Ghibli Museum - Our Kawaii Tokyo

Ghibli Museum in Roppongi
Hills
Hi Kawaii Travelers!
Kaila and I went to Ghibli museum in Roppongi
hills a few days ago and we’re excited to share
this experience with you.
The Ghibli Museum started last July 7 and it
will run until September 11 only. So if you are
in Tokyo during this time, better not miss this
rare Ghibli exhibit!
Pro-tip: Fall in line as early as 9:30 am so you
won’t wait that much. We arrived at 10:00am and
the line was already long.
Ahhh dream come true! We were able to ride the
catbus!! Who says it isn’t real?
Can you guess which character this is?
(Left: Ashley, Right: Kaila)
This is our friend Yumi-san, who went to the exhibit with us. She’s super nice!
Totoro at the counter.
(Borrowed photo from fashion-press.net since we
could not take photos at this area.)
You’ll see more Ghibli characters from Nausicaa
to their latest film titled Red Turtle at the exhibit.
Too amazing in real life!
Look how crowded it is. Tickets cost ¥1,800 for
adults.
It’s a little bit expensive but worth it since
you can also see Tokyo’s aerial view from the
deck.
Tokyo from the top.
While you’re already there, don’t forget to
check out the special Studio Ghibli pop-up shop!
Here are some of the photos:
Mori Art Museum Access Guide | Ghibli Expo Main
Page
Cafés Worth the Visit When
in Shimokitazawa
Shirohige’s Cream Puff Shop is famous for their
Totoro-shaped choux creams. They have vari-
ous flavours for their choux creams such as custard and cream, strawberry cream, peach cream,
maron and maron (chestnuts) cream, chocolate
cream, caramel banana cream, and matcha cream.
Totoro’s hats and head accessories sets the labels for the flavours.
Address: 3-21-21 Takaidohigashi, Suginami-ku,
Tokyo
Phone: 03-3334-4689
Business Hours: 10:30am-7:30pm (Close Mondays)
Homepage: http://www.shiro-hige.com/
Darwin Room – Where you can find a real otter,
zebra, butterflies among many other animals preserved. They also have a small cafe area where
you can dine.
Address: 5-31-8 Kitazawa, Setagaya-ku, Tokyo,
155-0032
Phone: 03-6805-2638
E-mail: darwinroom@me.com
Business hours: 12:00n-8:00pm
Inspired by Starbucks is like Starbuck’s older
sibling when it comes to style and coffee. They
have a bakery section that offers freshly baked
scones, apple pie wedges and brownies. For
drinks, they have beer and wine. It’s definitely
not your ordinary Starbucks branch.
Address: 5-8-13 Daizawa Setagaya-ku, Tokyo,
155-0032
Village Vanguard Diner is best for their loco moco and hamburgers.
Address: 2-10-15 Kitazawa, Setagaya, Tokyo,
155-0031
If you love dreamy and kinfolk-like atmosphere,
try Sunday Brunch. They’re offering organic eats
and desserts. Although their name suggests Sunday Brunch, spending afternoon tea with friends
seem perfect here as they have wide range of
cakes and teas.
Address: 2-29-2 Kitazawa, Setagaya, Tokyo,
155-0021
Phone: 81-3-5453-3366
Usagi no Ehon (Rabbit Picture Book) Café is not
your ordinary rabbit café because they’ve also
teamed up with The World of Peter Rabbit as if
we’re not dying about about their rabbits already. Although the area is small, it’s hard to
resist this whimsical place.
Address: Kitazawa 3-30-1, K Bldg 2F. Open
1-6pm. Closed Mondays, Thursdays.
Business Hours: 1:00pm-6:00pm (closed on Mondays and Thursdays)
How To Get Ghibli Museum
Tickets
The Ghibli Museum in Mitaka, Tokyo will always
be one of our favorite dream destinations in Japan. (✿◠‿◠)
Illustrations / Text by Little Miss
Paintbrush for JLM
Ghibli Museum by Hayao Miyakazaki is described
as a portal to your own story book. And as the
main character of your own story, Ghibli Museum
ask you to experience it with your senses and
not through a camera’s viewfinder. That’s a perfect reason why it is not allowed to take photos
inside!
Here are 10 things you might want to know about
the magical place:
1. Studio Ghibli director Hayao Miyazaki designed the museum himself. ヽ(^。^)丿
2. Photography and video recording are not allowed inside the Museum, for maximum visual experience. Get lost and be inspired. Use the “nophoto taking” rule as a positive sign to immerse
yourself in the world of wonder. There are lots
of things you can spot if you just open your
eyes. Try finding these things: the faucets that
are shaped as Jiji (Kiki’s Delivery Service),
Makkuro-kurosuke (wandering soots) that are
locked through a porthole, stained glass Totoro,
a fresco painting at the ceiling, among many
others!
3. Aside from the Museum, there are many other
Studio Ghibli-related features in the area that
one can explore: a cafe (Straw Hat Cafe) where
in you could get Ghibli characters collectible
flags depending on your order or luck, a rooftop
garden where the five-meter-tall Robot Soldier
(Laputa Castle in The Sky) is located, a whimsical souvenir shop called Mamma Auto, based from
Porco Rosso, and the reading room called “TRI
HAWKS”, a pun intended for Mitaka meaning Mi
(Three/Tri) and Taka (Hawk/s). Books personally
recommended by Hayao Miyazaki himself could be
found here.
4. At the top of the Central Hall, you’ll be
able to see Totoro’s nekobus (cat bus) playroom.
Unfortunately, only children below 12 are allowed to play.
5. The Saturn Theater is a place where visitors
can enjoy a short film showing.
6. According to a statement by Hayao Miyazaki-san, he didn’t want to make a museum that
“treats its contents as if they were more important than people”, hence the Ghibli Museum was
made for the people to enjoy, understand, ponder, and feel.
7. Entrance to the Ghibli Museum is strictly by
advance purchase of a reserved ticket. Click
here to
Tickets for each month up to three months
ahead will be sold from the 1st of every
month. For example :
7/1～ July./Aug./Sept./Oct. tickets
8/1～ Aug./Sept./Oct./Nov. tickets
9/1～ Sept./Oct./Nov./Dec. tickets
Source: www.ghibli-museum.jp/en/ticket_inform
ation
8. The Museum is almost always closed on Tuesdays, except for special days and occasions.
(Calendar from their website)
9. The Museum is open from 10:00 am to 6:00 pm.
10. The Ghibli Museum is accessible through a
community loop bus from Mitaka Station. Mitaka
Station is serviced by the Chūō Line. The museum
does not have a parking space for private cars.
How to Go To Ghibli Museum?
From Shinjuku, it’s approximately 20 minutes
train ride via JR Chuo Line to Mitaka. Get off
at Mitaka South Exit and walk along the Tamagawa
Josui Waterworks for about 15 minutes to the museum. You’ll pass by Inokashira park and don’t
worry about getting lost, there are a lot of Totoro signs along the way that will tell you how
to get there.
Alternatively, you can take the community bus (a
yellow, Ghibli characters printed bus) for 210
yen.
When you are close to the museum, you will see
Totoro inside a glass window along Kichijoji Avenue.
This is the Kind of Museum I Want to
Make!
by Hayao Miyazaki-san
A museum that is interesting and which relaxes the soul
A museum where much can be discovered
A museum based on a clear and consistent
philosophy
A museum where those seeking enjoyment can enjoy, those seeking to ponder can ponder, and
those seeking to feel can feel
A museum that makes you feel more enriched
when you leave than when you entered!
To make such a museum, the building must be…
Put together as if it were a film
Not arrogant, magnificent, flamboyant, or suffocating
Quality space where people can feel at home,
especially when it’s not crowded
A building that has a warm feel and touch
A building where the breeze and sunlight can
freely flow through
The museum must be run in such a way that…
Small children are treated as if they were
grown-ups
The handicapped are accommodated as much as
possible
The staff can be confident and proud of their
work
Visitors are not controlled with predetermined courses and fixed directions
It is suffused with ideas and new challenges
so that the exhibits do not get dusty or old,
and that investments are made to realize that
goal
The displays will be…
Not only for the benefit of people who are already fans of Studio Ghibli
Not a procession of artwork from past Ghibli
films as if it were “a museum of the past”
A place where visitors can enjoy by just looking, can understand the artists’ spirits, and
can gain new insights into animation
Original works and pictures will be made to
be exhibited at the museum
A project room and an exhibit room will be
made, showing movement and life (Original
short films will be produced to released in
the museum!)
Ghibli’s past films will be probed for understanding at a deeper level
The cafe will be…
An important place for relaxation and enjoyment
A place that doesn’t underestimate the difficulties of running a museum cafe
A good cafe with a style all its own where
running a cafe is taken seriously and done
right
The museum shop will be…
Well-prepared and well-presented for the sake
of the visitors and running the museum
Not a bargain shop that attaches importance
only to the amount of sales
A shop that continues to strive to be a better shop
Where original items made only for the museum
are found
The museum’s relation to the park is…
Not just about caring for the plants and surrounding greenery but also planning for how
things can improve ten years into the future
Seeking a way of being and running the museum
so that the surrounding park will become even
lusher and better, which will in turn make
the museum better as well!
This is what I expect the museum to be, and
therefore I will find a way to do it
This is the kind of museum I don’t want to
make!
A pretentious museum
An arrogant museum
A museum that treats its contents as if they
were more important than people
A museum that displays uninteresting works as
if they were significant
Have you ever been to the Ghibli Museum? Please
share your experiences with us! ヾ(｡･ω･｡)
References:
http://www.ghibli-museum.jp/en/
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Ghibli_Museum