My room sags under the weight of Totoro promotions: cuddly toys, of course, but also key rings, towels, rugs, books, underwear, mugs, and stickers attached to everything else. So eventually I just had to try and get as close to my hero as I could, on his home ground.
Welcome to Satsuki and Mei’s house at Aichi Exhibition Center. This is the only replica of their home in the movie My Neighbor Totoro. It’s teeming with details from the animation, with an atmosphere that’d turn a despot into a care bear.
A minor drawback—the place is a victim of its own success. You need to buy tickets in advance, allowing 30 minutes to freely explore the house, together with any other fans. And where’s Totoro in all this? Hey, the little devil is probably counting the ticket money!
This is a fascinating pilgrimage site for Totoro fans, along with the Ghibli Museum in Tokyo and Totoro Forest at Saitama.
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There’s plenty of places in Japan with a Ghibli feel to them. Do you know of any?
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