Which Studio Ghibli house would you most like to live in?

Japanese fans rate the best dwellings from iconic anime films, and reveal why they want to live there.

If you were able to step out of your home and into the home of an animated character from a Studio Ghibli film, which house would you choose to live in?

That was the question put to 1,812 Ghibli viewers in Japan this month, in a survey by Japan Trend Research and Yamanashi-based low-cost housing specialists Kiraku House.

As a result, the most popular abodes from Ghibli films were revealed, along with comments detailing why these homes had such an iconic appeal.

So let’s count down the top ten houses that Ghibli fans most want to live in, and see which home took the top spot in the survey!

10. The Marsh House from When Marnie Was There (48 votes)

Reasons for wanting to live here:

• I yearn to live in a mansion on the shores of a lake
• The surrounding scenery is wonderful — it has a nice European atmosphere
• Because I think the unique atmosphere suits my taste

9. Anna’s house from When Marnie Was There (52 votes)

• I really like the colours of the curtains and bedding, and the ceiling beams and pillars are so stylish
• It’s a space where you can settle in and relax
• The retro vibe is cute and it looks like it’d be easy to live in

8. Arrietty’s house from The Secret World of Arrietty (54 votes)

• There are a lot of hidden rooms, which would make it a thrilling place to live in
• It’s compact but neat
• A miniature house that has everything
• I like the antique country furniture

7. Haru’s house from The Cat Returns (63 votes)

• The rooms are bright and clean and it looks like it has a lot of storage space, making it clean and orderly
• It looks like an ordinary house, so it has a cute familiarity, but it’s also fashionable
• I thought it would be better to be choose a place that’s closer to reality if I were to really live there
• It feels like a typical ordinary house — it’s a simple but happy space

6. Pazu’s house from Laputa: Castle in the Sky (94 votes)

• You can feel a sense of adventure and excitement in its European style
• It’s simple, like a hideaway, and it looks like a lot of fun, especially with the open rooftop
• I’ve loved Laputa since I was little, so this is the house of my dreams
• It’s in a beautiful location, as you can see when Pazu blows the trumpet at dawn

5. Kiki’s house from Kiki’s Delivery Service (135 votes)

• Because it looks mysterious and interesting
• I like the exterior and interior, and the way it blends into the surrounding forests and woods is beautiful, so I feel it’s the best out of all the Ghibli houses
• The house is somehow familiar and closely resembles a Western-style building, which I love
• I want to live in a Western-style building with vines
• I could live comfortably in a house in the forest

4. Howl’s Castle from Howl’s Moving Castle (145 votes)

• It’s nice to be able to go anywhere in a moving house!
• It’d be fun to live in a moving castle
• You can travel while you’re at home, so you have more time to get dressed
• I like the floor plans and antiques that give the place a special feeling

3. Jiro Horikoshi’s house from The Wind Rises (162 votes)

• I could happily spend my days relaxing here
• You can see the surrounding scenery even though it’s a one-storey building, and it would be great to have a porch.
• I love the retro vibe — it’s rare to see houses like this
• I want to relax and sip tea in a beautiful Japanese house with a garden
• I’ve never lived in a Japanese house, so I have a longing for it

2. Sosuke and Lisa’s house from Ponyo (331 votes)

• You can enjoy beautiful views every day
• The views are good and it looks like a house that’d be easy to live in
• It’s on a cliff so you can see the sea, bask in the sunshine, and enjoy sea breezes
• The views from its high vantage point would be excellent
• It’d be liberating to live in a natural setting like this

1. Satsuki and Mei’s house from My Neighbour Totoro (516 votes)

• It encapsulates the country life that I long for
• It’s my favourite Studio Ghibli work, and the Japanese-Western style entrance is intriguing
• It’s in nature so adults are able to relax every day and kids can have fun
• I love all the nostalgic things inside the retro house, like the chest of drawers, the low dining table and tiled baths
• It’s a peaceful and nice place
• It makes countryside living look fun! I want to chill tomatoes and cucumbers in the river and eat them. Maybe I can meet Totoro…

So there you have it — the clear winner, by almost 200 votes, is the countryside house seen in My Neighbour Totoro. It really does have a special magic that makes you want to move to the Japanese countryside in the hopes of meeting a real-life Totoro, and the good news is you can actually visit Mei and Satsuki’s house in real-life, at the upcoming Ghibli theme park in Aichi Prefecture!

Source: Japan Trend Research Tokiraku House Survey, Kiraku House via PR Times
Featured image: Studio Ghibli
Insert images: Studio Ghibli (1, 2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7, 8, 9, 10)
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