Danica Davidson
January 26, 2022 
There was recently some drama over at Studio Ghibli when Hayao Miyazaki’s esteemed electric eraser broke, and it’s a type of technology no longer made. (Don’t worry – thanks to a Ghibli fan, this story has a happy ending.) But now Studio Ghibli is releasing their own set of erasers for the public to buy. They aren’t electric erasers like Miyazaki’s — they’re soot sprite erasers!
The soot sprites are originally called Makkuro Kurosuke in Japanese. (If we break down the translation, makkuro is the word for “pitch black,” kuro simply means “black,” and suke is the ending of many Japanese boys’ names.) These erasers are named Kurosuke Keshigomu, because Keshigomu is the word for “eraser.”
The erasers are quite small (0.6 inches in diameter) but they are sold in bottles of ten. The bottles have a cork that’s taped over, so the soot sprites can’t get away. A bottle of soot sprite erasers goes for 715 yen (about $6.25). And while the Donguri Kyowakoku online store is a great place for Ghibli fans from near and far to get official Ghibli merchandise, these erasers are proving so popular that they’re temporarily sold out online. You can keep checking back on the site, though, as they ought to become available again eventually. They’re also available in physical stores in Japan for people able to go to them.
This isn’t the first time soot sprites have become merchandise. Because while they’re small, they’re noticeable, and many people find them to be endearing. You can also get soot sprite capsule toys, soot sprite jewelry, a soot sprite purse, and a soot sprite handkerchief. The soot sprites have also become iconic enough in pop culture that they were featured on a Halloween episode of The Simpsons.
Would you like to erase your pencil marks with some soot sprite erasers?
Source: SoraNews24
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Danica Davidson is the author of the bestselling Manga Art for Beginners with artist Melanie Westin, and its sequel, Manga Art for Intermediates, with professional Japanese mangaka Rena Saiya. Check out her other comics and books at www.danicadavidson.com.
