If you are a collector of pottery and tableware, then you are more than likely familiar with the ceramics brand Noritake.

The Noritake brand can trace its roots back to 1876, when Japanese businessman Ichizaemon Morimura sent his brother Toyo to set up a company in New York that focussed on exporting traditional Japanese wares to the west.
After a brief visit to Paris in 1889, Morimura was impressed by the beauty of European porcelain, and determined to create a business in Japan that could emulate the delicate intricacies of European porcelain whilst also incorporating the high quality of Japanese ceramics.
Following a few years of study and experimentation, Morimura succeeded in producing white porcelain ware using Japanese materials, and in 1904 he established the Nippon Toki Gomei Kaisha in the town of Noritake, Nagoya. This factory focussed on producing niche ceramics that could be marketed towards buyers from the west, and in 1914 the brand unveiled Japan’s first western-style dinner set, which was marketed under the name “Sedan” and exported to the United States.

Following the success of the “Sedan” dinner set, the Noritake brand focussed on producing collections of ceramics that could cater towards the western buyer. To ensure the highest quality, these earlier products (now categorised as “Old Noritake”) were hand-painted and earned the brand a positive reputation amongst ceramic and pottery collectors.

These days it would be impossible for the brand to keep up with demands through the production of handmade items, and so, to ensure the brand continues to meet the high quality output that is expected, Noritake has designed its very own Tableware Manufacturing Technology. These systems are so highly praised that they have even been incorporated by companies that foot different fields such as in energy, automobile production and even medical industries.
However, whilst the Noritake brand now has a multidisciplinary foothold, the heart and soul of the company is still highly dedicated to the production of ceramics that feature contemporary patterns and designs, which they continue to manufacture to this very day.

In their latest reveal, the ceramics brand is teaming up with Ghibli’s Donguri Republic and launching a spring-limited My Neighbour Totoro mug that features a watercolour print of Totoro and the Catbus surrounded by bright yellow flowers.

My Neighbour Totoro Noritake Mug – Totoro and Yellow Flowers

Whilst staying true to Noritake’s promise of quality production, the My Neighbour Totoro mug is made using delicate bone china – which is perfect for enjoying a hot drink from – and also comes with a large curved handle to ensure comfort when holding.

The outside features 2 limited edition prints designed to mimic the appearance of a watercolour painting; one one side a smiling Totoro stands amongst bright yellow flowers, and on the other side is a recreation of the scene in the movie when Satsuki and Mei ride the Catbus.

My Neighbour Totoro Noritake Mug – Totoro and Yellow Flowers
Price: 3,960yen (tax incl.)
Size: D80mm x H91mm
Purchase in person at Donguri Republic stores or online via the Donguri Republic webstore Sora no Ue