Official Studio Ghibli Skateboards Offered At Brand New Ghibli Specialty Store In Tokyo

There’s a brand-new Studio Ghibli specialty store set to open this month in Tokyo. This isn’t another branch of the familiar (but nevertheless amazing) Donguri Kyowakoku chain that specializes in various knickknacks inspired by the movies, either, but an entirely new venture focused on high-quality fashion items for adults.

GBL Miyashita Park is the first brick-and-mortar location for GBL, the Ghibli-inspired clothing line that bills its aesthetic as “American casual.” When it opens in the Shibuya neighborhood’s Rayard Miyashita Park shopping center, the store will have not only GBL’s cool T-shirts, but also a collection of Studio Ghibli skateboards. A total of four designs will be on offer, representing three of Ghibli’s most popular anime.

First up is the Robot Warrior from Ghibli’s first official film, Castle in the Sky Laputa.

Moving on to the only anime to ever win an Oscar, Spirited Away’s No-Face stands across the bridge from the Aburaya bathhouse.

And because no celebration of the art of Studio Ghibli is complete without a salute to My Neighbor Totoro, rounding out the lineup are a Catbus skateboard and a also one featuring the storybook-style illustrations that appear in the film’s opening.

(It’s a little ironic to use the Totoro opening art for a skateboard design when that part of the anime includes a song with the lyrics “I love to walk,” though.)

The boards are made of Canadian maple, selected for its strength, durability, and lightness. The four designs have identical dimensions (80 centimeters [31.5 inches] long and 20.5 centimeters wide) and are priced at 12,000 yen (US$112) each.

Note that GBL is offering only the decks themselves, so you’ll have to purchase and install trucks, wheels, and other parts separately before riding. However, the designs would also make for uniquely cool interior decorations, which is why GBL is leaving the choice of whether or not to make any additions to the deck up to purchasers.

GBL Miyashita Park opens on July 28.

Sources: PR Times (12)