Ghibli found out about the unofficial Ghibli cafe in Nagoya…then something very sweet happened
Anime studio had something to say about the restaurant filled with its characters and a menu inspired by them.
There’s a cafe in Nagoya called Kodama. If you’re a Ghibli anime fan, that name might ring a bell, as it’s the same as the little forest spirits with the rattle-like heads that appear in Princess Mononoke.
That connection is intentional, and definitely not lost on passersby, as Kodama is located in the Osu neighborhood, Nagoya’s main otaku district. And should you poke your head inside, you’ll spot tons of even more direct references to Studio Ghibli’s anime films, as the interior design features Soot Sprites from My Neighbor Totoro…
こんにちは
— 大須の森カフェ コダマ (@moricafe_kodama) May 9, 2022
大須の森カフェコダマオープンです
雨が降っていますが、足元にお気をつけてお越しください
本日もよろしくお願いします pic.twitter.com/AiJg1Abo7p
…Castle in the Sky Laputa’s robot and fox squirrels…
こんちには
— 大須の森カフェ コダマ (@moricafe_kodama) April 9, 2022
『大須の森カフェコダマ』オープンです
18時閉店(17時ラストオーダー)となります
本日もよろしくお願いします pic.twitter.com/RhM2jtyrQC
…and, of course, a whole bunch of Kodama.
5月13日(金)
— 大須の森カフェ コダマ (@moricafe_kodama) May 13, 2022
本日コダマはおやすみです
エアコンが新しくなりました
以前の子がお年をめされてて、すごくカタカタ言ってて心配で
これで梅雨も真夏も頑張れます
明日からもよろしくお願いします pic.twitter.com/mmSlLqAC4s
5月2日(月)
— 大須の森カフェ コダマ (@moricafe_kodama) May 2, 2022
大須の森カフェコダマオープンです
本日もよろしくお願い致します pic.twitter.com/GjetFv7Axs
The theming even extends to the menu, which includes items like the fire demon bacon and egg set, a less-than-subtle allusion to Calcifer from Howl’s Moving Castle.
GWに行ったばかり
— ルージュ (@habitrouge0904) May 18, 2022
もー最高ですねー pic.twitter.com/bHi6ciJRbS
There’s also the “It Was a Dream, but It Wasn’t a Dream,” a chocolatey reference to the magical midnight gardening session in Totoro…
大須の森カフェ コダマ
— ペンギンカフェ名古屋 大須 PGカフェ (@PGcafe_osu) March 5, 2020
に来ました٩( 'ω' )و
私の好きな作品ツートップです!! pic.twitter.com/FlFLpT9VBA
…and even a rice omelet modeled on the straw hat little sister Mei wears for much of the anime.
「大須の森カフェ コダマ」がおすすめです。
— mayu (@mayu1999425) April 13, 2022
ジブリにちなんだランチが食べれます!店内もジブリ一色なので、是非参考にしてみてください! pic.twitter.com/jtr6qLJYcE
Despite the obvious inspirations, though, Kodama is not an official Ghibli-managed restaurant. It’s just a cafe with an unabashed love for the studio’s films. With the greater Nagoya area being the site of the currently under construction Ghibli theme park, though, representatives from the studio are passing through the city with greater frequency these days, and so it was only a matter of time until they caught wind of the unofficial Ghibli cafe. So what did they do?
They visited it, then made sure to let everyone know they liked the place.
吾朗さんと来てみました。 pic.twitter.com/xVoljcLGiV
— スタジオジブリ STUDIO GHIBLI (@JP_GHIBLI) May 18, 2022
“Came here with Goro,” tweeted the official Studio Ghibli Twitter account on Wednesday, along with photos of Kodama’s bus stop-style sign, clearly taking visual cues from the bus stop in Totoro, as well as a page of the cafe’s current menu. “Goro” is, no doubt, Goro Miyazaki, who’s acting as the primary designer and planner for Ghibli Park.
▼ His order apparently included the “Reunion with the Kohaku River,” Kodama’s special drink for fans of Spirited Away’s Haku.
— スタジオジブリ STUDIO GHIBLI (@JP_GHIBLI) May 18, 2022
▼ The visitors from Ghibli were also apparently intrigued by Kodama’s extra-tough “force-fed jerky,” which seems to be a reference to the scene in Princess Mononoke where San feeds the dried meat to a near-unconscious Ashitaka.
— スタジオジブリ STUDIO GHIBLI (@JP_GHIBLI) May 18, 2022
All in all, it’s a heartwarmingly accommodating reaction from Ghibli, as it wouldn’t have been surprising for a less magnanimous group of rights holders to make a stink about the whole thing. Considering some of the other generous moves Ghibli has made, though, maybe it’s not such a shock.
Restaurant information
Osu no Mori no Cafe Kodama / 大須の森カフェ コダマ
Address: Aichi-ken, Nagoya-shi, Naka-ku, Osu 4-2-47 4th floor
愛知県名古屋市中区大須 4-2-47 4階
Twitter
Source: Twitter/@JP_GHIBLI
Top image: Studio Ghibli
Insert image: Studio Ghibli
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