Ghibli

10-13-2010
Day 220 of 365: Of all the things I did and saw during my 6 days in Tokyo, the Ghibli Museum was probably the most interesting and unique. Created by Japan's most famous animator, Hayao Miyazaki (whom some call the "Walt Disney" of Japan), the Ghibli Museum is not only a showcase of Studio Ghibli's beloved animated films, but in a way, it is an expression of the master animator himself.

I haven't visited very many places around the world, but I've been to some famous museums in New York, Philadelphia, Chicago and London. Since I've been in Korea, I've also seen a few types of museums. There are the places that try to pass themselves off as museums when, in actuality, they are little more than specialty shops with the difference being that the items on the shelves generally aren't for sale. Go to Samcheong-dong in Seoul and you'll know what I'm talking about (toy museum, chicken museum, etc.). Of course there are the real museums, such as the National Museum of Korea, the Seoul Museum of History, and the War Memorial of Korea. Of the three, I've only been to the National Museum and it was a little boring. Sorry. Then there are museums like Ghibli, which is not so much a museum as it is an experience. Admittedly, Ghibli has a special demographic that consists of families with children ages 12 and under and anime nerds. Luckily there are more than enough of both in Japan. Actually, the works of Hayao Miyazaki are so well known and loved in Japan that he is now a cultural icon. The rest of the world has been slow to catch up, but Ghibli films are receiving more recognition with each new film that is released.

Upon approach, you may initially mistake the museum for a very large house. There is no public parking, just a small driveway entrance. The view from the street is almost completely obstructed by trees and there is no giant sign that indicates exactly what the place is. You either know or you don't, which in this case, everybody knows. There is a limit of 200 tickets sold every day to foreigners, and you can't buy tickets at the door (big thanks to Phil and Ayumi for helping me out). You can book tickets up to 3 months in advance, and in addition to the date, your ticket has a specific time upon which you or your group can enter the museum. My time was 4pm, but they let me in 30 minutes early. Having freshly charged my camera battery and emptied my memory card, I was disappointed to find out that you're not allowed to take pictures inside the museum. Luckily, I found this link that has a 6 minute video tour for anyone interested in watching: Ghibli Museum video tour. What the video doesn't show are the amazing animated displays throughout the museum, the mini theater that shows exclusive animated shorts not seen anywhere else, the recreated work spaces of Miyazaki and other Ghibli artists, and the sense of wonder you feel when the place is full of amazed children and adults alike. I was good about obeying the rules for the most part, but I admittedly took a few pictures inside the museum. However, the photos don't come close to telling the whole story.

As I said before, this was one of the top highlights of my trip. It wasn't what I expected, and in this case, that's a good thing. Although it isn't huge, I spent a total of 3 hours exploring and trying to discover every secret in every corner of the museum. It's the kind of place that can make adults feel like kids again, except when you're too big to play on the miniature Cat Bus.