Master animator Miyazaki Hayao, whose Studio Ghibli produced Princess Mononoke and Spirited Away, designed this museum. Fans will enjoy the original sketches; kids, even if they’re not familiar with the movies, will fall in love with the fairy-tale atmosphere (and the big cat bus). Don’t miss the original 20-minute animated short playing on the 1st floor.
Tickets must be purchased in advance, and you must choose the exact time and date you plan to visit.
Purchase tickets online through a travel agent before you arrive in Japan or from a kiosk at any Lawson convenience store in Tokyo (the trickier option, as it will require some Japanese-language ability to navigate the ticket machine). Both options are explained in detail on the website, where you will also find a useful map.
Getting to Ghibli (which is pronounced ‘jiburi’) is all part of the adventure. A minibus (round trip/one way ¥320/210) leaves for the museum approximately every 20 minutes from Mitaka Station (bus stop no 9). Alternatively, you can walk there by following the canal and turning right when you reach Inokashira-kōen (which will take about 15 minutes). The museum is on the western edge of Inokashira-kōen, so you can also walk there through the park from Kichijōji Station in about 30 minutes.
