Previously, Kotaku introduced the real-life version of the My Neighbor Totoro house that Studio Ghibli had built in Aichi Prefecture. You cannot stay the night in that house. In this one, you could.
Japan isn’t home to one replica, but two.
Located in Nagasaki Prefecture, this “Satsuki and Mei House” used to be available for 5,000 yen (US$45) a night. That’s right, you could sleep over at this Totoro house.
The house has been managed by a local nursery school.
This tweet has gone viral because most people knew about the official Totoro house but not this unofficial one.
Folks in Nagasaki, however, knew. In 2012, Nagasaki-based website Fukuchan no Kuu took a free tour of the house.
Here are photos from Hungry Dongry, another Nagasaki-based blogger.
The following photos are from the Hiroland blogger, whose family stayed at the house. Looks like a fun place for kids to explore! There’s even a second floor with makkuro kurosuke.
Blogger Kaorin also stayed at the house and showed how heating the stove was done the old-fashioned way.
But can you sleep there overnight now?
A few years back, the house’s webpage was taken down. This evening, I called the school and was told it’s not possible to stay at the house anymore.
Though, as of this spring, the house still appeared to be standing. Below are more photos of the house.