Studio Ghibli mini towels add anime flair to a Japanese cultural tradition

Beloved Ghibli characters want to hold your hand and welcome you into the Japanese world of mini towels. If you’ve ever been to a restroom in Japan that doesn’t have an automatic hand dryer, then you

Beloved Ghibli characters want to hold your hand and welcome you into the Japanese world of mini towels.

If you’ve ever been to a restroom in Japan that doesn’t have an automatic hand dryer, then you might have seen a local reach into their pocket or handbag and pull out a little square towel to wipe their hands. This is one of Japan’s lesser-known cultural quirks, as people grow up carrying these mini towels to wipe their hands in such situations, and it’s so ingrained in the culture that you’ll find entire sections dedicated to these small towels in retail shops and department stores.

While the towels are practical, they’re often beautiful too, adorned in a wide variety of designs and even popular anime characters. For fans of Studio Ghibli, that means you can pick up a towel displaying some of the studio’s most beloved anime characters, and right now there’s a new one dedicated to Totoro from My Neighbour Totoro.

▼ The My Neighbour Totoro Path Mini Towel

This adorable towel features the large Totoro and his smaller Medium and Small Totoro companions running along a forest path. Joining them on their forest adventure are a group of Soot Sprites, scattered amongst the leaves and acorns, some of which have fallen out of Totoro’s sack. Measuring 25 centimetres (9.8 inches) in height and width, the towel is made with organic cotton, and is highly absorbent while also being soft and comforting to touch.

While this towel is a newly released design, Ghibli specialty retailer Donguri Kyowakoku also has a huge variety of other Totoro mini towel options to choose from.

▼ The Four Seasons

▼ Clothes and Totoro

▼ Antique Leaf

▼ I Found a Four-Leaf Clover

▼ A Stroll in the Sky

▼** Floral Scenery**

▼ Loads of Vegetables

▼ Autumn Moment

▼** Under the Camphor Tree**

▼ Totoro’s Belly

▼** Totoro in Front of the House**

▼** Catbus and Totoro**

▼ Kusakabe Family

The mini towels celebrate a wide range of movies, with beautiful designs that are like miniature artworks.

▼ Kiki’s Delivery Service “Town Map”

▼ Kiki’s Delivery Service “Sepia Flower”

▼ Whisper of the Heart “Chikyuya”

▼ Princess Mononoke “Kodama”

With all the above items priced at 880 yen (US$5.44), these mini towels are an affordable, and practical, way to stash some Ghibli magic in your pocket or handbag. They’re also great for wicking away sweat on humid summer days in Japan, when these Ghibli fans also come in handy.