Danei Totoro Bus Stop

Danei is a rural district in Tainan that suffers from drastic population loss. Young people have moved to the cities and visitors rarely stop by. Like many small towns across Taiwan, the community turned to murals as a way to brighten the neighborhood.  (See also Rainbow Family Village.) Totoro and friends from Studio Ghibli arrived for that reason.  

Along otherwise ordinary residential lanes, you’ll find Totoros and their companions painted onto concrete walls—waiting for the bus, holding umbrellas, or taking a good nap. The scenes are perfectly Instagrammable. Besides Totoro, there is a good chance that you can encounter other familiar faces: Doraemon, Peppa Pig, Peter Rabbit, and many others. Even the local health bureau contributed a “No Smoking” propaganda mural. 

Along the way, there’s a small shop where you can buy an icicle to cool off under the southern sun. The paintings fade with time and weather. If you’re lucky, you may encounter artists working to give them a new touch.