Love those Totoro-shaped cream puffs from Shiro Hige’s Cream Puff Factory? This Ghibli-esque izakaya in Nakameguro could be your next favourite stop. While the pub doesn’t have official ties with the Japanese animation powerhouse, there’s something about the cosy interior’s natural wood counters and fruit baskets that make it look like it could belong in Hayao Miyazaki’s universe. The izakaya even leans into the fact that its name sounds like that of Ghibli’s beloved forest spirit, with a ton of ‘My Neighbour Totoro’ memorabilia and custom off-brand Totoro drinking glasses used to serve fresh fruit sours.
The izakaya specialises in oden, which is served from a steaming vat in the open kitchen, but don’t miss the sashimi set, either. Served in a tower of wooden sake boxes, the assortment comes with fresh slices of seafood including chutoro (medium fatty tuna), salmon, octopus and scallops for just ¥500.