Huge new Ghibli chopstick series means you’ll always have company with your meals【Pics】

Totoro, Haku, and other Studio Ghibli anime movie stars make the leap from the screen to the table.

It’s common knowledge that chopsticks are the utensil of choice for most meals in Japan, but what’s not so widely known is that each member of the household has their own chopsticks, which only they use. So instead of buying a jumbo pack of identical designs, you pick out a pair that looks and feels just right for you, and if you’re a fan of Studio Ghibli anime, that might mean that a set of Ghibli chopsticks.

Of course, you’re still going to need to narrow things down quite a bit. Because of the studio’s rich legacy of amazing artwork and character designs, Ghibli specialty shop Donguri Kyowakoku’s new chopstick line consists of 17 different designs, representing five different animated classics, starting with My Neighbor Totoro.

If you’re thinking that pattern, with the gray Totoro smiling amongst Japanese paper umbrellas, looks familiar, it’s the sane motif as we saw on the beautiful two-tier Totoro bento box recently.

While the artwork on the two chopsticks is identical in the above model, many of the designs split the illustration into left and right halves, giving you an extra incentive to properly set your table so you can see the complete picture as the chopsticks lay side by side, like in this scene of all three Totoros frolicking in a field of flowers.

The trio is also out in the natural environment for their third design, in which a Soot Sprite joins their excursion.

Also making multiple appearances in the lineup is Spirited Away’s No Face.

In this elegant illustration No Face shows up against a seigaiha background, a traditional Japanese pattern representing ocean waves. Coupled with the red-and-black color scheme, these chopsticks would work well for a meal served on lacquer tableware.

No Face has long been a favorite of Donguri Kyowakoku’s designers, and there are two other patterns for the character…

…but the chopstick line also gives a nod to one of Spirited Awat costars who doesn’t show up nearly as often in merch, Haku, in his dragon form.

Speaking of time in the spotlight, the character whose fans will happiest of all will be Jiji, as the supportive familiar from Kiki’s Delivery Service’s has four different patterns to choose from.

Not only are they cute, they’re heartwarming too, as many of the patterns also feature some of Jiji’s kids, who can be briefly seen in the anime movie’s closing credits.

Rounding out the lineup are a pair of Ponyo chopsticks, with the movie’s Japanese title, Gake no Ue no Ponyo (“Ponyo on the Cliff”) written in Japanese…

…and a pair for Princess Mononoke’s San, showing off her fearsome battle mask.

The chopsticks are all adult-sized, 21 centimeters (8.3 inches) in length, and made of bamboo with urethane coating. Given their artwork. they’re likely to appeal even to anime fans who aren’t extensively experienced in eating Asian cuisine, but their textured tips provide a little extra grip, which should help noobies hold on to their morsels.

Each pair is priced at 770 yen (US$5.15), and they can all be ordered through the Donguri Kyowakoku online store here.

Source: Donguri Kyowakoku
Top image: Donguri Kyowakoku
Insert images: Donguri Kyowakoku (1, 2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7, 8, 9, 10, 11, 12, 13, 14, 15, 16, 17)
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Kagawa’s Udon Gummies are so hard to chew they come with warning labels

You might need some good dental insurance.

Kagawa Prefecture, the land of the thick and starchy noodles known as udon, uses the slurping food in a number of interesting ways, from celebrating a newly constructed bath with the neighborhood to soothing crying babies. On his way back from his tour of the prefecture, where he enjoyed the art-filled island of Naoshima, our Japanese-language reporter Kouhey found a mysterious souvenir as he was wandering around Takamatsu Airport that many people seemed to be picking up: Udon Gummies.

Intrigued, Kouhey looked a little closer to find that they only cost 540 yen (US$3.55), and encouraged by the reasonable price, he bought his own box to try. With the stand mentioning that the gummies had been featured on a national news program, his expectations were high.

Upon returning home, Kouhey immediately began to inspect the Udon Gummies.

Printed on the top of the package were the words: “Warning: Strong Koshi”.

Koshi is a Japanese term to refer to the chewiness of the noodles. Sanuki udon is a famous Kagawa chewy udon style that the gummies appear to be attempting to emulate.

Looking a little closer, there was another warning: “Super hard. It’s chewy. Be careful.”

How hard can these Udon Gummies really be? Sure gummies are meant to be chewy, but how chewy do they actually need to be to warrant all of these warnings? Kouhey couldn’t wait to sink his teeth into them.

Opening up the box, he found a package wrapped in something like newspaper.

Unwrapping the newspaper, Kouhey revealed 10 Udon Gummies.

When he sat back a little, Kouhey took another look at the newspaper. Initially writing it off as a regular newspaper repurposed for packaging, he was surprised to find out that it was an entirely original creation entitled “Sanuki Gummy Newspaper”.

Among the many “articles,” were headlines like “The Birth of Udon Gummy” and an “Instruction Manual” for them. Kouhey could feel the love and effort that went into the creation of these gummies through the imagination and attention to detail seen in the newspaper.

After admiring the newspaper for a little while longer, Kouhey was ready to try one of these Udon Gummies for himself.

He picked one up and popped it into his mouth. His immediate reaction?

“How can these be THIS hard?!?”

The Udon Gummies were so much harder than Kouhey had been expecting. He had never tried anything quite like it. He squeezed another, pinching it between his fingers to test the elasticity, and realized that the soft, bouncy feel of a normal gummy was completely absent.

Biting into it, rather than sinking his teeth into a soft chew, Kouhey could only do his best to crunch on these gummies.

As he committed himself to chewing, Kouhey finally understood the meaning of “super hard” on the packaging. The company who made them was not joking when they wrote that; these gummies offer a hardness capable of giving your jaw an entire workout with just one piece.

Surprisingly, the flavor of the gummies was not udon-flavored at all, but more yogurt with a hint of sudachi (a Japanese citrus fruit). It had a light, refreshing taste that wasn’t overly sweet. However, next to the shocking impact of the firmness of the gummies, the flavor left a lesser impression.

Kouhey had also picked up a pack of actual Sanuki udon noodles while at the Takamatsu Airport souvenir shop, so he decided to whip up a batch for a direct comparison with the gummies they had inspired.

First came the real deal, Kouhey lifted up the udon noodles with his chopsticks and took a slurp.

It was no surprise that the genuine article was in a class of its own, being both chewy and smooth. With every chewy bite, the taste of the wheat spread throughout his mouth.

Next up, the challenger: Udon Gummies. How do they compare?

At first, it was tough to chew, but gradually it began to resemble the distinct springiness of Sanuki udon. With the real udon, the texture softens to a chewy texture as you bite, but the Udon Gummies retain that firm springiness throughout.

As he was putting his jaw through the workout of a lifetime, Kouhey noticed a line in the Sanuki Gummy News that read: “For an even more amazing texture, chill before eating.”

Could it possibly get even harder than this? Kouhey silently apologized to his jaw muscles as he found himself putting some of the Udon Gummies into the fridge.

A few hours later, Kouhey took them out and tried another one.

They had evolved from “super hard” to “ultra hard.”

At room temperature they were already tough to chew through, but now they were like little blocks of iron, taking serious effort to bite through. Even so, that toughness became addictive, with the more Kouhey chewed, the more the flavor seemed to emerge. He can’t wait to eat more, but he’ll probably have to give his jaw a little time to recover first.

The Udon Gummies turned out to be a lot firmer than originally anticipated. They seemed to have risen beyond the boundaries of what “gummies” are and become products filled with the love of Sanuki udon. Even for just the experience alone, these souvenirs are a must buy if you ever find yourself in Kagawa, the most satisfying prefecture to visit.

Related: Online store

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Sanrio and Sonic the Hedgehog characters become fast friends with new plushie collection

Gotta go fast, gotta be friendly.

Back in September, Hello Kitty and her pals brought some much-needed smiles to the Evangelion cast, as part of a collaboration between Sanrio and the famously somber mecha anime. It was a testament to how Kitty-chan’s crew can get along with anyone, and sure enough, they’re expanding their circle of friends yet again, this time to include Sonic the Hedgehog.

The six Sanrio characters from the Evangelion crossover are here again, each paired up with a character from Sega’s flagship franchise.

With Sonic never having been shy about being the protagonist, the Blue Blur partners up with Sanrio’s brightest star, Hello Kitty, for a kigurumi-esque costumed plushie.

▼ And yes, the hood accounts for his quills.

Sidekick Tails, meanwhile, joins up with Cinnamaroll, the runner-up in this year’s Sanrio Character Ranking poll.

Knuckles, the moodiest of Sonic’s cohorts, is partnered with Kuromi, the edgiest Sanrio character. Of course, Sanrio-edgy is still pretty adorable, which might be why Knuckles looks about as cheerful as we’ve ever seen him.

Amy Rose and My Melody appear to have bonded over their penchant for pretty-in-pink aesthetics…

…and Shadow and Hangyodon have something in common too, as they were both born in space.

And last, showing extreme commitment to Sanrio’s let’s-all-be-friends philosophy, none other than this year’s Sanrio popularity poll winner, Pompompurin, is now buddies with Sonic’s recurring nemesis Dr. Robotnik, or Eggman, as the character is called in Japan.

Between Robotnik’s habit of wearing both eyeglasses and goggles, and Pompompurin’s ever-present beret, there’s quite a lot going on visually…

…but thankfully the crossover design stops short of giving the mad scientist the Sanrio pooch’s famous exposed butthole.

The plushies pictured above are 30 centimeters (11.8 inches) tall and priced at 4,950 yen (US$33). Alternatively, there’s a lineup of “mascot” stuffed animals with straps that are half the size and roughly half the price (15 centimeters, 2,420 yen).

The designs are more or less the same, but the proportions are a little different, and the mascot straps’ legs can dangle down, which you could argue is the proper posture for characters who spend so much time running at high speed during their adventures.

The whole collection can be pre-ordered through Sega’s Sega Fave Store e-shop here, with an official on-sale date of November 7 for all of the items except the Shadoww/Hangyodon ones, which won’t be released until December 11, because no one can make Shadow do something before he’s decided to do it himself.

Source: PR Times
Top image: PR Times
Insert images: PR Times, Sega Fave Shop (1, 2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7)
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