posted on by Ken Iikura-Gross
Studio Ghibli and Takara Tomy toy brand Tomica collide for fun new Ghibli-themed cars.
© Studio Ghibli © 1989 Eiko Kadono – Studio Ghibli – N © 2004 Studio Ghibli – NDDMT © 2008 Studio Ghibli – NDHDMT
Since November 2022, the Japanese toy company Takara Tomy through its Tomica brand has teamed with Studio Ghibli to bring fans toy cars based on different Ghibli movies. To this point, Tomica has released nine such toy cars. But, Dengeki Hobby Web via Twitter announced the 10th Ghibli car recently:
【今週の話題】『千と千尋の神隠し』カオナシがたらい舟に乗った哀愁あふれる姿でトミカ化！「ドリームトミカ ジブリがいっぱい」第5弾が登場!!https://t.co/a4Oivk5932#トミカ #スタジオジブリ pic.twitter.com/Az5EQgqy4s
— 電撃ホビーウェブ (@hobby_magazine) November 25, 2023
[This week’s topic] “Spirited Away” No-Face is made into a Tomica with a melancholy figure riding a tub boat! “Dream Tomica Ghibli is full” 5th edition is here!!
The car features the Spirited Away character No-Face riding a traditional taraiben tub boat in a homage to when they were chasing after the titular character, Chihiro, near the end of the film. The car will go on sale in mid-January 2024 according to the Tomica official website, and pre-orders began on November 30. The price for the No-Face Tomica will be 1,320 yen (about US$8.86).
Previous Ghibli Tomica are the Catbus from My Neighbor Totoro, Porco Rosso‘s Savoia S.21F, the Sea Railway train from Spirited Away, the Tiger Moth from Castle in the Sky, the pop pop boat from Ponyo, Jiji in a cage from Kiki’s Delivery Service, the moving truck from My Neighbor Totoro, Howl’s castle from Howl’s Moving Castle, and Calcifer in a pot from Howl’s Moving Castle. The Takara Tomy YouTube channel has posted a video featuring the first three cars listed above.
Each car can be ordered on the Ghibli Tomica official website for 1,320 yen (about US$8.86). Tomica limits the number of orders to three per customer. There are no details for purchasers living outside of Japan.
These toy cars are a fun little collector’s item for any Studio Ghibli fan. Hopefully we will see them sold worldwide.
Sources: Dream Tomica, Eiga Natalie
