Have you heard of Studio Ghibli Museum in Tokyo in Japan?
If you’re not into films, or Japanese animation, then you may be a bit confused what I’m on about. Still, I encourage you to keep reading, dear reader 🙂
Visiting this unique place when I was in Japan recently was a dream come true.
What is Studio Ghibli Museum
Studio Ghibli was founded by Hayao Miyazaki, among others, in 1980s. It’s probably the most famous Japanese animation studio in the world. This is thanks to such gems as My Neighbour Totoro, or the Oscar winning Spirited Away.
The Museum is dedicated to the films that were produced by the Studio, and to the world-wide famous creativity and art that Hayao has been spreading.
So what can I do and see there?
The whole place is as colourful as films that Studio Ghibli has been producing. The courtyard gives the impression it is taken out of the film.
Inside, you can immerse yourself in a few rooms. To me, they told a story about how the adventures of Kiki, Chihiro, and others came to life.
You have a room which shows you how an animated film is made. The many shots spin at a crazy speed giving the impression of continuity.
There is also a room that looks like the creator has just stepped away from his desk. With lots of books around, maybe they are browsing for inspiration?
If you come with a child to the museum, they will be able to bounce on the Cat Bus. Not sure why adults are not allowed the fun… 🙂
We also have the robot soldier, and Totoro greeting visitors at the entrance.
Don’t forget to grab a bite and a drink at Cafe before you leave!
How do I get myself there?
Before I tell you about the logistics, you may have noticed that I have shared no pictures from inside the Museum. This is because you’re not allowed to take pictures inside. You can photograph the outside to your heart’s content though.
Despite this little obstacle, the Studio Ghibli Museum is an absolute must visit. So how do you do that?
I wrote about the tickets process before. The tickets are released on a monthly basis – on the 10th day of each month, at 10am Japanese time.. And if you want to have a chance of getting one for a specific day, you need to be prepared to do something as crazy as I did. And that was getting up at 2am to get the ticket.
Getting to Studio Ghibli in Mitaka
Take the JR Chuo Line to Mitaka Station. From there, you can either take a shuttle bus to the Studio location, or you can walk there. The walk is really pleaseant, and shouldn’t take longer than 15-20mins. It’s a straightforward route – you walk straight for a long bit, then you turn right, and walk straight a bit more. And then you see Totoro 🙂
One final teeny tiny thing
At the time of writing – in July 2023 – the Museum has got nothing in any other language than Japanese. It is really puzzling why since the place is visited by floods of non-Japanese fans of Ghibli films and art. Apart from the paper museum guide that you are given at the entrance, all captions, explanations, descriptions around the place are only in Japanese.
Please don’t let that put you off going there – it is a magical place, and one of a kind on the planet 🙂