Ghibli museum blog — The fullest Ghibli museum guide for first-timers

The Ghibli Museum is the animation and art museum of Miyazaki Hayao’s Studio Ghibli, one of Japan’s most famous animation studios. The museum itself is whimsically designed in the distinct style of the studio’s films, and many of their famous characters are there, including a life-sized robot from “Castle in the Sky” in the rooftop garden. So, is Ghibli museum worth visiting, how to visit Ghibli museum, what to do in Ghibli museum and how to plan a budget trip to Ghibli museum for the first-time perfectly? Let’s check out our Ghibli museum travel blog (Ghibli museum blog) with the fullest Ghibli museum travel guide (Ghibli museum guide) from how to get to Ghibli museum, best time to come, as well as top things to do in Ghibli museum to help you maximize your trip as follows!

Ghibli Museum Ticket

To know more deeply about this famous museum, let’s check out and explore our guide!

Where is the Ghibli Museum? (# ghibli museum blog)

Address: 1-1-83 Shimorenjaku, Mitaka-shi, Tokyo, Japan

Located in Mitaka, just outside central Tokyo about 22km, Mitaka City is one of the less crowded areas in western Tokyo and is known for its lush parks, museums, and art. The most famous attraction is the Ghibli Museum, a fantastic and whimsical museum dedicated to the legendary Studio Ghibli film studio.

In addition, if you search the homepage, this place is the Museum d’Arte Ghibli, as Ghibli art museum because artworks produced in Studio Ghibli have been specially displayed and screened. Every detail about the scenes or characters in the movie appears everywhere, making the characters even more vivid, realistic, and come to life.

How to get to the Ghibli Museum? (# ghibli museum guide)

For those who want to take the journey to see the wondrous works of Studio Ghibli, the Ghibli Museum is a must. There are a few ways to get to the Ghibli Museum for your trip with ease.

By train: To JR Mitaka Station, take the JR Chuo Line, approximately 20 minutes from JR Shinjuku Station. From the south exit of JR Mitaka Station, it’s a 15-minute walk to the Museum.

By bus: A community bus runs from JR Mitaka Station to the museum every 10 to 20 minutes while open. Bus tickets are on sale at the vending machine by bus stop No.9.

Bus ticket prices (# ghibli museum blog)

Adult:

• 210 JPY (1.41 USD) (one–way)
• 320 JPY (2.15 USD) (roundtrip)

Children (Ages 7 to 12):

• 110 JPY (0.74 USD) (one–way)
• 160 JPY (1.07 USD) (roundtrip)

Admission and Time

Entrance Time: 10:00–19:00 (on weekends and holidays); 10:00–17:00 (on weekdays)

There are a few closed periods for about 10 days in a year. And it is closed for some days during Year-end and New Year holidays.

Admission:

• Ages 19 and over: 1,000 JPY (6.71 USD)
• Ages 13 to 18: 700 JPY (4.70 USD)
• Ages 7 to 12: 400 JPY (2.68 USD)
• Ages 4 to 6: 100 JPY (0.67 USD)
• Ages and under: Free

If you are a first-timer, you must purchase a month in advance. Ghibli Museum tickets are also available from a JTB travel agent abroad, online, or from a Lawson convenience store in Japan with an English version. The Ghibli Museum releases tickets on the tenth of every month at 10:00 am Japan Standard Time. Note that the available dates will be for the following month. For example, if you want to visit the Studio Ghibli Museum in April, you need to buy your tickets in March.

Ticket re-sale is not permitted, so you should be careful for purchasing tickets from a third party. The companies listed in this post are authorized to sell Ghibli Museum tickets and are safe to purchase from.

Where to go and what to do in Ghibli museum?

The Ghibli Museum was opened in June 2001 by Hayao Miyazaki, who was a co-founder, creative mastermind, Japanese animator, author, and manga artist. Miyazaki’s career is considered one of the legends in the Land of the Rising Sun of all the works he has contributed to the childhood of countless generations.

Besides, he added the design and construction of the Ghibli Museum with the beauty of the villas in Italy being surrounded by green trees to bring a cool, airy, and fresh space.

Tri Hawks Reading Room

Tri Hawks (a pun on the name of the city “Mitaka”, literally 3-hawks, where the museum is located) is the reading room inside the Ghibli Museum.

Ghibli Museum Ticket

It was created to communicate the Museum’s wish to have children see, touch, and feel strange and mysterious things through books. Books that are specially recommended by Hayao Miyazaki and the Museum can be found here for children to browse through freely.

Museum Cafe (Straw Hat Cafe)

Located within the enchanting Ghibli Museum in Mitaka, this cozy cafe offers a delightful experience for both food lovers and Ghibli enthusiasts.

The cafe’s exterior is designed with yellow walls and red windows, the gorgeous interior is adorned with Ghibli movie references, creating a magical atmosphere that will make you feel like you’ve stepped into one of Hayao Miyazaki’s masterpieces.

The cafe also has an open outdoor space so you can comfortably chat and enjoy relaxing moments with the natural scenery of Inokashira Park. The menu includes simple dishes such as tonkatsu, cream cakes, hotdogs, tamagoyaki, blue soda, latte, etc.

From the enchanting atmosphere to the delicious organic food, every aspect of the cafe is designed to immerse you in the world of Ghibli.

Mamma Aiuto

Mamma Aiuto is the souvenir gift shop named after the band of sky pirates in the movie Porco Rosso. The name Mamma Aiuto translates to “Mama, help me” in Italian, as Porco Rosso was set in Italy.

This place is attractive with treasures, including small fascinating souvenirs made in the form of famous characters in the movies of Studio Ghibli, the most typical being Totoro. Among other items, it sells classic and non-Japanese animation movies under the eponymous Ghibli Museum Library label.

Saturn Theater

It is a place where screenings of original animated short films are held with beautifully designed 80-seaters.

Look towards the ceiling to see whimsical murals of the sun and moon accompanied by a blue sky, and colorful flowers. As the film draws close, the theater windows open dramatically to let sunlight back in. You can sit in the small red lounge to watch films on a big screen without being hidden.

Robot Soldier (Castle in the Sky)

From the Cat Bus Room terrace, a spiral stairway leads to the roof, and you will find a grassy rooftop garden. From this lofty post, a serene five-meter-tall Robot Soldier (from “Castle in the Sky”) looks down on Inokashira Park.

With a giant appearance and a tough and somewhat thorny appearance, you should not be scared of the robot soldier, who is considered the Guardian of the Ghibli Museum.

Ghibli Museum Exhibition

The animated movies from the studio are created exclusively for the Ghibli Museum and are only viewable here. The short movie plays several times each hour.

Boro the Caterpillar (screening from March 1 to March 31)

Boro Caterpillar was produced in 2018 by Studio Ghibli. The story is about a recently hatched caterpillar named Boro from an egg in the leaves of a plant. Initially fearful of the outside world, he becomes fascinated as he watches the leaves photosynthesize, producing cube-like structures.

Applying computer graphics and hand-drawn animation to create a world seen through the insect’s eyes and voice and sound effects were provided by Tamori.

Summary: Just before dawn, Boro the Caterpillar hatched from an egg among patches of scrub grass. Looking around for the first time, he noticed the brilliance of the morning sun and the deliciousness in the air. Boro lowered himself down to the ground from the boogie, groundsel, and stepped out into the world of caterpillars and caterpillars’ enemies.

Looking for a Home (screening from April 1 to April 30)

Looking for a Home (also known as House-hunting) was written, directed, and produced by Hayao Miyazaki for Studio Ghibli. The short film was originally released on January 3, 2006, focusing on the rich onomatopoeia used in the Japanese language. The human voice did all the sound effects in this film.

Summary: Fuki sets out with a big rucksack in high spirits on a journey to look for a new house. After going through the car-jammed city, she finds a stone Jizo statue on an old, narrow path. Fuki places an apple as an offering to ask for passage and walks on. Along her way, she encounters the river guardian Nurari-Hyotan, the shrine guardian Ushioni, and other strange creatures one after another. What will Fuki do now?

Future Boy Conan (screening from May 28 to November)

This is a special exhibition of the year organized by the Ghibli Museum, officially starting on May 28 and lasting until the end of November 2023. Adapted from the manga of the same name (Production 1978), the exhibit is organized as a chronological journey through 26 episodes, focusing on a young boy named Conan who adventures through a post-apocalyptic world. This film was made with the desire to take the audience to dreamlands, far from reality with fun and entertaining elements.

Ghibli Museum Ticket

Where to go near the Ghibli Museum?

There are plenty of places to go near the Ghibli Museum for visitors of all ages.

Inokashira Park Zoo

Address: 1 Chome-17-6 Gotenyama, Musashino, Tokyo 180-0005, Japan
Phone: +81 422-46-1100

Inokashira Park Zoo is located in a suburb of Tokyo. It consists of the Zoo Area and Aquatic Life Park. The former includes the animal zone and Sculpture Museum, and the latter includes the water bird exhibits and an aquarium situated in Inokashira Pond.

The park, which still retains the remnants of the impressive old-growth forest of Musashino, displays a total of more than 170 animal species with a focus on native Japanese species such as the Japanese squirrel and the Japanese serow as well as exotic species from around the world such as the Fennec fox and the African crested porcupine.

Toho Bakery

Address: 1-9-19 Shimorenjaku, Mitaka, Tokyo, Japan
Phone: +81 422 436311

If you often watch anime, you probably know that in Japan photos of delicious cakes are taken very beautifully due to their attractive decorations and shapes.

Toho Bakery, a wide variety of pastries, is just a 6-minute walk from the Ghibli Museum. You should not miss this place during your trip.

Kannon Coffee Kichijoji

Address: 5 Chome−1−1, Shimorenjaku, Mitaka, Tokyo, Japan
Phone: +81 422 267377

Kannon Coffee is located a 9-minute walk from the Ghibli Museum and is designed in cozy wood tones and noren curtains commonly found in Japanese shops. The drinks and desserts are very pretty and delicious.

Imano Tokyo Hostel (Agoda, Booking)

Address: 5-12-2, Shinjuku-ku, Tokyo, Japan
Phone: +81 35362 7161
Price: 45.30 USD/room/night

Imano Tokyo Hostel is an affordable stay compared with others. The hostel area is spacious with cafe-styled tables and chairs for everyone’s chat and relaxation.

The hostel has many rooms designed for privacy in dorm form with bunk beds and curtains. The hostel is far from Takashimaya Times Square, Litus Bakery, and Hashigo Irifune noodle shop.

Unplan Kagurazaka Hostel (Agoda, Booking)

Address: 23-1 Tenjin-cho, Shinjuku-ku, Tokyo, Japan
Price: 41.89 USD/room/night

Unplan Kagurazaka Hostel is a great choice for accommodation on a budget. Even so, the hostel provides super nice, clean rooms, and delicious breakfast to make it as cozy as in-home likely. Bunk bedrooms are spacious enough for one-person and two-person rooms with private bathrooms. There is also a laundry room and a bar.

Hotel Rose Garden Shinjuku (Agoda, Booking)

Address: 8-1-3 Nishi-Shinjuku, Shinjuku-ku, Tokyo, Japan
Phone: +81 33360 1533
Price: 132.30 USD/room/night

The hotel’s central location is ideal, located next to Nishi Shinjuku Subway Station and providing guests excellent access on foot and by car or train to the main business, entertainment, dining, and shopping hot spots of Japan’s capital. This hotel is situated within only a few paces of the nearest tube station and only minutes from both the Shinjuku main station and the Shinjuku expressway. The Shinjuku Skyscraper District is just steps from the hotel. Isetan Department Store is a 15-minute walk, and Shinjuku Gyoen National Garden is 20 minutes away on foot. Shinjuku Train Station is a 10-minute walk away. These advantages are suitable for families with adults and children.

Besides, the hotel space is extremely bright, full of sunlight with a system of cozy rooms, serving delicious breakfast and indoor and outdoor cafe space.

Pearl Hotel Shinjuku Akebonobashi (Agoda, Booking)

Address: 9-5 Sumiyoshicho, Shinjuku, Tokyo, Japan
Phone: +81 3 3359 3900
Price: 141.50 USD/room/night

Pearl Hotel Shinjuku Akebonobashi is about 3 minutes on foot from Toei Subway Shinjuku line Akebonobashi Station or 10 minutes by taxi from JR Shinjuku Station East Exit.

The hotel has rooms designed in a minimalist and sunny way to provide you with a comfortable vacation. The hotel serves an American-style breakfast. Nearby, there are Chinese, Soba noodle, and Indian restaurants. In addition, there is Chez Macio restaurant serving French-styled cuisine on the hotel premises.

Pearl Hotel Shinjuku Akebonobashi is a hotel with great comfort and excellent service according to most hotel’s guests.

Ghibli Museum not only revives childhood memories but also fills with Studio Ghibli’s original works, considered timeless works of art with spaces designed like a wonderland, surrounded by the green of the forest. If you or your family love Ghibli movies or the craft of traditionally animated movies, the Ghibli Museum has to be on your list of must-dos when visiting Japan.

Some best day tours, trips, activities and transfer services, tickets in, to and from Tokyo you can refer to

• Private Narita International Airport Transfers (NRT) for Tokyo 23 Wards, Hakone, or Karuizawa
• Private Haneda International Airport Transfers (HND) for Tokyo 23 Wards, Hakone, or Karuizawa
• Airport Limousine Bus Transfers from/to Narita and Haneda International Airport (Free Wifi Onboard)
• Tokyo Amazing Sightseeing Bus Day Tour
• Tokyo Highlights Private Day Tour
• Nikko Day Tour from Tokyo
• Ghibli Museum Ticket
• Mt Fuji & Hakone Day Tour: Lake Ashi & Ropeway Day Trip from Tokyo
• Nikko Cultural Day Tour from Tokyo
• Tokyo Subway Ticket (24, 48, or 72 Hours)
• Tokyo Skyliner and Tokyo Subway Ticket
• Shuttle Bus Transfers (One Way/Round Trip) from Shinjuku/Ikebukuro to Tokyo Disneyland or Tokyo DisneySea
• Tokyo Disney Resort Park Ticket
• Klook Pass Greater Tokyo
• SHIBUYA SKY Ticket
• Warner Bros. Studio Tour Tokyo – The Making of Harry Potter Ticket
• Skyliner Narita Airport Express Ticket
• TeamLab Planets Ticket
• TOKYO SKYTREE® Ticket
• Limousine Bus Narita or Haneda Airport to Tokyo
• Skyliner Narita Airport Express With Tokyo Subway Ticket
• JR Tokyo Wide Pass
• Sky Hop-on and Hop-off Bus Pass
• 4G Prepaid Sim Card (JP Airports Pick Up) for Japan
• 4G WiFi (BKK and DMK Airport Pick Up) for Japan (Unlimited Data)
• JR Pass for Whole Japan (7, 14, or 21 Days)

Are you looking for more Tokyo travel guide and top things to do in Tokyo: Tours, activities, attractions and other things? Read more: Tokyo itinerary 3 days — What to do in Tokyo in 3 days?