Ghibli Museum

A must-visit spot for all Studio Ghibli fans! No words can describe how magical this museum is, from the Totoro welcoming visitors at the entrance to the colourful exterior of the building and the soldier from “Castle in the Sky” on the rooftop, not to mention all the Easter eggs around the museum and the fairytale like house. Tickets get released a month in advance but still I only managed to get the last few at 4pm (museum closes daily at 6pm) and 2 hours is definitely not enough to see everything! Don’t miss the short film screening that rotate between several films on a regular basis and not shown elsewhere outside the museum, as well as the museum shop that sell merchandises. The permanent exhibitions are another highlights which include hand drawn sketches and how the animations are made from scratch which is truly fascinating. Worth noting also that each visitor receive a ticket in the form of an actual 35mm film of a random scene from the animation movies which is really cute and a good memorial from the visit!

The museum is a little on the small side, but you feel the creativity of the artist everywhere. To get there (if coming from the train station) you can walk through the park which has swan boats and a zoo. I 100% recommend going to the museum and surrounding area.

When I got to the museum at 9:45am, there was already a long line. The museum isn't very big, but there was so many fine detail EVERYWHERE. Every corner I turn, I discover something new. So despite the small size, there was a lot to see! I felt like I was inside the Ghibli world, full of heartwarming feelings. I saw staff there dusting corners and cleaning the space while monitoring and reminding people, gently in a friendly manner, not to take photos inside if anyone was trying to. They blend right in though and didn't stand out so I just love how they are able to do that while keeping the whole look and feel. I also checked out the restrooms and they even got Ghibli details there! I wonder if the male restroom was different. Short film - One of the main attraction I wanted to see was the short film of the month. I think they change it every month or so. It was in Japanese, but they are all very easily understandable for non Japanese speakers. I really enjoyed it, it was such a cute film! Another main attraction is the gift shop of course! I went there before it got too crowded. When I went back to take a look again, their check out line was all the way out to hallway so I was glad I checked out earlier before noon. While browsing I found out that they sell seasonal exclusive items at the store only, so I bought a matching set of plate and matching mug. I had a lot of fun browsing everything there. I want to go back again and get a different season exclusive item. After that I went to get lunch at their cafe. The line was long near noon, next time I will eat when I first enter at 10-11am so I can avoid the long line and crowd at 12pm. Food there wasn't bad, but wasn't like WOW amazing either. Total was about $19 for french fries, chicken sandwich, pork cutlet sandwich and hot barley tea. I thought that the price for food is cheap if you compare it to food at Disney so I was happy about it. I left the museum around 12:45pm, so I spent about 3 hours there. I really enjoyed being there and want to go back again, especially when they get new seasonal items and new short film to show. Spending half a day there is for sure more than enough.

Beautiful museum dedicated to animation and the world of Ghibli. The cinema is really cool and has exclusive short films that are included in your ticket. The shop has tons of beautiful items for all price ranges

You have to have tickets before going here. Getting some is very very difficult, but without those before entering, you'll have no chance of getting inside. It's been amazing and authentic, the attention to details was astonishing. Fotos taking from side are not easy to get because it's forbidden. Definitely a must visit for Ghibli fans