Kaze no Tani

The Ghibli Museum is probably one of the most magical places on earth, enforced with a strict no photography policy to keep the experience special. On top of the already amazing museum and gift shop, there is a small café to grab a quick bite and take a break during your visit. Café Mugiwara Boushi (Straw Hat) features a wide assortment of foods, but the one that caught my eye was the Kaze no Tani (Valley of the Wind) beer, with its incredibly beautiful Ghibli style label. I’m normally not much of a beer drinker, but having visited on a rather hot September afternoon, I was really in the mood for nice cold beer to cool down. Along with beer, I ordered an Ice Cream cone because Ice Cream is delicious and it was really hot out. It’s been a few years since I visited, so I believe the beer was 600 yen, a bit expensive, but it was more than worth it for the experience. I really don’t know beers enough to actually describe the taste, but I believe it is some sort of Pilsner and kind of hoppy.

Now the main reason I bought this beer was just because of the label. Referencing the film Nausicaa of the Valley of the Wind, the label features a girl blowing wind while holding bundle of wheat. There are four crests on each corner; the top left features Mama Aiuto Gang boss who is also the namesake of the museum store while the top right features what I believe is Mt Fuji. The Bottom left has a tree with a Totoro standing under it has what looks to be Mei’s straw hat from My Neighbor Totoro. There’s clearly a lot of thought that went into the design of the label and I truly believe this is the best beer label ever designed.

I guess this really isn’t as much of a review as much as me wanting to share a wonderful little keepsake I took from the Ghibli Museum. I’m not sure if you are actually supposed to take these with you, as they ask that you recycle the bottle but it was just too beautiful to throw away.  If you are ever in Tokyo, make sure to visit the Ghibli Museum and stop by the café for a cold one!