysterious bathhouse. The bridge itself includes the year of the film’s release ‘2001’ as well as this year. Noface has also taken on two forms to make up the ’20th.’

More details on the campaign will be announced on a later date via official press releases and on the website and social channels of Donguri Kyowakoku.

In celebration of Disney’s Alice in Wonderland hitting its 70th anniversary, Japanese fashion brand Maison de FLEUR released a new bag and accessory collection on June 17.

The Line-Up

Alice Square Frill Handle Tote Bag | ¥5,489 (Tax Included)

Alice Frill Handle Tote Bag | ¥5,049 (Tax Included)

Alice Ribbon Pouch | ¥4,389 (Tax Included)

Alice Tissue Case | ¥3,619 (Tax Included)

Alice Ribbon Charm | ¥2,629 (Tax Included)

The insides of each item

The collection is made up of five items including Maison de FLEUR’s iconic frilly handle bags. Each item captures the wonderful and mysterious world of Alice and Wonderland, including the square tote bag which features Alice when she grows in size, the ribbon charm which includes gold leaf prints of the titular character, roses, and teapots, the frill handle tote bag which depicts Alice singing with the flowers, and the ribbon pouch which captures the scene of Alice falling into Wonderland.

AMBUSH® is set to release a new outdoors collection in collaboration with the thermal-wear brand STANLEY and YOSHIDA-KABAN’s main brand PORTER on June 25.

AMBUSH® x STANLEY STANLEY BOTTLE 1 – ¥8,580 (Tax Included) / AMBUSH® x STANLEY STANLEY BOTTLE 2 – ¥6,380 (Tax Included)

AMBUSH® x PORTER NYLON CROSSBODY LARGE BAG – ¥52,800 (Tax Included) / NYLON CROSSBODY BAG – ¥42,900 (Tax Included)
AMBUSH® x PORTER NYLON ECO BAG | ¥24,200 (Tax Included)

The AMBUSH® x STANLEY collection features vacuum bottles and flasks. Stylish and simply designed, the “Go Series” bottles are easy to carry around and are perfect for both outdoor and everyday lifestyle. Hang the finger loop of the bottle from your iconic carabiner by AMBUSH®︎ and enjoy it as an accessory to spice up your outfit. The light and slim stainless steel single walled vacuum insulated flask suits scenes like outdoor camping and even at your kitchen at home.

The AMBUSH® x PORTER collection feature three types of bags.  They come in two colours: black and blue. The CROSSBODY LARGEBAGs have a pocket on the front just the size for STANLEY Vacuum Bottle to fit in. What seems to be a wallet is a foldable eco bag, which can be used as a tote bag when you unfold it.

The sustainable collections come during a month of environmental awareness in Japan as designated by the Ministry of the Environment. It’s also during a time when outdoor festivals and camping are starting up again in the country, and are also handy for jogging and shopping, in an effort to cut plastic bottles, cups, bags, and so on.

Comment from AMBUSH® founder VERBAL

“For this collaboration, I was interested in how PORTER and STANLEY’s products are easy to use, which matches today’s lifestyle. I actually use STANLEY bottles in my studio and when I order coffee at coffee shops, so this was a collaboration I’m happy to have done. PORTER’s bags are just the right size. I wanted something that was thoroughly made down to the finest details, so I feel new possibilities [from this collection] which focuses on the necessities. PORTER bags are handy for popping outside so I can use them in the day or at night, and STANLEY bottles I use at work and at home <laughs>”

Bandai Namco Group teamed up with OUTDOOR PRODUCTS to release a collection of Jujutsu Kaisen themed bags inspired by the anime’s characters including Yuji Itadori, Megumi Fushiguro, Nobara Kugisaki, and Satoru Gojo. Released on Premium Bandai last Tuesday, the collection includes backpacks, tote bags, and shoulder bags.

The inside of the bags feature original designs with motifs taken from the series – check them out below.

©︎ 芥見下々／集英社・呪術廻戦製作委員会

Six branches of PEANUTS Cafe in Japan, including PEANUTS Cafe Nakameguro, released a new collection of products and pouches on May 26.

The colourful line-up is made from TPU, a material that’s lightweight, waterproof, and has high wear resistance, making it a convenient pick when a sudden downpour of rain erupts when you’re out.

The collection features a kissing-Snoopy design along with the line “WE’D VOTE SWEETIE!”

The Line-Up

TPU Daily Shopper Bags | ¥3,740 Each (Tax Included)

These shopping bags are handy to take out when popping to the shop. They are durable, can fit inside a handbag or other bag, and can carry 5kg of items.

TPU Daily Pouches | ¥1,650 Each (Tax Included)

These zipped pouches are perfect for storing little everyday items like lipstick, earphones, and so on. Since they’re see-through, they’re great for putting cosmetics in when you’re out so you can see exactly what you want to take out. You can even use it for coins and money. Perfect for the summer leisure season too as they’re durable against rain and dirty.

Tyvek x PVC

These bags look like paper – the inside is made from Tyvek and the inside from PVC. These too are water and dirt resistant.

Hour Glasses

These hour glasses make as beautiful room decorations whether for yourself or as a gift to someone. Sit back and watch the relaxing sand and feel the tiredness of the day slip away.

Triple Pouch Set | ¥2,970 (Tax Included)

A collection of three pouches featuring Flying Ace Snoopy and the Peanuts Gang. Each one is of a different size which you can use for storing various items, like earphones, cords, and so on. You could even use them for bagging up a gift for someone. The pouches also have the PEANUTS Cafe logo on them.

©2021 Peanuts Worldwide LLC　

Benelic released a new collection of seven accessories inspired by the crystal necklace and cube from Studio Ghibli’s animated film Laputa: Castle in the Sky at Donguri Kyowakoku stores and the online shop Sora no Ue in Japan at the end of May.

The collection is part of the Studio Ghibli-themed “Pomponner” accessory series by Benelic. Pomponner is French for ‘doll oneself up’ or ‘get dolled up.’ It includes piercings, earrings, rings, and hairbands.

The crystal has been made from blue semi-transparent epoxy, giving it a high quality look. It’s also glow in the dark, so leave it in a place with lots of sunlight and then put it somewhere dark where it will illuminate. The accessories are simple in design too so can be worn outdoors and at the office while still celebrating the Studio Ghibli classic.

Laputa: Castle in the Sky Accessory Series

Crystal Piercings & Earrings | ¥1,980 (Tax Included)

Crystal and Cube Piercings & Earrings | ¥2,750 (Tax Included)

Crystal Ring (Sizes: 11/13) | ¥1,980 (Tax Included)

Crystal & Cube Ring (Sizes: 11/13) | ¥2,200

Crystal Hairband | ¥1,540 (Tax Included)