Now that Japan’s state of emergency has been extended until at least the end of May, people around the country are looking for more ways to entertain themselves at home, and here with an idea everyone can get behind is Studio Ghibli producer Toshio Suzuki.

With a background in editing and an artistic talent so great he’s been given his own exhibitions, Suzuki is now sharing the secret to creating one of the characters he loves to draw: Totoro from Ghibli’s 1988 animated feature film My Neighbour Totoro.

Using a calligraphy pen, Suzuki talks us through each step of the process to creating the cute character in a new video released by the Nagoya Board of Education. Nagoya, in Aichi Prefecture, is close to Suzuki’s heart, not only because it’s the area where the upcoming Ghibli theme park will be located, it’s also the place where he was born.

The video above is part of Aichi Prefecture’s “Smile Project Channel” which aims to keep children smiling through these worrying times while they follow the government’s requests to stay home. In the video, Suzuki begins by greeting everyone with: “Have you all been keeping well? I’m going to teach you how to draw Totoro! OK?”

Read more at SoraNews24

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