Cleverly designed jewellery sways while you wear it, just like Kasuga-sama does in the animated film.

Japan is a country filled with stories of mysterious spirits, characters and costumes, and some of them appear in Studio Ghibli’s 2001 anime film, Spirited Away.

One such character is Kasuga-sama, a spirit that crosses the bridge to the bathhouse wearing a distinctive white mask with eerie face-like marks. Despite only spending a short time on screen, its striking appearance makes it one of the most memorable characters in the film.

While some might think the mask is an original idea born from the creative mind of director Hayao Miyazaki, it bears a striking resemblance to the traditional zomen paper mask used in a Bugaku dance at Nara’s Kasuga Taisha shrine. Even Kasuga Taisha once commented on the resemblance by sharing a photo with the message: “This is a zomen mask used in the Bugaku dance Soriko. (…It’s Kasuga-sama.)”

Bugaku is a type of ancient Japanese court dance performed to the accompaniment of Gagaku, Japan’s classical imperial court music. With a history stretching back more than 1,200 years, it remains one of Japan’s oldest performing arts, and Soriko is one of the traditional dances still preserved today.

The anime character, who shares the same name as the shrine, becomes even more fascinating after learning about its connections to Japanese culture, and now we can keep that history close to our minds with a new product from Ghibli specialty retail chain Donguri Kyowakoku.

Called the “Kasuga-sama Spirited Away Tassel Earrings”, these beautiful fashion accessories bring the character to life, with the eye-catching mask sitting on the ear lobe…

▼ … and the red “cloak” swaying behind the ear as a bright red tassel.

The earrings are part of a new line of accessories called “Mori no Pomponne”, which features motifs and characters from Ghibli movies. The brand name appears to combine the Japanese word mori (“forest”) with the French word pomponner, meaning “to dress up” or “to get dressed up”, reflecting the collection’s focus on wearable accessories that combine elegance with a touch of playfulness.

▼ This design reflects that ethos, with the red tassel swaying gently to replicate the movement of the character from the film.

The earrings are around five centimetres (two inches) long, made from zinc alloy, polyester, iron, surgical stainless steel and epoxy resin, and weigh three grams (0.1 ounces) per earring.

Available in both pierced and clip-on versions, the earrings are priced at 3,630 yen (US$25) per pair and can be purchased from 10 a.m. on 1 August at Donguri Kyowakoku stores and online (pierced version here and clip-ons here), while stocks last.

Source: Donguri Kyowakoku
Featured image: Donguri Kyowakoku
Insert images: Studio Ghibli, Donguri Kyowakoku (1, 2)
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