Totoro! Ghibli Museum in Mitaka

Must-see museum into the anime world of Hayao Miyazaki

Jessica A Paje Jun 10, 2013 - 1 min read

<p>I spy, Totoro! The cuddly creature welcomes you from behind the booth at the main entrance</p>

<p>The Main Entrance to the Ghibli Museum when approaching from Inokashira Park</p>

<p>Souvenir film strip tickets that you receive in return with your tickets purchased from Lawson. They're also your ticket into watching the short animated feature film</p>

<p>From "Castle in the Sky," a Laputa robot soldier guards the museum from the rooftop which is accessible from an outdoor spiral staircase</p>

<p>A view of the Ghibli Museum Café and the central gazebo with the hand pump water well</p>

<p>The cute little hand washing station outside the Ghibli Museum Cafe</p>

<p>Don't forget to look down when walking throughout the museum grounds. Here's a smiling face strategically placed at the end of the tiled stream of fresh water from the hand pump well</p>

<p>Enjoying the "Here Comes the Sun" Creamed Soda made with blood-orange sherbet and a straw made out of real straw, ¥580</p>

<p>The Pork Cutlet Curry with mixed Genmai rice was a home hearty meal enjoyed by all (¥1,200)</p>

<p>The Strawberry Short Cake was so amazing I didn't want to share (¥790)</p>

<p>The Ghibli Museum celebrated their 12th anniversary in 2013 since opening in June 2001</p>

<p>You won't miss the bright yellow community bus just outside the Mitaka train station that offers round-trip fares to and from the Ghibli Museum (¥300)</p>

Notice

Admission to the Ghibli Museum is by advance reservation only.

Latest on Ghibli Museum

The Ghibli Museum—see our comprehensive museum guide here too—is such a whimsical treasure to visit! Just 15 minutes from Shinjuku by train, and then a quick ride on the Mitaka city bus that mimics the yellow Cat-bus as seen on "My Neighbor Totoro," the museum is fantastic for all ages and a must-see even if you are not yet familiar with Hayao Miyazaki's works of art. Experience a short anime feature film, spend some time admiring the history of all the Ghibli Studios movies made, and climb up spiral staircases to discover hidden gems such as Totoro and the Laputa robot.

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Jessica A Paje @jessica.paje

Originally from San Diego, California, I lived in Yokosuka, Japan, for 5 years. In 2010, I arrived with a new outlook on my future. Mainly, to refocus on family and let my curiosities take us to places we’ve only dreamt of. Along the way, we’d hopefully develop new friendships and simply collect ...