Having been a Hayao Miyazaki fan for a long time, I just had to finally visit the Studio Ghibli Museum. The unfortunate thing is that photography was not allowed inside the museum, but if you watch the movie “From Up on Poppy Hill”, school clubhouse that they build in that movie is a lot like what the museum looks like on the inside.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=k-vfzhfq5JA
Nevertheless, there are a lot of really cool pictures to take from the outside, such as the ticket booth.
Appropriately, the whole outside of the museum has this very environmentalist feel, complete with rooftop gardens. (Miyazaki is known for nature-preserving themes in his movies.)
The main rooftop garden is guarded by one of the “Castle in the Sky” nature protecting robots as well, which is probably the best picture you could take at the place. You just can’t go wrong with giant robots.
There was also a giant cat bus from the movie “Totoro”, but only kids could play on it, little ones. In the U.S., I could probably pass for a 12 year old if I really tried, but even if I could, it looked like only kids under 8 could go climbing over this awesome giant plush toy.
Through the windows here and there, you may get startled by random characters from various movies peaking out at you.
Overall, the place had a fun, fantasy-feel to it, and the museum that showcases the artists work places and the animation techniques, of which I could not take any pictures of, makes the place a must for any anime or animation fan. The gift shop has lots of awesome items, including Totoro lunch boxes. I couldn’t resist taking this little fellow home with me.
Next up, Calico Cat Cafe in Shinjuku.
