Totoro Cream Puff

If you have ever wanted your dessert to stare deep into your soul before you eat it, let me introduce you to the Totoro Cream Puff from Shirohige’s Cream Puff Factory in Tokyo. Yes, it is exactly what it sounds like: a puffy, golden Totoro, filled with delicious cream, judging you gently as you prepare to devour him.

First of all, finding Shirohige’s Cream Puff Factory feels like you are following a side quest in a Ghibli movie. Tucked away in a quiet Setagaya neighborhood, the shop looks like a tiny cottage that might also house a few soot sprites. You half expect a dust bunny to roll across the floor as you step inside. Instead, you are greeted by glass cases filled with rows of chubby little Totoros, each looking slightly confused about their fate.

Each Totoro cream puff comes with a little edible hat or decoration on its head to show what flavor it is hiding inside. A leaf means custard cream. A tiny flower means strawberry cream. A tiny Santa hat in winter? Christmas special flavor. Yes, you can eat Santa Totoro. No, you will not feel good about it emotionally.

The real struggle comes when you actually have to eat it. How do you bite into a face that looks like it could be your friend? You sit there, holding this plump little Totoro, hesitating. You take a thousand pictures. You try to nibble politely from the side. You apologize quietly. Eventually, you give up and chomp right through his adorable head, and that is when the magic happens.

The cream inside is unbelievably good. Light, fresh, not too sweet, and packed to the brim. It is like Totoro was hiding a secret treasure inside his fluffy little body just for you. The custard flavor is a classic, smooth and rich, but if you can snag a seasonal flavor like peach or chestnut, you will understand why people have been known to line up for these cream puffs like they are limited edition anime figures.

The whole experience is ridiculous and wonderful. You walk in looking for a snack and leave feeling like you have committed a small, delicious crime. But fear not, Totoro forgives you. Probably.

If you are in Tokyo and want a food photo that is cute enough to break the internet, go meet your edible forest spirit. Just be prepared for the emotional rollercoaster that comes with eating a face that is smiling at you.