Spirited Away’s No Face also gets into the Japanese New Year’s spirit with a special kadomatsu.
Traditionally, Japanese homes are decorated with something called kagami mochi at New Year’s. A stack of two thick mochi rice cake discs, usually with a mikan (mandarin orange on top, the kagami mochi symbolizes prosperity in the year to come, and the cakes are customarily broken up and eaten on January 11.
The “kagami” part of kagami mochi is the Japanese word for mirror, since the round shape of the rice cakes is meant to be evocative of a hand mirror. However, the resemblance really isn’t all that strong, on account of how thick the rice cakes are. As a matter of fact, you could say that the shape of kagami mochi is more similar to that of a cuddly little Totoro, and as proof…
…here’s an adorable Totoro kagami mochi plushie!
This seasonal little guy is now back in stock at Studio Ghibli anime specialty shop Donguri Kyowakoku, as the chain gears up for the holiday shopping season. Standing 10 centimeters (3.9 inches) tall, it’s even got a mikan on top of the Totoro’s head.
Aside from looking cute, there are some practical benefits to having a Totoro plushie as your kagami mochi. As mentioned above, tradition dictates that the rice cakes are supposed to be displayed in the home for about a week and a half before eating. In the modern era, most kagami mochi are sold packed in a clear plastic case to stay fresh, but the contents will still only keep for so long after the casing is opened. That can mean a lot of successive mochi meals, perhaps more than you’d like if mochi isn’t already a staple of your diet or if you don’t have a big family to split the cakes up between. A plushie version lets you sidestep all those meal repetition or food waste concerns, and if you’d like something more substantial than a stuffed Totoro to display, Donguri Kyowakoku has a resin New Year’s Totoro figure too.
This one is a little bigger, 11 centimeters in height, but what really gives it its stately presence is the stand it comes with, plus the shihobeni base paper and streamers which are said to ward off disasters and keep your home safe in the coming year.
▼ The Totoro kagami mochi figure can also be taken off the stand, if you prefer.
Along with kagamimochi, another traditional Japanese New Year’s decoration is an arrangement of bamboo and pine called a kadomatsu. For this, Totoro is letting fellow Ghibli character No Face, from Spirited Away, take care of things.
This 12.5-centimeter resin figurine is full of symbols associated with prosperity and good fortune in Japanese culture, from the auspicious trio of bamboo, pine, and plum blossoms, to the tai (sea bream) and gold coins that No Face is folding and the folding fan spread wide behind him.
▼ No Face looks very pleased with this spread of traditional osechi cuisine New Year’s delicacies.
The Totoro kagami mochi plushie is priced at 2,200 yen (US$14.70), the Totoro kagami mochi figure 6,930 yen, and the No Face kadomatsu 8,800 yen. They’re all currently available for order through the Donguri Kyowakoku online store (here, here, and here).
Source: Donguri Kyowakoku
Top image: Donguri Kyowakoku
Insert images: Pakutaso, Donguri Kyowakoku (1, 2, 3)
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