Official Studio Ghibli retailer Donguri Sora has restocked its one-of-a-kind My Neighbor Totoro wallet. Made in collaboration with traditional Japanese leather craftsman Bunkoya Oozeki, the wallet evokes the fantastical natural world depicted in Ghibli’s 1988 classic.
The My Neighbor Totoro Bunkoya Oozeki All-Zip Wallet is a handmade product originating from Japan's Taisho period. This 191mm x 104mm wallet features a raised emblem that has been carefully molded and painted using traditional methods. Botanicals such as tulips, cherry blossoms and bluebells are featured alongside Totoro, Chibi Totoro and Soot Sprites from Ghibli's ode to a summertime childhood in rural Japan.
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Totoro's traditional Japanese wallet dates back to the early 1900s.
The origins of this craft can be traced back to the city of Himeji, an area famous for being home to Japan’s best-preserved feudal castle. Leather craftsman Bunkoya Oozeki traces his founder’s time in Yokohama during the Taisho period (1912-1926), where he learned the local craft of Banshu Himeji. He eventually founded the brand in Tokyo’s Sumida Ward. The process involves working with each piece of pure white Himeji leather, which is then embossed and painted by hand. Like traditional Ukiyo-e woodblock prints, artisans use hot metal plates to emboss the pure leather and then apply color by hand with a specialized brush. The final step is an antique-making process called sabi-ire. Using Japanese lacquer and derivatives of makomo wild rice, the leather is coated to give it a distinctive, aged look.
The wallet has 12 card slots, two long compartments, and a coin compartment. The hardware is made of gold-plated brass, and the Bunkuyo Oozeki name is stamped on each zipper. The wallet was originally part of a line that included items such as a business card holder, a square wallet with a clasp, and a coin pouch, each crafted in a similar way. It is available through the Donguri Sora Online Store for ¥34,100 (US$222) or through the Bunkoya Oozeki online store, where customers can also purchase some previously sold-out items, including the Spirited Away long wallet.
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Hayao Miyazaki's My Neighbor Totoro is a love letter to Japanese summer
As Japan’s hot summer months roll on, Donguri Sora has been releasing and adding more Totoro-themed products. Products like the recently added Totoro Watermelon Planter are a reminder of all the good things that come with a Japanese summer, immortalized by Totoro and his friends enjoying seasonal oriental delicacies. Another great piece is the incredibly detailed replica of Mei and Satsuki’s family home. This delightful movie-exact miniature features little details like acorns, futons, Mei’s hat in the closet, a miniature space underneath the house, and the children’s father’s study, which is lined with books. The house is full of secrets and has an interactive aspect with doors that open and close and working lights that can be turned on.
My Neighbor Totoro, along with other films in Studio Ghibli's massive catalog, can be streamed by audiences in the United States on Max.
My Neighbor Totoro
When two girls move to the countryside to live near their ailing mother, they have adventures with magical forest spirits living nearby.
Release date April 16, 1988
Studio Studio Ghibli
Cast Hitoshi Takagi, Noriko Hidaka, Chika Sakamoto, Shigesato Itoi, Sumi Shimamoto, Tanie Kitabayashi
Running time 86 minutes
Extend
Source: Donguri Sora