Totoro’s House in Tokyo burned down on February 14.

The house, a Western-style residence, was described by director Hayao Miyazaki as “a home that Totoro would have enjoyed living in dearly” in his book The House Where Totoro Lives (“Totoro no Sumu Ie”). Suginami Ward had bought the home from the owner and was planning to turn it and the surroundings into a park that would open in 2010.

According to the Yomiuri Shimbun, one of Japan’s leading daily newspapers, the alarm system in the vacant house had detected a trespasser and smoke, notification of which was sent to the security company. With over ten successive suspicious incidents of burned garbage in the ward and no trace of fire surrounding the home, the Suginami Police Station is investigating the case as a possible act of arson.

 fire img

This article has been created in collaboration with
Akiba Keizai Shimbun

Akiba Fire traps Construction Workers (Akiba today)

Suginami City