Not known to many people, and even fans of Totoro, is a real place called Totoro forest!
It’s an urban forest about 8750 acres large located north west of Tokyo, and the inspiration for the “My Neighbour Totoro” by Hayao Miyazaki.
Because of the rapid urbanisation of Japan, the forest has been losing it’s land. In 1990, Hayao Miyazaki helped to set up the Totoro no Furusato Fund to buy the land in order to preserve the forest environment.
Official Totoro Forest Fund Website
How to get to Totoro Forest
Or rather, how to get to Kurosuke’s House, built over a hundred years ago which acts as the base for the trust fund. There you can buy Totoro themed souvenirs, t-shirts, caps, bags and other items to support the totoro forest.
Address:
トトロのふるさと基金
3 Chome-1169-1 Mikajima
Tokorozawa, Saitama Prefecture 359-1164
Japan
+81 4-2947-6047
Opening Hours:
Tues, Wed & Sat (10am- 3pm)
Closed on public holidays
If you’re coming from Tokyo, you can take a train via the Seibu Ikebukuro Line to Kotesashi Station. (it’s about 40 min from Ikebukuro Station)
Next, look out for the bus stop that shows this or ask the staff at the bus station
早稲田大学・宮寺西・西埼玉中央病院
and take the bus to the dai ichi do (大日堂) bus stop , about 9 minutes and 9 stops away.
From the bus stop it’s a few minutes walk to Kurosuke’s House (クロスケの家) using this walking map to guide your way there.
And from there, you could follow walking guides are available on totoro.or.jp
Enjoy the adventure!
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