Ghibli Museum, Mitaka
三鷹の森ジブリ美術館
An animation museum designed by Hayao Miyazaki himself. Entry is by advance booking only, with exclusive short films, and a robot soldier from Castle in the Sky stands on the rooftop.
The Ghibli Museum, Mitaka, opened in 2001. It was conceived by Hayao Miyazaki himself, and the building itself resembles a castle from one of his animated films. Inside, a studio exhibit recreates the animation process, seasonal special exhibitions rotate, and original short films are shown only here, at the Saturn Theater. Children can climb into the Catbus (for elementary school children and younger), and the rooftop garden features a robot soldier from Castle in the Sky. All tickets are timed-entry and must be booked in advance. Adult tickets cost 1,000 yen. Next month's tickets usually go on sale on the 10th of each month, and popular time slots sell out quickly. Photography is prohibited inside. The museum is open 10:00 to 18:00 and closed on Tuesdays. From the South Exit of JR Mitaka Station, take a community bus for about 5 minutes, or walk about 15 minutes from Kichijoji through Inokashira Park.
Opening hours
10:00–18:00; closed Tuesdays (reservation required)
Nearby sights
- Inokashira Park & Kichijoji
- Warner Bros. Studio Tour Tokyo – The Making of Harry Potter
- Shimokitazawa
- Tokyo Metropolitan Government Building Observatory
- Omoide Yokocho
- Meiji Jingu
- Kabukicho, Shinjuku
- Shibuya Crossing & Shibuya Sky