A variety of lunch boxes featuring the Studio Ghibli star to suit your springtime outdoor dining needs.
As we shake off the last traces of winter weather a lot of people who have been cooped up indoors for the past few months are looking forward to spending more of their free time in the open (and warmer) air. Add in the appeal of the cherry blossoms, which are projected to start blooming next week and we’re pretty much in peak picnic planning time, so the timing couldn’t be better for Studio Ghibli specialty shop Donguri Kyowakoku to have an array of Totoro bento lunch boxes and on-the-go eating utensils ready for fans.
The simplest member of the lineup is the above-pictured 1,760-yen (US$12) 18.6-centimeter (7.3-inch) model, decked out with a line of Totoros out for a stroll with Mei and some Soot Sprites tagging along, an aesthetic reminiscent of My Neighbor Totoro’s opening credit sequence. The box latches shut on all four sides for extra security while you’re carrying it to your picnic spot, and an adjustable partition for the interior lets you split the contents between two sections (say, for instance, keeping rice separate from sauce-covered meats or vegetables), or you can remove the divider and put everything together.
There’s also a double-decker 16.9-cemtimeter-long variant for 1,980 yen. The latches will hold the top and bottom boxes together, but the bottom one has its own lid too, which keeps the bottom of the top box from getting dirty.
And if you want to get just a little fancy, this 17.6-centimeter two-tier bento box set (also 1,980 yen) has a clever indention in the lower box’s lid where you can store a pair of chopsticks or a spoon.
Chopsticks, by the way, are included with that second two-tier bento box, but the others include no utensils. That’s an easy situation to rectify, though, as Donguri Kyowakoku offers the chopsticks as a set with a case (800 yen) and also in a bundle that includes a spoon (1,210 yen), once again featuring the illustration of Mei and the Totoros out for a stroll.
Getting back to the bento boxes, both of the two-box sets have a total capacity of 600 milliliters (20.3 ounces), while the single box is a little less roomy with 530 milliliters. Donguri Kyowakoku also has a three-container set with different, but also extremely adorable, artwork for 1,210 yen.
They range in length from 11.9 to 14 centimeters and have a combined capacity of 860 milliliters and can nest inside one another for easier storage between meals. They have no interior dividers, though, so you’ll have to pack whatever items you want to keep separate in different containers.
And once you’ve got all your tasty chow packed, you can carry the boxes themselves in this luncheon bag (1,100 yen) which features not only Totoro and the Catbus, but also a clever construction that lets you use hold it like a handbag or a Japanese-style kinchaku drawstring pouch.
The entire lineup is on sale now at Donguri Kyowakoku thanks to a recent restock, and can also be ordered through the chain’s online store (lunch boxes here, here, here, and here, utensils here and here, and luncheon bag here).
Source: Donguri Kyowakoku
Top image: Donguri Kyowakoku
Insert images: Donguri Kyowakoku (1, 2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7, 8)
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