Studio Ghibli Releases New My Neighbor Totoro Tea Canister Inspired by 150-Year-Old Tradition

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Fans can now enjoy the studio’s most cherished and heartwarming fantasy movie, along with a timeless, traditional art form.

The Ghibli Museum’s online shop is now taking pre-orders for a special My Neighbor Totoro tea caddy. It’s handmade by Kaikado, a Japanese company that’s been using traditional methods for generations. The tea caddy costs 49,500 yen (about $310). You can see pictures of it below.

Studio Ghibli’s My Neighbor Totoro Comes to Life in Limited-Edition Handcrafted Tea Caddy

Kaikado’s My Neighbor Totoro tea caddies are crafted from copper and coated with tin. Each caddy is the result of over 130 meticulous steps, completed by a team of Kyoto artisans. They lovingly hand-assemble every detail, using traditional and antique tools to fasten and solder each piece.

I’m completely fascinated by Kaikado’s My Neighbor Totoro tea caddies! The copper they use on the outside isn’t just beautiful, it’s meant to change and deepen in color with age, so you really need to be mindful of things like humidity and big temperature swings. What’s really incredible is how perfectly the lid and body fit together – they practically snap into place on their own when aligned! And the little details? Amazing. Each lid has this adorable acorn handle, and tucked inside is a unique caterpillar design. It’s craftsmanship at its finest!

Directed by Hayao Miyazaki, a co-founder of Studio Ghibli, My Neighbor Totoro first came out in Japan in 1988 and quickly became popular around the world. The story centers on two young sisters, Satsuki and Mei, and their father as they move to the countryside while their mother recovers from an illness in the hospital.

I absolutely love how the movie introduces us to all sorts of wonderful forest spirits, and of course, the amazing Totoro! It’s no wonder it became such a huge hit – everyone loved it! It swept all the major awards after it came out and made over $41 million in theaters, which is incredible!

Since its release, My Neighbor Totoro has become a beloved classic and a cornerstone of Studio Ghibli’s films. It’s inspired a huge amount of merchandise and has even been turned into a stage play.

In 2024, fans were thrilled to see a short sequel to My Neighbor Totoro released, titled Boro the Caterpillar. The film was screened to much excitement.

The My Neighbor Totoro tea caddy from Kaikado is available for pre-order now via the official store.

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2026-03-30 03:07