Handmade wool Totoro/Ghibli coasters are available now for the first time in seven years【Photos】

It’s been a long time since we last saw these adorable coasters and pot mats featuring beloved characters from My Neighbor Totoro, Howl’s Moving Castle, and Kiki’s Delivery Service.

Donguri Kyowakoku is an absolute wonderland for fans of Studio Ghibli, packed with artistic, adorable items inspired by the anime films of the Hayao Miyazaki-co-founded production house. But while cool Ghibli merch is a constant at the specialty store, the exact product mix is always in flux, because Donguri Kyowakoku’s creations are so desirable that they tend to sell out very quickly.

For example, let’s say you wanted to grab one of the fuzzily cute Totoro pot mats the last time Donguri Kyowakoku was offering them, but couldn’t get your hands on one before they were all gone. Or maybe you had your heart set on the one for fire spirit Calcifer from Howl’s Moving Castle, or Kiki’s Delivery Service’s black cat Jiji. In any case, if you then thought “Guess I’ll just have to wait until they restock,” then you’ve been waiting for a long time, since the last time they were available was seven years ago!

That wait is finally over, though, as Donguri Kyowakoku finally has a new batch of the wool pot mat trio back in stock. Why did it take so long? Because each one is hand-made. That means that not only do they meet Donguri Kyowakoku’s standards for high-quality craftsmanship, each mat is a one-of-a-kind piece.

They’re functional too, of course, letting you keep your kitchen counters and tabletops free of scrapes and singes by happily serving as heat resistant cushions that you can set pots and pans on while they cool., with Donguri Kyowakoku saying they can handle frying pans up to 200 degrees Celsius (392 degrees Fahrenheit) and earthenware pots with contents up to 83 degrees Celsius (181 degrees Fahrenheit), with the promotional photos even showing Totoro underneath a Japanese-style eat-at-the-table hot pot.

But what if you love Ghibli, but don’t like to cook? Then you’ll want to welcome one of the hand-made wool coasters into your home.

While the pot mats measure between 20 and 26 centimeters (7.9 to 10.2 inches) at their widest, the coasters are sized to fit a single cup of tea or mug of coffee.

▼ Come to think of it, you could probably fit a cup of instant ramen on it too.

In addition to the gray Totoro, there’s also a blue version.

▼ If you’re a stickler for source material loyalty, you’ll be happy to know that blue Totoro coaster is technically smaller than the gray one, though only by half a centimeter.

Calcifer and Jiji also come in coaster form…

…and rounding out the coaster lineup is the more-or-less round Soot Sprite.

The coasters are priced at 1,650 yen (US$11.40) each, and the pot mats 3,630 yen. They’re all on sale now through the Donguri Kyowakoku online shop (coasters: gray Totoro, blue Totoro, Calcifer, Jiji, and Soot Sprite, pot mats: Totoro, Calcifer, Jiji), so if you’ve been kicking yourself for not getting one seven years ago, here’s the chance you’ve been waiting for.

Source: Donguri Kyowakoku
Top image: Donguri Kyowakoku
Insert images: Donguri Kyowakoku (1, 2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7, 8)
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