Glimpse inside the making of Hayao Miyazaki’s films and his lovable characters at the Studio Ghibli Museum in Mitaka. Learn how the magic is created, see some of your favorite film characters, and watch an exclusive Studio Ghibli short film at this ‘must-visit’ Tokyo museum.
The Studio Ghibli Museum in Mitaka of west Tokyowas designed by none other than Hayao Miyazaki. Miyazaki is the famed director behind the films My Neighbor Totoro, Spirited Away, Howl’s Moving Castle, Princess Mononoke, and more. This isn’t a typical museumfilled with glass display cases—it’s a “portal to the storybook world” where you can immerse yourself in the world Miyazaki himself created.
Studio Ghibli produced eight short films that can only be watched at the Saturn Theater in the Studio Ghibli Museum. Each month, the movie that is screening changes. See which movies are screening each month here—or keep it a surprise!
“Tri Hawks” Reading Room
Discover children’s books that inspired the Studio Ghibli movies, as well as other children’s books recommended by Miyazaki and the Studio Ghibli team. You can find manga versions of each Ghibli movie, as well as large picture books for the Ghibli shorts, screened at the Saturn Theater.
The Cat Bus Room
Exclusively for children 12 and under, this room allows children to play on a large Cat Bus, a character from My Neighbor Totoro. It’s a perfect place to let little ones blow off some steam or re-live the scenes from the movie by climbing inside the Cat Bus!
A Boy’s Room—A Gift from Grandpa
This room is filled from floor to ceiling with sketches of Ghibli characters and scenery, as well as photo albums of real locations that were used as inspiration for the films. Roped off is a desk covered in paints, pencils, a sketchbook, and all sorts of toys and antiques, depicting the artist’s desk. The other rooms connected to this one show the process of creating an animation film and are filled with bookcases and knick-knacks like model airplanes and atlases.
“Mamma Aiuto!” Gift Shop
Studio Ghibli fans will be delighted by the museum gift shop, named “Mama, help me!” in Italian, from the movie Porco Rosso. Various souvenirs including jewelry, figurines, antiques, and t-shirts are available for purchase—exclusive to the Studio Ghibli Museum shop!
Studio Ghibli Special Exhibits
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One room at the Studio Ghibli museum is home to rotating exhibits that stay for a year or more before being replaced. From May 2017 to November 2018, the exhibit was called Delicious! Animating Memorable Meals,which showcased film scenes of food and meals. It displayed how animators can draw food to look like the correct texture and how to convey its deliciousness to the audience.
From November 2018 until November 2019, the rotating exhibit is called Painting the Colors of Our Films, which showcases how each hand-drawn frame for the film was hand-painted using hundreds of colors. Rotating exhibits will sometimes stay longer in this room if requested by popular demand.
After Visiting the Studio Ghibli Museum
Once you’ve explored every room to its fullest, you exit the Studio Ghibli museum into Inokashira Park. This wide grassy area is filled with picnic tables and walking paths and is home to a small zoo and a lake. It’s the perfect place for a family or friends outing if you want to spend a full day in Mitaka.
The Deets
Studio Ghibli Museum
Where:1-1-83 Simorenjaku, Mitaka, Tokyo
Open:10 a.m.-6 p.m., Closed every Tuesday. Closed periodically for maintenance.
Cost:¥1,000 (Adults), ¥700 (Age 13-18), ¥400 (Age 7-12), ¥100 (Age 4-6), Free for children under 4. Must buy tickets in advance.
