Finally!
After a year… I was able to go to Ghibli!!
don’t judge me, it’s so hard to get the ticket!
Ok let’s go on.
Image from ghibli wikia
Ghibli Museum (三鷹の森ジブリ美術館) is located on Mitaka Station, Chuo Line.
In order to reach the museum, you have to go out from the south exit and take a bus from there, or walk to the museum.
There is a bus every 10 minutes that could take you there. The ticket of the bus is 210¥ (adults, one way). Or you could buy a discounted ticket for only 320¥ (adults, round trip).
The bus ticket could be purchased on the vending machine in the bus station.
(warning, all images I post here were taken from my iPhone. I’ll let you know why, later)
This is the bus that will bring you to the museum
About the entrance ticket.
Ghibli museum limits the number of visitors per day. Ghibli museum has several visitor-time
- 10 AM (latest admission 10:30 AM)
- 12 PM (latest admission 12:30 PM)
- 14 PM (latest admission 14:30 PM)
- 16 PM (latest admission 16:30 PM)
That’s why their tickets are usually sold out (especially on weekend) and you have to buy it in advance. (like 1 month before, or if you’re lucky 1-2 weeks before)
image cr: Tokyo times
The ticket could be bought internationally here, or if you have relative in Japan, you could ask them to buy it for you in Lawson. (Or you can ask me too, I’d gladly help)
If you buy from lawson, you’ll get a paper ticket, and you could exchange it with the fancy one (the photo above) on the entrance of Ghibli Museum.
Ticket price is 1000¥ for adults
How it looks like from outside
I came on Christmas season, that’s why the decoration is so christmas. And I came around 4 PM.
You CAN NOT take picture inside the building (with phone or camera). No, you can’t. I know it’s suck, but there are staffs everywhere that ready to remind you if you do so,
And since you can only take picture in the outside part of the museum. If you came in Winter (Nov – Feb), I suggest you not to come at the 4 PM, because in Japan, it gets dark at 5PM during winter.
These are some photos I managed to take.
You can only be there for 2 hours, the staff will ring a bell to remind you that your time is over.
That’s explain why all the photos are not good.
A bridge inside the museum
Am I getting bigger? Or it just things are getting smaller? LOL
Meet Daniele! My Italian friend
Daniele is such a big fan of Ghibli. Hayao Miyazaki san probably gets a lot of inspirations from Italy, that’s why some of the references in the museum are written in Italian.
channeling Yata-chan’s peace sign
Behind me is a long spiral stairs that could lead you to 2nd floor.
Be careful of your head.
If you’re afraid, just use the normal stairs.
Selfie time! LOL
They also have a children playground on the 3rd floor. It’s the cat-bus from Totoro Movie. Also, in the outdoor part, there is a cafe where you can sit and rest for a while.
And this is the outdoor part of the Museum, where you could take photo as much as you like
These stairs will lead you to a rooftop garden
And you could find this robot in the rooftop
It’s so beautiful, yet so dark that my camera could not capture it.
Doesn’t it feel like Christmas?
Last! Shopping Time!!!
In the museum, there is a library where you could purchase some Ghibli’s book.
And…. There is a souvenir shop, Mama Aiuto (Mama, help!). You could get some original Ghibli works (Soundtrack and DVD), and other original goods.
I got myself a Totoro Charm and Postcards.
And… That’s all.
Overall, it’s a exciting experience. If you’re a Ghibli fans, I recommend you to visit this museum because they show the know-how, the history, and all stuffs behind the scene.
But if you don’t really like it, then don’t go. There are much more beautiful place to visit in Japan.
My Opinion
+ I’m a Ghibli Museum, so it’s like a wonderland for me
+ They have everything (history, know-how, the unpublished works, etc)
+ The decoration is beautiful.
+They provide English guide book. (The staffs do not speak English tho)
– NO picture.. Urrrghhh!!
– NO one speaks English
– Too far from where I live. The transport fee is almost the same with the ticket fee. LOL