Tokyo Travel Guide: Ghibli Museum
We just came back from our 3 week trip to Japan and I’m so excited to be sharing everything we did along with introducing more topics on culture and the importance of instilling that into our homes. I’m sharing everything we did in Tokyo (see below)!
This itinerary is great for kids too, as we took our 18 month old everywhere and I can assure you, she had a fun time!
I’m so excited to be sharing my favorite country, my motherland more on this blog.
Since we explored so many spots, I’ll break this into a series and write about each location so it’s not information overload haha! Here are 8 things we did in Tokyo below, and today we’re talking about Ghibli Museum
Cherry blossom viewing at the Meguro River
Ghibli Museum
teamLab Planets
teamLab Borderless
Tsukiji Fish Market
Tokyo Disney Sea
Tokyo Disneyland
Asobono Playground at the Tokyo Dome City
GHIBLI MUSEUM
If you’re a fan of Totoro, Kiki’s Delivery Service, Spirited Away, or Princess Mononoke, then you definitely know the genius animation studio, Ghibli. (Bonus points if you know Hayao Miyazaki, the director)
I can’t even start to talk about the level of amazing storytelling, concepts, creativity, and the art that goes behind all the films.
While most grew up with Disney films (which I still did), I grew up with Ghibli films.
I would argue that Ghibli: Japan as Disney: USA. I’m sure some would argue that Ghibli is on another level. Regardless, we were so happy to be able to finally visit the museum!'
We got to see how the films were made and I felt all the nostalgia. So much so that when we got back home, I watched some of my favorites again!
Before we get into our experience, I want to break down how you can purchase tickets. This is my number one tip because it’s not as easy as showing up to the museum and getting tickets the day of. If you do this, chances are you will not be able to go in. It’s a bit complicated so I’m breaking it down below!
HOW TO PURCHASE TICKETS
Tickets online go on sale on the 10th of each month for the following month.
They sell out FAST so act quick! Once you’re on the site, you pick a date and time based on the availability. We were able to snag a 12pm slot on the date we went.
Note: You will need to provide your date of birth and passport info, so have these on hand. Also getting through the site on the day the tickets went on sale proved to be a bit difficult. It kept on saying the site is busy and had to refresh multiple times before we finally got through. So if this happens to you, it’s normal. Keep refreshing!
Purchase the tickets is at this link -> HERE
(I know it looks very simple and almost borderline shady cause it’s so...plain, but trust me on this one lol. Go directly to this link.)
OUR EXPERIENCE
We weren’t able to take any footage inside the museum, which was a bummer. I guess you’ll need to experience the museum firsthand ;) Jokes aside, I really wish I could've shown you but here’s what you can expect:
Learn about the history of all the films
Courtyard inside that made you feel like you were inside the films
Learn about how the films were brought to life
Sketches and storyboards for the films
Cute Cat Bus (from Totoro) room where little kids could jump around and play
You can watch a featured short animated film (about 15 minutes) in the theatre inside
And so much more!
In true Japan fashion, the attention to detail throughout the museum was so thoughtful (even the bathrooms! Which I was able to snap a quick selfie). The whole time you’re there, you truly feel like you’re part of the magic of what the Ghibli studio has created. As a creative myself and a true fan of Ghibli, I was really geeking out.
We were able to take some photos outside though, in the courtyard area and open spaces.
We really enjoyed this and so did Addie because she was able to roam around and get her energy out.
They also have a cafe but we didn’t eat there because there was a wait.
FINAL THOUGHTS
At 18 months old, I think Addie was a little too young to really enjoy or understand. I wanted her to play in the Cat Bus room but she was too small….so next time! This museum is still SUPER kid friendly!
As I start to show Addie more Ghibli films, I’m excited to take her back to this museum when we come back to Japan.
Let me know if you’ve ever been! And if not, I hope this helps in your next travel plans to Japan with kids!
