Ghibli Museum

The Ghibli Museum is a museum dedicated to the work of Company Ghibli, a Japanese animation studio. It is located in Inokashira Park in Mitaka, Tokyo's western suburb. The museum is dedicated to the art and method of animation and incorporates elements of a children's museum, a technology museum, and a fine arts museum. A reproduction of the Catbus from My Neighbor Totoro (1988), a café, bookshop, rooftop garden, and a theater showing unique Studio Ghibli short films are among the attractions.

The Ghibli Museum's design is as odd as its collection, and it's a tiny but meaningful monument to Japan's most popular animation company. The structure, which resembles a large Italian house, was given a personal touch by director Hayao Miyazaki. A thick covering of foliage covers the mansion's facade, and a 16-foot-tall robot soldier from the classic film Castle in the Sky glances down from the rooftop garden, morosely. The museum's position in verdant Inokashira Park makes it feel like a hidden gem, yet it's been fully booked since it opened. Outside of Japan, tickets for the following three months go on sale on the first of the month, and they sell out immediately.

Location: 1-1-83 Shimorenjaku, Mitaka City, Toukyou-To 181-0013

Website: ghibli-museum.jp