The Ghibli Museum will soon be closer to home — not in the way you think, and in a smaller form to boot. The attraction’s official online shop has listed a 1/250 paper-craft model kit of its architectural features and surrounding areas, including the building’s curved walkway and the Straw Hat Café.
Retailing for 20,000 yen (S$178.80 | US$133.24), it ships with detailed recreations of miniature trees, bushes, outdoor seating, wood-fitted storefronts and more, alongside a stand that the site can be constructed on. The cardboard pieces are also laser-cut, making them lightweight and easy to work with.
If this is too many pieces to put together, there are three other equally cute alternatives. The Totoro’s Fake Reception Area, Catbus Room, and Robot Soldier on the Rooftop model sets are recommended for first-timers, serving as a clever nod to the museum’s real-life decor that features beloved Studio Ghibli characters. These palm-sized kits take after some of the site’s most popular attractions, and cost a pretty reasonable 2,860 yen (S$25.57 | US$19.02) each.
The Ghibli Museum paper-craft kit is currently available for pre-order, with shipping scheduled for mid-April. Meanwhile, fans can already place their purchases of the Robot Soldier, Catbus, and Totoro companion sets. As for the Ghibli Museum, it’s located in Mitaka, Japan, and was set up to celebrate the studio’s rich contributions to the animation landscape.
Both Hayao Miyazaki and his son Goro helped to design and build the site, which regularly exhibits location-exclusive animated shorts. It joins the Ghibli Park in upholding the company’s legacy, but that’s situated in Expo 2005 Aichi Commemorative Park. The theme park is currently home to a variety of themed attractions, and will welcome the Valley of Witches area in March, bringing iconic movies like Howl’s Moving Castle and Kiki’s Delivery Service to life.
Si Jia is a casual geek at heart – or as casual as someone with Sephiroth’s theme on her Spotify playlist can get. A fan of movies, games, and Japanese culture, Si Jia’s greatest weakness is the Steam Summer Sale. Or any Steam sale, really.
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