Ghibli museum

Everyone who loves anime sooner or later watches a Studio Ghibli movie. For some people, those movies are even what brought them to anime in the first place.

When I was a teenager, a friend brought me a DVD from one of his trips to Japan. It was “My Neighbor Totoro” and it quickly became one of my favorite movies until this day. Even though there weren't any subtitles (at least not any I could read) and my Japanese was very poor at this time, I completely sunk into the captivating atmosphere that every Ghibli movie creates. It gave me a warm and peaceful feeling inside and even motivated me to increase my Japanese-skills.
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​I'm sure a lot of people share a special bond with their favorite Ghibli anime. Often called the “Japanese Disney”, I am not very pleased with this comparison. I don't see many similarities to Disney other than both studios being very famous and doing enormously detailed work. I could write a whole column on this topic alone (and maybe I will in the future), but for today I wanted to tell you about the beautiful Ghibli Museum in Mitaka, Tokyo.

​On my third trip to Japan in 2016 it finally happened: Me and my friends were going to visit the Ghibli Museum!

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I was so excited! My friend and her husband (who my partner and I met for a mutual holiday in Tokyo) booked our tickets in advance. It wasn't possible to buy any tickets in the museum itself because there were time slots for visitors. I haven't read anything otherwise lately so I'm sure you still have to get your tickets in advance, especially with the pandemic situation going on.

The museum itself offers tickets through the travel agency JTB and their global offices. You can find a list of them on the museum's home page. Some other travel agencies also sell tickets – but there's another way to get your ticket: The famous convenience store chain LAWSON also sells tickets for the museum on their online platform.

The way from Mitaka station to the museum leads through Inokashira park, for which I highly recommend planning some time to visit. It's truly beautiful there!​

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When we arrived at the museum, we didn't have to wait long to get inside. And once you walk through the entrance, it feels like you're getting completely absorbed into another world.

The whole museum is designed with so much love and so many wonderful details from the movies, it's impossible to explore everything in just one day.
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The walls and shelves are covered with concept art, original sketches and storyboards, miniature models and properties from the movies, that were built perfectly down to the last detail.

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You're not allowed to take pictures on the inside, so I can't show you any. To be honest, it's better that way and have everyone explore the wonders of the museum for themselves. But in case you want to read about some more details, I'll tell you what I remember from my visit.

​First we were guided to a small cinema in which we were shown a Ghibli short movie which was exclusively created for the museum. You can't find the movie anywhere else! The Japanese in the movie was very simple and the story was easy to understand even without any Japanese skills. I guess that's because many families with their kids are there but they are also considering lots of tourists from other countries visit the museum, too.

​Next, we walked through a part of the museum that was built after the office of Miyazaki Hayao, the creative head of Ghibli studios. There was way too much to see and some of the stuff inside were even original items. I felt so blessed standing in this huge mess, imagining Miyazaki-san sitting on this desk, planning the next movie that would make millions of people swarm into the cinemas.​

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On the rooftop of the museum, taking pictures is allowed again. There is even a photo-station where you can pose next to one of the giant robots from “Laputa” (which we did, of course!). In one of the windows, I noticed two of the cats from “The cat returns” (I love cats, so this made me really happy). Speaking of cats: Inside was a giant plush cat bus from “My neighbor Totoro” and I was so pissed that only kids up to the age of 12 were allowed to play with and climb on it.
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I would have loved to at least touch it once!​

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There are also souvenir shops and small food stands with a little outside picnic area. My friend and I got ourselves some delicious ice cream and a few small tokens from the shop. I expected it to be a lot more expensive but even though I didn't have much money at that time, I was able to buy two key chains of the kodama from “Princess Mononoke” to remember that day.

If you ever get the chance to visit the Ghibli museum, do it! I had so much fun there and wish I could go again soon. And there's also a Ghibli theme park which will open its gates this year in Nagoya. I can't wait to explore this one!

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Have you ever been to the Ghibli Museum? What's your favorite Ghibli movie? Tell me in the comments!