Here, we unpick the theory that the film’s cuddly cat is actually a death god and that the storyline makes reference to a brutal schoolgirl murder. There is, however, one famous fan theory that refuses to die – it’s so famous, in fact, that the studio had to release a statement denying its accusations back in 2007.

There’s a child-like innocence that permeates the film – on the surface, it appears to be a message of hope and optimism explored through fantasy in times of hardship. These two characters and the whole film My Neighbor Totoro - have become cultural icons. One of the studio’s most iconic films is My Neighbour Totoro, a tale of two girls in the countryside that meet a giant, cuddly cat named Totoro. Even the skyscraper’s restaurant presented a themed menu featuring a black burger in tribute to the soot sprites. Satoyama are unique to Japan: the word translates literally from ‘sato’ village and ‘yama’ - mountain or hill.

The enormous Catbus nearly fills the entirety of the 14' x 9' setup. This is an unforgettable moment from the climactic scenes of the film, presented in hand-painted original production cels in a complete Key Master setup.

Details of the interactive tribute soon surfaced it was revealed that the building would house rare publicity posters and concept artwork alongside real-life replicas of film relics such as the giant airship from Castle in the Sky. My Neighbor Totoro opens with the arrival of sisters Satsuki (Noriko Hidaka / Dakota Fanning) and Mei (Chika Sakamoto / Elle Fanning) to their new rural home in the Satoyama of Saitama Prefecture. Satsuki finally finds her missing sister Mei with the help of the iconic Catbus from Hayao Miyazaki's My Neighbor Totoro. This week, a comprehensive, all-encompassing exhibition devoted to the beloved anime house arrived in Tokyo’s Roppongi Hills skyscraper. One of the most endearing and internationally renowned films of all time, a film that Roger Ebert called one of the five best movies ever made for children, My Neighbor Totoro is a.

My neighbor totoro mei