Danica Davidson
January 17, 2023 
There’s a lot of merchandise dedicated to My Neighbor Totoro, and now this includes Totoro’s own tea set! And that’s not just stuff to drink tea out of . . . it’s actual kinds of tea, as well!
The teapot and Japanese-style teacup are made from Hasamiyaki ceramics, which is part of a tradition of making ceramics in Hasami, Nagasaki prefecture. This is a tradition going back hundreds of years, and is continued here.
Tea time isn’t just for drinking. There’s also a snack plate so you can put any foods on. If you look closely, you can see a little soot sprite hanging near Totoro. And the set’s tea scoop is molded to look like Totoro as well.
Moving on to the themed teas, the first offering is a green tea with mikan flavor, referring to a type of mandarin orange. Then there’s a brown rice tea with a sweet potato aroma. Last but not least is the corn tea. The flavors seem to be references to country living.
You can get the whole set or buy things individually from Donguri Kyowakoku. Looking at prices, the teapot is 9,680 yen (about $75.55), the teacup is 1,980 yen (about $15.45), the snack plate is 2,860 yen (about $22.32), and the tea scoop is 990 yen (about $7.73). As for the teas themselves, each container has eight bags and they go for 2,484 yen (about $19.38) each.
GKIDS gave this description for My Neighbor Totoro:
“When Satsuki and her sister Mei move with their father to a new home in the countryside, they find country life is not as simple as it seems. They soon discover that the house and nearby woods are full of strange and delightful creatures, including a gigantic but gentle forest spirit called Totoro, who can only be seen by children. Totoro and his friends introduce the girls to a series of adventures, including a ride aboard the extraordinary Cat Bus, in this all-ages animated masterpiece featuring the voices of Tim Daly, Lea Salonga, and real-life sisters Dakota and Elle Fanning, in early roles.”
Source: SoraNews24
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Danica Davidson is the author of the bestselling Manga Art for Beginners with artist Melanie Westin, plus its sequel, Manga Art for Everyone, and the first-of-its-kind manga chalk book Chalk Art Manga, both illustrated by professional Japanese mangaka Rena Saiya. Check out her other comics and books at www.danicadavidson.com.
