300-Year-Old Hot Spring Inn Conjures Spirit of Anime; Traditional Onsen Culture Endures in Mountains of Gunma Pref.

300-Year-Old Hot Spring Inn Conjures Spirit of Anime; Traditional Onsen Culture Endures in Mountains of Gunma Pref.

NAKANOJO, Gunma — Sekizenkan is an old ryokan inn in Nakanojo, Gunma Prefecture, that is believed to have inspired the bathhouse in the acclaimed anime film “Spirited Away,” and it is still visited by many fans.

Ghibli Characters Become Adorable Beanbags

Otedama is a well-known game in Japan involving tossing around little beanbags. Studio Ghibli has come out with its own Otedama collection, involving iconic characters from some of its beloved movies. This is a new twist on plushies that Ghibli has previously released. Even if you’re not familiar with Otedama, you could think of these as like being unofficial Beanie Babies of Ghibli characters, and they are about the same size as Beanie Babies. …

Studio Ghibli adds beanbag plushies to its anime merchandise store in Japan

Beanbags with character…from My Neighbour Totoro, The Boy and the Heron, and Spirited Away. In Japan, the concept of beanbags doesn’t just apply to the large varieties you see in lounge rooms, but small, palm-sized varieties known as ojami, commonly played in a traditional children’s game known as Otedama. With people having grown up playing Otedama, the affection for small beanbags remains strong into adulthood, and Ghibli is now tugging on tho…