Ghibli Museum

A Magical Visit to the Ghibli Museum in Tokyo I absolutely loved my visit to the Ghibli Museum in Tokyo. It’s a must-see for any Studio Ghibli fan or anyone who enjoys art and animation. One essential tip: make sure to research how to get tickets online well in advance, ideally the month before your visit. Tickets are notoriously hard to secure, but the effort is well worth it. Once you have your ticket, the process is incredibly smooth, and the experience is nothing short of magical. The architecture of the museum is breathtaking—it feels like stepping straight into a Ghibli movie. Every detail, from the whimsical design to the lush greenery surrounding the building, transports you into a world of imagination and wonder. Walking through the museum truly feels like being part of the enchanting Ghibli universe. Although the museum isn’t very large, it’s thoughtfully designed, and even getting a late-entry ticket (such as the 4 PM slot) provides enough time to soak in the experience. The exhibits are interactive and engaging, and they showcase the artistry and creativity behind Ghibli’s films. Overall, I highly recommend visiting the Ghibli Museum. It’s a magical experience that will leave you with lasting memories, whether you’re a die-hard Ghibli fan or new to their work.

One of my favorite places in Japan. I was lucky enough to live 10 minutes away and go there every month. This place just brings me joy and peace. They also have different short movies every month and you get a little film souvenir at random every time. They also hold special exhibitions there where you can see the creative process behind Ghibli films. This place is absolutely amazing!!!!! Also photos are only allowed outside. Please be respectful 🙏 no photos inside Tickets are sold on every 10th for the next month. They sell out a month in advance

Visiting the **Ghibli Museum** was a truly magical experience. It showcases the artistry behind animation, highlighting how Ghibli, a pioneer in the field, created beautiful films without modern computers. Seeing the meticulous process of hand-drawing and painting each frame was awe-inspiring. The museum's architecture and interior perfectly capture the whimsical and mysterious essence of the Ghibli world. While photography isn't allowed, this enhances the experience, urging fans to immerse themselves fully in the magic of the exhibits. Each entry ticket resembles a film strip from the animations, making it a beautiful keepsake of the visit. It’s no surprise that the Ghibli Museum remains a favorite among locals and tourists, with tickets often being hard to come by. Overall, my visit was unforgettable and a must-see for any Ghibli fan!

A really cool, behind the scenes look of how a lot Ghibli films were made in the studio! Totally worth a visit if you manage to get a ticket from the online madness. It felt very whimsical. I think I spent about 2 hours here. Friendly staff all around. The artwork and concept art are so beautiful to look at! It can get a bit crowded inside and stuffy so you can't admire them forever. You can't take pictures inside unfortunately :( They show a cute short film that plays every 15-20 minutes I think. The souvenir shop has so many cute items. It gets pretty crowded and chaotic in there. The cafe outside has pretty good food for decent prices. I got a pork cutlet sandwich!

To visit the museum, you have to acquire tickets a month in advance, remember to bring a printout of the QR code. Tickets are relatively affordable and the way they limit it makes the experience more enjoyable. Commuting to the museum from Central Tokyo is very easy (train+bus). Depending on the time you picked, you’ll fall in line at the southern gate (near the bus stop) and when the time comes staff will guide you in. We had our passports ready but staff didn’t check ours so YMMV. Photography isn’t allowed inside the museum, but it’s allowed at the entrance and at the rooftop. Entry to the museum also comes with the chance to view a short film at the Saturn Theater, ours was “A Sumo Wrestler’s Tail”. It wasn’t subtitled but you can easily understand what’s going on. There are lots of artworks and animated exhibits, the interactive exhibits were particularly fun.

A must-visit for Ghibli enthusiasts—absolutely worth the effort! Booking tickets is insanely difficult, so plan ahead and practice navigating the website to avoid getting lost. I recommend aiming for a morning entry so you can explore the museum with fewer crowds. Once inside, you’ll be fully immersed in the world of Ghibli. Every corner is thoughtfully designed with Ghibli references, and the rotating movie showings and exhibitions ensure there’s always something new to see. This was my second visit, and I’m still not bored! Don’t forget to pick up some museum-exclusive merch—it’s the perfect keepsake. If you’re a Ghibli fan, this experience is truly magical and unforgettable!

Absolutely magical experience, the entire museum is designed more like a maze of fun experiences rather then a traditional museum. Everything is built like it was ripped straight from one of the movies, from the stained glass to the elevator buttons. I would have appreciated more information on the history of Ghibli but the direction they went for still works amazingly and by far makes up for it.

Was gushing over the exhibits, just bummed not able to go for earlier slots because of the queue system :( If you've been to the Ghibli exhibition, that's probably better. But this is an experience on its own, with all Ghibli's more behind the scene stories. There is also one free viewing of an animated short which was pretty cute, understand there are a few shorts and randomly assigned (or there is a sort of order by timing of viewing that I don't know of). Take note of the booking time (1 month earlier on a specific day) and also to come slightly early as there will be admission queue.

We came to the Ghibli Museum today and it was so fun. Let me tell you first that getting tickets to this place is difficult. They sell it on the 10th of the month and they sell out quick. By the time we logged on, it was all sold out. It was virtually impossible. Luckily, we have a friend that lives in Japan and he was able to get it off the Japanese site to be picked up. They just make the site really difficult for foreigners, I guess. I think if you don't have a Japanese friend like us to buy you the tickets, people have been using other third party sites to buy it from. My daughter loves Totoro so going to this museum was a must. The museum is three levels and everything in it is all about Ghibli. It was great. We started with the animation floor. It showed the different scenes and how it moves from one picture to the next. It was nice to see how it all went together. Another floor had the actual drawings and work of Miyazaki. They showed his sketches and art that he created over the years. You could even see the storyboards they worked on. We also got tickets to watch a short film in their auditorium. It was all in Japanese but it was such a cute film that anyone could have understood. On the top level was a garden area with the robot from Castle in the Sky. You could take pictures of that. That is the only time you could take photos. They strictly permit you from any kind of photography in the museum. There was also a gift shop that had a lot of glibli merchandise. There was a lot of items but I wasn't really impressed with it. It would have been nice to buy a drawing or scene from the movie on a poster. My daughter got another stuffie and my husband bought a few small items. Overall great experience and I loved the museum and glad that we had a chance to go there.

The Ghibli Museum located in Mitaka just a 30 minute train ride outside of Shinjuku, Tokyo was everything I wanted it to be. It was an immersive, memorable experience despite the strict no photos policy while navigating inside the museum. In fact, my presence and attention to the one-of-a-kind illustrations and artifacts of the works of Ghibli -- mainly Hayao Miyazaki -- allowed me to take in the details of the works from my more natural lens which led to a more profound appreciation for the art and animation on display. The exhibits on display were imaginative, the layout of the museum completely haphazard which was quite reflective of the nature of some of Ghibli's films. It was subtle and because of the no photos policy, I was able to notice it, but the dizzying exploration of the museum reminded me quite fondly of the disarray of Howl's Moving Castle. I will not spoil the magic of the other exhibits as you have to experience it for yourself to feel the wonder and awe. Other than Howl's, there is a definite emphasis on Totoro, Ghibi's most famous character, Spirited Away, Castle in the Sky, Porco Rosso, Kiki's Delivery Service, and How Do You Live?/ The Boy and the Heron (US). If you are looking for more Princess Mononoke elements, then you'll have to go to Ghibli Park. Entry into the museum allows you to experience the exhibits but also to enjoy the exclusive short 15-minute film they have scheduled. These shorts are completely proprietary and cannot be viewed anywhere else. You do have the chance opportunity to watch the Totoro short (Mei and the Kittenbus). During my visit though, they had a STRANGE, but iconically quirky film showing called the Mr. Dough and the Egg Princess. There are no subtitles but the film had no dialogue; characters communicated strictly with facial expressions. I was still able to catch the story of the film which, in and of itself, is quite fascinating! I can confirm how challenging it is to secure tickets. Admissions are by advanced reservation only and go on sale through Lawson's ticket website on the 10th of the previous month at 10am Japan Time, which meant I was hopping on at 6pm PT on Oct 9 to scout for November admissions. The website is notoriously clunking and slow! I thought it was hopeless when I made the mistake of not refreshing on the hour (I thought it would auto refresh as I was in the 'waiting room'). I had a 45 minute wait or so and was like 600th in line, but there were still plenty of time slots when I was finally admitted to purchase. Oddly, Monday morning slots were sold out so I hesitantly elected a Sunday 10am time slot. This comes highly recommended for a weekend and I was able to roam the museum with manageable crowds. I also lined up 15-20 minutes prior to ensure I was one of the first ones in. As soon as 12pm rolled around, some exhibits were so mindlessly crowded, others with queues. At this point, it was timely to have some lunch at their Straw Hat Cafe located outside. The food here was pretty 'meh' and basic, so I only got a light snack here. If you want Ghibli themed food, check out Shirohige's Cream Puff Factory or Corn Barley after your visit to the museum. If you are able to line up reservations at Corn Barley and pick up the cream puffs hassle-free, it will make for quite the magical morning and afternoon in Mitaka. It was a splendid experience and made for the perfect rainy day activity! Other tips: -Do ensure you do NOT lose the QR code which comes with your ticket purchase. I would screen shot and have it ready for the worker who comes around while you are in line. It also instructs you to have your ID on you which you should at all times while in Japan (it is the law). They did not ask me to show it, but maybe because they saw I had it out already. -The tickets are 1000 JPY through online sales. I do believe there are 3rd party prices at unheard of jacked up prices so do ensure you are on top of the online ticket sales. -To get to the museum from Tokyo, you need to hop on a train from the Shinjuku station on the Chuo East Line. The website instructs you to get off at Mitaka station where there are special yellow 'cat buses' leaving at stop No. 9 every 10-20 minutes. While this sounds fun, it's not an ACTUAL cat bus; just a yellow bus with cat illustrations. I would instead let off a stop earlier at Kichijoji station and walk through Inokashira Park. The park is quite romantic, shaded and has all the Ghibi vibes. It's ~15 minute walk to the museum from the station and easy-going.

Minus one star for the website being an absolute nightmare while trying to book tickets. It crashed while my sister in law was inputting her info- i guess good thing we had multiple devices logged in to this 17,000+ person electronic queue for tickets for the month we were looking at. My sister in law messed up and we were two tickets short and as she lived in Japan at the time she was able to then go through the Japanese website intended for Japanese citizens and residents and get the other tickets that way (and these did not sell out for the whole month in 2 hours). It was just a pain to translate everything. Anyway, ticket fiasco aside I am glad we got to go! Very neat to see story boards and such from all the films. Decent amount of activities for kids (my niece and nephew adored the catbus area). The short film was great as well. The store was pricy but had a lot of cool items. Keep in mind that clothing runs small. While the staff was fantastic the cafe was just so so so I would recommend skipping that. The building is super cute. You can't take photos inside which I think adds to the hype/popularity.

The films of Hayao Miyazaki capture childhood and the magical realm in a way that few films can. His world class animation studio has produced many masterpieces: even his lesser films are memorable and evocative. This small museum celebrates Miyazaki's films, his particular way of creating film and unique characters, and celebrates the craft of animation. Tickets can be purchased a month ahead online, either on their museum site (1,000 Y) or through Lawson (need a Japan address & phone) or Lawson agent (we used Japan Awaits.) For US visitors that is the best way to access the Museum, which is located in a nice suburban neighborhood in Tokyo, Kichijoji neighborhood, adjacent to Inokashira Park. The area is accessed by the subway to Mitaka Station & a local bus out to the site (the bus stop & bus is decorated with Ghibli characters.) Make sure to save time (and money) for the Ghibili retail merchandise, sold on the top floor. Highlights for us included the original film shown at the small movie theater, the recreated Miyazaki studio, a Totoro stop action model, & their roof garden complete with Castle in the Sky robot. Photos are only allowed outside the museum (my cafe photos were taken prior to noting this.)

Aside from the strict no photos inside rule. This museum is everything Ghibli. Just like other museums you can see many artifacts from Miyazaki. There's a small catbus play area that is only for kids. Which unfortunately I can't go back in time to make myself younger to go into a catbus. Because tickets are difficult to come by. It's probably not your effort unless you're a fan of some level. Logistics: ticket purchases need to be in advance online, getting there 30 min before opening if you want a less crowded experience, but note by about 1 hour after opening it'll likely get crowded, doing the short film last is probably ideal since there's only a limited seating and showings are 3 times per hour.

This was a really thoughtful, wonderful experience in a very cool area of Japan. It's hard to get tickets for, but absolutely recommended if you're a Ghibli fan. I'd definitely say this was worth it.

For Studio Ghibli fans, this spot's a definite hit on your itinerary. For only 1000JPY, you get a ticket with a piece of film that doubles as a souvenir and access to their gift shop, with exclusive Ghibli souvenirs you won't find elsewhere. You'll also see a short original film that captures the whimsical essence of Ghibli movies and see moving displays and characters that seem to dance like clockwork. There are also displays showing the creative process behind the animators and rooftop area where you can take a photo with the Laputian robot. If you have kids, they can also play on a plush giant cat bus from Totoro. There is a review before listing that you need to know Japanese to enjoy the museum. That was different for us; I could navigate the museum easily with the English map as the place was small. The short film mainly had no conversation, so you can still enjoy it without understanding the minor dialogue points in the film. The only thing is that some displays were in Japanese; when I talked to staff about whether I could use Google translate as you're not allowed to take photos indoors, they handed me a little booklet (which I had to return) that had the animation process room displays all in English cue cards so I can go through. My fav exclusive souvenirs I purchased are the hanging Ghibli plush decoration (I wish I had picked up more of them to extend my chain) and the Laputian Robot ring holder. *Timing*: It's a bit out of the way, about 45min-1hr by public transit from Shinjuku or Ginza. You'll need to take a train and a separate local bus. Don't bother getting a return ticket for the bus to Mitaka and use your IC card/Suica to tap on the bus so you can return to Kichijōji Station or whatever station the fastest. Kichijōji close by has more highly rated eateries to choose from afterwards if you're looking for a bite to eat on the way back to the city. We were there on Monday in October for the 4 p.m. entry and could go through everything in 2 hours with relax pace as there were barely any lines at all. I was afraid it was too tight as the museum closes at 6 p.m., but we could see everything we needed in the allotted time. The main negative I have about this place is it's tough to get tickets once you miss the one day they sell tickets the month prior. More on that later. The merchandise store also needed more stock and more variety of things we wanted. We wanted a large puzzle so we could display it on a wall in a frame, but they have minimal selection, if at all. You'll have to go to the regular Ghibli stores, which, even then, have a low selection and inventory. The T-shirts were expensive at $60CAD~, but they felt excellent quality and thick. They only had a few options and sizes left. I also didn't dine at the cafe, and I think it was a missed opportunity not to build in more of the Totoro-themed foods in the cafe. I wish they sold some of the cream puffs from the official Totoro cafe (Shirohige) in the museum so we could get the whole experience in one place rather than it being another 50 minutes away by public transport. Getting tickets: They only open sales for tickets to foreigners for one day on the 10th, the month before the date you want to visit. If you miss it, you'll unlikely get tickets once you arrive in Japan the following month, as all tickets will be sold out by then. It's much easier to score tickets as a local Japanese. The rules recently changed in October, so now you must have a local Japanese number to purchase from the Japanese website and pick it up at Lawson. I paid on a third-party website to hire a local to buy tickets for me, and I shelled out about $ 65 CAD for two tickets, which included the ticket cover, agent and third party website fees and Canadian taxes. I can pick up the tickets at any Lawson convenience store when I arrive. The local I worked with only charged about $20 USD for her service, which is on the lower side. Prices vary as some locals and third-party agencies I see charge $30USD to $100USD+ more for the service if you can't buy it directly. Even then, they run out quickly that you will need to buy at least a month in advance to secure your preferred date and time at a somewhat reasonable price point.

If you are a huge Miyazaki fan, you will give it 5 stars. If you are not...I would suggest to skip this place. The museum is really small, it doesn't have many exhibits at all, but the ones it does have gives you an intimate look at his creative and drawing process. -A taxi from Tokyo is about 10,000 yen. Many people opt for the train, and note there is a special yellow bus that goes from the station to the museum. -The museum has a strict no photography rule inside (including the cafe just FYI. -There are two areas (totoro inside ticket booth at the entrance and the robot from Castle in the Sky) where you can take photos. -There is a catbus area where kids can play, including a tiny soot ball pit which is adorable. -The on-site restaurant has a pretty good minestrone soup! -The store has great merch, but the one in Skytree is as good if not better lol. -KEEP those filmstrip tickets, they actually stamp it before you can enter the cinema Don't expect a huge museum, go in with expectations tempered and you will enjoy it!

I've been wanting to go to the Ghibli Museum. I've heard that tickets are hard to get. I'm so glad we were able to get tickets online. We arrived 30 mins before our designated time/opening time and stood in line. Photos aren't allowed inside only outside. Loved the short film it was cute. The food and gift shop were great. My fav would be downstairs there's this spinning wood model that looks like it's moving when spinning it's mesmerizing. I sat down on a bench to watch it for a bit. Staff is friendly! Restrooms are clean. Would recommend to Ghibli fans.

Yelp Review 2023 #54: If you're a big fan of all things Studio Ghibli/ Hayao Miyazaki, this is a must! All the cute things from the bus station to catch a bus to get here and all the details in every square inch of this museum. Your mind will be blown and you might even be overwhelmed. It's not a huge place but there's a lot to see and soak in. Even the faucets and the bathrooms have cute little things. There's a part where you're greeted by Totoro behind a ticket booth with sprites at the bottom - this is not the actual entrance. You cannot buy tickets at the museum. You have to buy them in advance (about a month before your visit) from Lawson and they're non-refundable. There's a kiosk inside Lawson to get your tickets. And the tickets are cute - a film strip from a random Ghibli movie. I was lucky to get a scene from Ponyo which is my favorite. Ok, so maybe, somebody from my group got Ponyo and I ended up having it. You'll see characters from different movies such as Porco Rosso, Totoro, Kiki's Delivery Service, Castle in the Sky, Ponyo, etc. There's a terrace, a cat bus, Miyazaki studio replica, a cafe, Mamma Aiuto for souvenirs, and a park right next to the museum. Whether you have kids or you're a kid at heart, you will enjoy this place. Make sure you're familiar with Hayao Miyazaki cartoons before coming here though. Otherwise, you might not enjoy it as much as you should.

This is the place where you can see the magic of Hayao Miyazaki's work and vision in his films. On my trip to Tokyo, I made sure that I did a reservation to attend Studio Ghibli museum! For reservations, you would need to book a month in advance of the month you would like to attend. In my case, I wanted to go in March, so I started the reservation booking in February when they opened their reservation slots. (Check the website for more information). It's about 1,000 Yen per ticket. International visitors needed to book in advance prior to visiting the museum! The reservation process was kind of stressful since the website would load kind of slowly but with perseverance, I am sure you can get a ticket! :) After the chaos of getting a reservation, you can visit on your selected date and time. At the museum, there are some interactive exhibits. If you need English translations of the exhibits, you can ask an employee for help. Recommend seeing the short film! Super cute (and exclusive) and worth it! Taking photos inside the museum is prohibited but you can take photos of the exterior!

For Studio Ghibli fans, this is a must visit. If you've never heard of Ghibli though, you won't understand most of this place and can skip it. Located in Mitaka, maybe 30-45mins out from central Tokyo by train and then a 10-15min walk from the station. There is a yellow shuttle bus that runs from the station to the museum and back, although tickets for that are sold only on the station end. Museum itself is 3 stories and has displays from movies, play areas, displays of Miyazaki's work areas, a movie theater, and a definite ghibli whimsy feel. Right now tickets are sold only to residents with a Japanese phone number but hopefully they'll open up again soon.

I'm surprised there are so many people lined up for the museum when you had to practically snatch a ticket online early. The museum is a bit old, very much targeting all the Ghibili studio nerds (plus kids). The explanation of how animation was done was very thorough, abundant hand drawn sketches inside the studio and obviously playful things for kids. To be honest I was impressed by the mechanical interactive installation in this digital world. It's a must go place for any fan but be prepared for the crowded rooms and noisy kids around. Big note: no photos at all inside the building including the cafe!!

Little Ghibli museum in Mitaka! Service was friendly, organized, and attentive. Service at the time was in Japanese and English, depending on the Staff you talk to (March 22). I loved all the cute decorations inside! I also loved seeing Miyazaki's original works inside, as well as the rooms telling his story. I liked how there were stop-motion exhibits of Studio Ghibli characters as well. I also loved how adorable the tickets were! I think I would have enjoyed this more if I came on a day where it was less crowded, and if I was a bigger Studio Ghibli fan. There was barely any room to walk around, so we were mostly standing around waiting in line instead of actually looking at the exhibits. If you're a Studio Ghibli fan, I'd still recommend giving this place a visit! But be mindful of when you plan.

Go with time because can be long line, super friendly the people there and the food it's good. Easy to go by car, bus or train. It's small but super cute.

Great place to check out if you're a fan of Gibli Studios. Small shop upstairs and a cage on the 2nd floor.

If you don't speak Japanese then don't bother coming. It was extremely frustrating to be treated like we weren't allowed to understand the museum. My family booked a private tour with a guide who was supposed to be able to go through the museum with us and help with translations but the museum changed the rules the day before our visit and our guide could not accompany us. The only English thing we were given was a map still in half Japanese and I got yelled at for using my phone to use google translate. So regardless of what language you speak, if it's not Japanese then it's not worth going because they take away all ability to understand. Also it's all Totoro and Spirited Away. I was hoping to see Ponyo and there was nothing. No pictures are allowed but they pissed me off so enjoy these photos of the museum. Taken in secret as they have employees stationed everywhere watching

My first time at the Ghibli Museum and it was just as magical as I'd imagined! My aunt and I visited on a rainy day. We met up at the Mitaka Station and took the Ghibli bus - they have a designated bus that takes you from the station straight to the museum! You can purchase tickets online in advance. Currently, it's a little more difficult to get tickets from outside Japan, but my aunt helped me with that - tickets are 1000 yen per adult. When you purchase tickets, you reserve a day and time slot. It is quite a small museum, made up of 3 floors. I would plan about 2 hours max to get around to everything, maybe more if you want to look at each exhibit in detail. The short 15 minute film is an original Ghibli film that cannot be found anywhere else. It's really cute, so definitely catch a showing when you can! The Ghibli gift shop is super cute too - I got some Totoro souvenirs from my family there. This museum is perfect for Miyazaki fans - you get to see the inner workings of the Ghibli films from the original sketches to the creation of the motion pictures we see on screen. For children, there is a Neko-bus exhibit where they can play on the "cat bus" from Totoro. We went on a rainy day, which was unfortunate, as there is an outdoor area with a robot from Howl's Moving Castle. Since you are not allowed to take photos inside the museum, this is the only photo opportunity you get. There is also a big Totoro figure inside a glass ticket stand outside the museum! Super cute - it's a little hidden around the corner from the front entrance of the museum.

This museum was everything I hoped it would be. Definitely the highlight of my trip to Japan! I really felt like you could feel the inspiration from the creators of these movies. They had hand drawings from the movies and even a nice cafe. Seeing how these movies came alive was so inspiring. I recommend to anyone that's a fan of animation. You can even see a short Ghibli film that you can only see here and it changes every month I believe. The one I saw actually a little funny but there was no dialogue, so it didn't matter I don't know Japanese. Please visit if you can.

Great bargain for the price! We loved all of the exhibits and the little shop inside.

First off, you need to book tickets online, which was a nightmare. Like all the other tourist spots in Tokyo, this place is crowded even with the reservation time. The short film was cute and was the highlight for me. We were told the first two times were filled, so we had to wait to watch the third showing. I wish there were English translations available and too bad you can't take photos inside. One time visit was enough for me.

Hands down, my favorite museum on the plant. I've been here many times and honestly, it is well worth the trip outside of Tokyo. Envision the imagineers of Disneyland plus anime plus Pixar on steroids. I highly recommend attending one of the short films inside. I believe it is a part of your ticket. The experience is incredible. I loved being immersed inside. You literally become a part of the experience. When I went a few years back, I bought the ticket in Tokyo and then took a bus to Mitaka. If you do one thing in Japan, this has to be it!

The Ghibli Museum is amazing and should be a *must-visit* location for any Ghibli fan traveling to Japan. It's a bit of a walk from the train station but well worth it. You generally need to reserve tickets a few months in advance. When I reserved mine international visitors were required to purchase tickets before arriving in Japan. You can take photos outside, but not inside. Plan to spend at least half a day here (2 hours minimum, preferably 4). Watch the short film and dine at the Straw Hat Cafe.

Finally had the opportunity to go! Located at Mitaka park very close to the Kichijoji station lies a little piece of magic you have to reserve to get in! Instead of purchasing through a 3rd party (which charge at least 3 times more) I'd recommend navigating through their website to get the tickets. However, if you have a tight schedule and need to go at a particular time slot on a specific day, perhaps buying from a 3rd party source is the way to go. If you do buy from them directly expect to be constantly kicked out of the waiting room and trying for at least 2 to 3 hours, with a chance of not getting them. Know that there are no tickets the day of at the museum, they have to be purchased in advance and tickets go on sale once a month. I was late for the time slot I had chosen (by about 30 mins.) As I got lost and caught confused with the buses. I thought at this point we wouldn't be able to go in, but I think it wasn't super busy so they allowed us in, thank goodness! Photos are not allowed inside and the building itself isn't super big. But it is filled to the brim with neat treasures in all those nooks and crannies! Of you are a fan of Miyazaki related works, then this is a must do! If you are an animation student or fan of animation, I also highly recommend this place! There is a small rooftop garden, stained glass, spiral staircases, and even a little theatre showing shorts that haven't been released, and so much more! Can't wait to come back again!

Cutest museum ever! Ghibli Museum was a must-visit for me and I'm glad that my boyfriend managed to reserve tickets one month prior (10th of each month in Japan time). The museum is in Mitaka, which was a ~30 min train ride from our Airbnb in Shinjuku. We reserved the 10AM slot so it was quite empty when we arrived. It was a good idea because by the time we left, the line was long and the place was packed. The outside and architecture of the museum is lovely and admirable. On the rooftop, there is a giant robot statue from Castle in the Sky. Downstairs by the entrance, there's a window with Totoro in it and adorable soots right below. There's also a souvenir shop and a cafe where we ordered cute anime looking dishes - they're small, but we just had to. Taking pictures inside of the museum is prohibited, so that's why you won't see too many pictures of the inside. But the purpose is because they want you to look at the story (museum) through your eyes - not your lens, which I def felt like I was in a Ghibli film. This place is too cute to not visit. Def come at least once!

Tickets of Ghibli Museum must be bought in advance online, the system is open at 10:00am Japan time on every 10th for the following month's tickets. It is super popular with a reasonable price that it's not easy to get, so make sure to be well prepared online before 10:00am Japan time. Photos are not allowed inside the museum but outside and it's totally worth a visit if you are a fan of Studio Ghibli. Be ready to spend a lot of money for the adorable souvenir in their gift shop.

I would recommend this place to any Ghibli fan. It is very hard for foreigners to get tickets and I was hoping that would mean this place would not be so busy when we visited. I had to get extra and insanely expensive tickets because I missed my chance to buy them at cost. I ended up on a giant tour bus full of other English speakers for and 9-hour day just to visit. I want to say that it was worth it but it almost wasn't We went on a Monday and arrived around 3pm. I would say this had to be the peak time to go because it was a mad house. With the smaller size of the place and how hard it is to get tickets, I thought they would send people in through groups at specific times to minimize the crowd. Nope. Japan does a lot of things well but they can't manage this museum we easily. Mr Miyazaki did not expect this place to be so popular so I can't be blame them for this but it was not very fun to tour here. I could barely see anything due to the crowd and screaming children and the gift shop was barely shippable. We literally had to push through people just to look at stuff we didn't want to buy. We eventually just grabbed a bunch of enamel pins and waited in the check out line which wrapped around the floor. In closing, do go here if you're a fan but research how to get tickets early and if you know someone in Japan ask them to do it for you. Go early in the morning or afternoon! I can't say I would visit again but I don't regret going, it just wasn't what I'd hoped.

My wife had this place at the top on her places to go list for our Tokyo trip. I didn't understand what Ghibli was or what the hype around this museum was. So, if you don't live in Japan, tickets are hard to get. You have to go on their website on the 10th at 10am the month before you want to go and pray that you go through. We tried for 30 minutes and we succeeded (website kept crashing on us due to high traffic). We didn't get the day and time we originally planned for, so we just shuffled our schedule around. So, if you love Ghibli, you will love this museum as much as my wife did. If you are here to tag along like me, its pretty cool and entertaining as well. Definitely something unique to do if you can get tickets.

I had to get the last run of tickets a month in advance. They do not sell any tickets at this museum so be prepared to figure out how to get your tickets before getting here. The tickets sell out extremely fast so you have to be on top of your game! I took the Studio Ghibli bus to get here which was super cute because it had animations of the cartoons on the bus just as if it was Totoro! They have a very strict no pictures inside policy and I really respected them for that. The experience of the museum in itself was so spectacular. You really do have to be a fan or have watched the anime movies to understand and appreciate this museum. We got so lost in track of time that I think we spent a good 3 hours and it still wasn't enough time, but sadly we had other things on our itinerary so we had to leave. IT'S THAT MAGICAL. Every inch of the museum is intricate and imagination play is so big here. You are allowed to take photos on the outsides of the museum where you can either go up to the top for the studio ghibli laputa robot statue or hang out in the gardens that surround the museum. I'd say be prepared to be walking around a lot inside, waiting in line to enter some of the rooms because there was a decent amount of people appreciating the arts and relics inside. Wear comfortable shoes! I don't want to spoil the magic of the inside so my review will have to end short!

Ghibli movies are a big part of my family. Spirited Away, Howl's Moving Castle, Kiki's Delivery Service, Totoro.... I could go on and on. If you're a fan, this is the place. You get an unbelievable feel for the history of his work, even if you can't read everything in there because it's in Japanese. You get a small ticket to watch the latest Ghibli short movie with your admission. We got to see the latest catbus short. Definitely a fun watch, and everyone left the theater in a good mood. They have great Ghibli souvenirs, and my boy left with a great watercolor set. No pictures inside, but you can take as many pictures outside as you want, including on the roof with robot from Castle in the Sky. Last but not least is how great the food is, but I'll save that for the review for the Museum cafe.

Although tickets are timed, I'm not sure there's a cap on how many patrons there could be at any given time. Extremely crowded, but if you love Studio Ghibli, you simply cannot pass this up. There's no photography allowed inside, but there are a few photo ops outside.

This is a great place but it is hugely advised to get tickets for the opening time or later around closing. There are too many other tourists that were pushy and very rude so be careful about them. Another review stated that this museum is not really tourist friendly and I will say yes, there aren't many English transitions on the exhibits but we can always talk to the workers as I saw others do. The only issue is that there will be a high crowd of people walking through so you'll probably need to wait for the crowds to go away. Tickets go on sale the month before on the 10th usually right in the morning. Something strange I found was that the English page of the website showed no tickets for us, but when we had our concierge from our hotel look into it, there were tickets on the Japanese website as well as the real ticket machine inside Lawson. It looks like they do store more tickets for the Japanese side/physical so keep that in mind if it sells out online, but timing is crucial. The special exhibit was the food of Ghibli. I really enjoyed seeing their real life kitchens and some of the food made. Always seeing them eat in the movies did make me hungry It's a 15-20 minute walk from Mitaka Station and not too bad as it's a cute suburb with even a shop with real cats you can possibly pay to pet(cat cafe maybe?). There is also a bus you can take for like 320¥ that you can buy through a vending machine next to the bus stop. I wanted to go to the cafe but the wait was at least 35min+. So we got the takeout on the side which was cash only. The hot dog was tasty and the beer was good!

Tickets must be order in advance! Studio Ghibli is a must visit for animation lovers. It is a small museum that you can finish within an hour tops, if you want to. There is a different area where you can see how animation is developed. If you are a fan of Totoro, Kiki's Delivery Service, Spirited Away, and etc., you have to come! I loved the studio visit observing all the different art work utensils, paper, and draft artwork that was used. We got to see the food art exhibit when we got there but I heard they rotate the exhibit so you're in for a surprise. No photos inside the museum. Pay attention to the beauty of the animation art that they have to offer!

Biggest tourist trap in the history of Japan. Way out the way, can't take photos or videos because it will reveal how lame it is. Stay away, the biggest waste of a day ever. Extremely disappointed. Check out smallworlds Tokyo instead, and it's much closer in a beautiful museum

No wonder the tickets booked a few months in advance were cheaper than I had expected. This 'museum' is not that huge. Disneyland or Disney World this is not. Regardless, it was certainly an interesting visit. Note that NO photography is allowed inside. The highlights were the main room featuring how the animation is filmed, the cafe outside, the indoor theatre which you require that filmstrip 'ticket' which they provide you with at the entrance, the gift shop (which unfortunately can get quite crowded due to its small size), the big plushy CatBus on the top floor for the kiddies to hop on, and the life-sized LAPUTA robot situated on the roof. In all honesty, if you don't go to the cafe (which at peak times, is a bit of a wait), you can finish touring the place within a few hours.

This museum is located nearby the Mitaka train station, and from there, we found many meter markers along the way. It made our walk simple, we got to the museum without any trouble. We walk alongside a large park, and at the end, we saw a large sign for the museum. There was an yellow-orange building behind it, with Totoro welcoming everyone in a ticket booth looking structure. This is NOT the main entrance, but more like a back exit. We walked a bit more towards the front of the building, where the main entrance is located. The tickets are set as timed entry, and we got one of the first entry tickets, 10am entry. When we got there before 10am, we saw a line already forming, but maybe only around 20 or so people. About the time the 10am came around, the line behind us was really long! When we entered, we were directed to a theater. Before going into the theater, our paper tickets were exchanged with a hard tickets. These tickets are made of pieces of the actual 35mm film prints that were used in theaters. How cool! The museum itself is not that big, but it is packed with so many things to look at, including their rooftop garden with 5-meter tall robot soldier! We went there during their special exhibition, "Delicious! Animating Memorable Meals" which is a perfect exhibition for a foodie! Here, they had all sorts of real-sized food that was featured in Ghibli movies, made with wax. They also had art panels full of sketches, videos and even a life-size model of a kitchen from the movie My Neighbor Totoro, and a kitchen of Tiger Moth in Castle in the Sky. The only thing is that they do NOT allow any kind of photography nor video inside the museum. If you try, a staff will come running and stop you. Outside and rooftop, the photography is allowed. We had a nice visit here, the museum is really well build and well put together. Totally worth the wait. If you are a fan of Ghibli movies, this museum is a great spot to visit!

This is a must if you're a fan of Miyazaki's films! From the moment the bus comes to pick you up, the magic starts. It stands out from the normal buses, so you won't miss it. When you arrive you will be guided to a line for the entrance. But if you want to take a picture with Totoro first, keep walking. Take a lot of pictures outside because once you get inside, you can't. There are different rooms that have a lot of interesting things to look at and interact with. I won't talk about it too much because I don't want to spoil anything. One thing that my boyfriend and I didn't get to see was the film that they show in the theatre. I think it showed umm twice an hour or something like that? Anyways, we kept missing it whenever we would go to the theatre lol. There is also a little eating area outside as well as a gift shop inside. I hadn't seen many Studio Ghibli films so my boyfriend had me binge watch several movies (Kiki's Delivery Service, Castle in the Sky, etc.) before we left for Japan. I was able to appreciate more of the museum after watching these films :)

First thing we booked as soon as we got our plane fare to Japan. It's pretty hard to get into, so you gotta be on it! It sells out VERY quickly. It's a bit tricky to get tickets, I'll try my best to explain (in a nutshell). Tickets are available 3 months before desired day/month. So if you're going to Japan in March, tickets will be available Dec 1. If you want to go in April, tickets are available Jan 1 & so on. It's available online through JTB (http://online.jtbusa.com/Services/GhibliMuseum.aspx). Follow the prompts, fill out the request form & they will e-mail you back. I e-mailed them the last day of Nov requesting 3 different days (if the day you want is sold out, they give you 2 other options)--that might be the trick. We got the first day we wanted & heard from them the very next day (Dec 1).Picked the tickets/info up from their office in Anaheim. The museum itself wasn't hard to find. It's surrounded by a nice, large park where cherry blossoms were blooming! It opens right at 10, but they let people line up before then. They check your paper ticket before they give you a movie strip ticket that you can keep. There's an original short movie that you watch in a large theater for about 10-15 min. The only picture spots are the outdoors & the garden on the roof. The shop was full of the cutest things. Spent a lot of time & money there! There is a cafe, but the line was ridiculously long so we ate at the snack bar. It served hot dogs, soups, drinks & ice cream. The Ghibli Museum was a great place to visit. Miyazaki's movies include a great deal of details and the museum is a great way to see the thought processes that went into those details.

I started to watch Hayao Miyazaki's animations when I was in high school. His films usually have common themes, including the typical struggles between good and evil, environmentalism, virtues and wars. Also, I'm very fond of Joe Hisaishi's music. Without Hisaishi, Ghibli studio movies would have been radically different to view. You need to reserve tickets on which day and what period that you want to visit. Tickets will be released on the 10th of each month for the following month. You can buy tickets directly from Lawson or reserve on Lawson's website and pick up the tickets within required period. When you arrive at the museum, you will exchange the Lawson tickets for entrance tickets (look like roll film). You can't take any pictures inside.

Tickets are extremely hard to get for the Ghibli Museum - at least the experience I had. One way is to go to their website, and it will bring you to a different site. Tickets for the following month go on sale on the 10th of the previous month at 10 AM (Japan time). So for example, I wanted to go in March, so I had to buy the tickets on February 10. I logged on Feb 10 to get the tickets, and so did everybody and their mothers. The website kept crashing and we spent an hour trying to get these tickets. You can also only buy 6 tickets at a time, and we needed 13 so there were 5 of us trying to get these elusive tickets. Thankfully after our persistence and lots of refreshing of the pages, we finally secured tickets. These are timed entry tickets. Meaning you can buy it for 10 am, 12 pm, 2 pm, or 4 pm (museum closes at 6) and you have half an hour from your entry time to go in. But you can stay as long as you want. Expect to spend at least 3 hours here. The museum is bigger than you think, and there are a lot of exhibits to see. My favorite was where you got to see how a Ghibli film comes to life. I do wish there was more Totoro stuff though, since he's my favorite. Another thing that sucked was that you are not allowed to take pictures inside. Anything outside (including the giant robot) is fair game though. I think this is more of a one-time experience. I would not visit again the next time I come back to Tokyo. Tip - we had to come straight from the airport due to delays and thankfully, they were able to store our two large luggages without any issue, so that was a major plus.

What a truly magical day I had on my journey into and through the world of Hayao Miyazaki. First of all, the Museum is not in Tokyo, but situated about 45 minutes west by train. Once you exit the station, it is still about a 15-minute walk. The cute thing is that we decided to walk through the forested park, which ended up being really peaceful and tranquil, with many hidden paths and a small lake that added to the serene atmosphere. Once we arrived at the Museum, we stumbled across a long line. It started to rain, so we were all anxious to get inside. No photos are allowed at all inside the museum, so we snapped a quick one in front of the colorful and lusciously fern covered building before heading in. Once you head inside, it's up to you what you want to do first. Climb the spiral staircase to go upstairs, to the right, down into the theater, or straight ahead. It's a choose your own adventure! I appreciate how extensive and detailed each room provided to their respective themes. You are transported back in time into Miyazaki's art studio where you can imagine him hunched over furiously creating and illustrating. You can see his creations come to life with interactive displays. There is a kid's play area to entertain the little ones. The theater featured an unreleased short film that you cannot see anywhere else! I absolutely loved it. There is a special exhibit that rotates themes each season-the 'Foods in Miyazaki's World' displayed while we were there. If you ever wondered what went into all the creative and scrumptious looking foods of all his films, this explained it all! Speaking of food, don't expect much here. It's a small cafe that is overpriced. Don't forget to check out the rooftop for the art installations! And yes, there IS a souvenir shop, but holy wow is it tiny and chaotic! Way too many people shoved into cramped aisles with people freaking out over grabbing as much as they can. Tickets are, as predicted, incredibly difficult to get and needing up to 4 months in advance to plan. So if you even think that you're going to Japan and want to visit, better buy these tickets first. Otherwise, you're stuck paying an exorbitant fee from a resell website, as I did. But hey, for me it ended up worth it because I don't know when I will get the chance to come back. When my friend and I left, our hearts felt warm and full after getting such a closer insight into the mind and world of Miyazaki. We truly are so blessed to have such a unique and creative mind fill our world with his magic. Despite the pouring rain, we skipped back to the train station with nothing but smiles on our face-Miyazaki's magic keeping us warm through our soaked clothes.

If you're planning to visit Tokyo and love the works of Studio Ghibli and the renowned Hayao Miyazaki, make sure to book a ticket for the Ghibli Museum. For foreign visitors, they only sell a very limited amount of tickets which sell out almost immediately. My group of 5 bought our tickets a day or two after they were available for purchase, and we were barely able to purchase tickets for a specific date. Buy early! The museum is fairly small especially when compared to museums here in the states, but I found the visit to be well worth it. The museum is a bit away from the bustling and busy areas of Tokyo, being located right next to a large park. The museum consists of three floors, a rooftop area, a gift shop, and an outdoor cafe. The bottom floor also consists of a theatre room where attendees are able to watch an exclusive Studio Ghibli short that is only shown in the museum. The short shown cycles throughout the year and so does one or two of their exhibit rooms. I could describe in detail everything that exists within the museum, but I don't want to spoil it for anyone. There really is a reason why they don't allow any picture taking and cameras inside the museum. Not knowing what to expect really adds to the mystery and enjoyment of it all. The museum is very kid friendly, but even as a grown adult that admires Studio Ghibli's works, I left very inspired and amazed, especially from a specific exhibit present there. Leaving the museum, all that's left are the memories of the whole experience that lingers in one's mind. It's sort of magical in it's own way, fittingly similar to Studio Ghibli film.

I loved this place!! It's small but the environment is so beautiful and fantastical, and that it feels like a location from a Studio Ghibli movie come to life as a set. The exhibits are amazing and give you an amazing insight on the processes and art that goes behind the production of Hayao Miyazaki's work that has never been seen before. The descriptions on the side of artwork and such are in Japanese, but it's pretty easy to interpret nonetheless if you don't know the language because the displays are visually straightforward and captivating. I especially loved how the exhibits showed the intricacies behind producing an animated film, from the concept art to drawing the frames. You even get to watch a never-seen-before animated short as part of your museum trip. Overall, I highly recommend coming here if you haven't, and the wait to book a ticket is definitely worth it.

It was as magical as Disneyland! This is my own opinion and I stick by it. I had just visited Disneyland Hong Kong, DisneySea and now the Ghibli Museum within the span of a month and can honestly say it rivaled them easily in my opinion. If you are even remotely into animation or are an artist by chance this is a must see! If you are a big fan of the movies even better! The museum's architecture feels a lot like buildings in Ghibli movies with bridges and tiny doorways peppered everywhere. The animation exhibit is very interactive and can teach you first hand about some of their animation. Make sure to visit the theater to grab a viewing of a Ghibli short. There is also a food exhibit dedicated to all the food of the movies including small set recreations of kitchens and shops from the films. Another exhibit is dedicated to the inspiration and a replicated studio space that is a studio space out of my dreams. Possibly before diving into all of this I'd highly recommend snagging an early spot to get into the cafe! Maybe as a fun way to start off your tour. If you wait too long the wait could be as long as 3+ hours. Getting tickets for foreigners could be a little rough and even rougher if you want to get them at a Lawson in Japan. Tickets don't become available until 3 months out of any particular time. So it does take a little bit of planning. You'll need to take a bus out to Mitaka and walk a small distance to get to the museum, but overall it's not a bad commute. The museum ticket is also a small strip of film! And make sure to bring some money to splurge on the gift store. I can't recommend this museum enough for anyone who loves art and especially anyone who loves Hayao Miyazaki's films and all that is Ghibli.

A gem of a museum and we made the trip many years ago after watching Ponyo on the Cliff. We booked tickets online and made our way there, which was a little far from central Tokyo but a pleasant mini bus with Ghibli characters greeted us at the bus stop after our train ride, to bring us to the museum. At that time, as both of our Japanese was limited, although we enjoyed the museum, it was without understanding as many of the exhibits and also the film screening were in Japanese. Now that I've watched more Ghibli movies like Spirited Away, Mirai, Wolf Children and Kiki's Delivery Service, it'd be good to visit again. And this time I should upgrade it to 5 stars!

Although a bit outside the main center of Tokyo, it was definitely worth the trip here. My friend is an animator and we are both fans of anime, so it was a treat to come here and learn about the animation process. Original drawings and cels are on display, and visitors get an understanding of the methods used to create animated movies. Several interactive displays convey the magic of animation, breaking the motion down moment by moment. During our visit, an entire wing was dedicated to Ponyo, the latest movie, with a big glass box containing all the finished handdrawn cels from the movie. We were also treated to a free showing of a 15 minute mini-movie. Every visitor also gets a souvenir of 3 scenes from a Miyazaki movie. Whether or not you were an animation fan beforehand, you will definitely gain a new appreciation for the animation process and the hard work that goes into it. (Note: my visit was around August 2009.)

I'm in between rating this as a 3.5. For some reason this is a hot ticket item for tourist? Had me intrigued into going. Our friend who is currently living in Japan for a year purchased our ticket from a local convenience store. We tried to purchase our tickets on the 10th of the month, Japan time, but the website kept crashing. The day we go, we had to take a couple forms of transit. The outside of the building is so cute. The inside is also well built. I just wasn't that into the exhibits. They weren't interactive, just looking at stuff, mock up rooms. What I enjoyed the most was watching the short, didn't understand what they were saying, but enjoyed the puppy film. The gift shop didn't have all the items I had thought they would, wish I knew that, cause the day before I was at Kiddyland and they had more Ghibli toy options to choose from. You can't take pictures inside the building, don't they know that places are built for selfies? Perhaps this keeps people moving along. The cat bus is for kids only, I so wanted to take a picture of it. In conclusion, it's something to do once. I don't plan on going back. Doesn't turn me off from watching Ghibli movies, they are always so beautiful and creative.

TLDR; museum that showcases movies of Studio Ghibli and Hayao Miyazaki. Most, if not all, exhibits are only in Japanese. Getting tickets for this museum was stressful...almost as bad as trying to get Coachella tickets! They get released the tenth of each month for the following month. So if you're trying to go in March, you'd have to reserve tickets February 10th (Japan time). If you're going with a group, a person can only buy 6 tickets at a time. Group leaders just have to have their ticket confirmation and passport to check in the day of. I've only seen a couple of Studio Ghibli movies and it was pretty cool to see the whole place decorated based off of the various worlds but we went through the whole museum really fast. We couldn't understand any of the exhibits. I feel like if you understand Japanese and have watched a lot of movies from Studio Ghibli, then this museum would be a 5-star review but because neither of them are me, this experience wasn't as good as it could have been.

We got off at Mitaka station. Then it took awhile to orient which way was East to walk towards, finally found the creek to walk along. I don't mind getting lost, it's part of the adventure. As we got closer, we began to see the beautifully crafted Ghibli signs, it helped cheer our journey as if we were on an expedition to a magic castle. We showed up half hour before our ticketed entry time to find a long line in queue. A few people came without tickets and were turned away. I gave this 4 stars because I had set my expectations too high. I though it would be magical and it was...But it did not transport me to imaginary worlds as the movies do when I immersed in them. This was suppose to be the highlight of my Japan trip, I had planned to spend all day at the museum but in 2 hours, I was done. My daughter said she would have enjoyed the museum more if she was younger (kid or preteen) . However, as a teen, she was able to appreciates the behind the scenes of movie artwork production. The museum is like a maze, there is no correct path to take, their slogan is "let's get lost together" The magic is the intricate details of everything. I saw a small replica of the Spirited Away Bathhouse inside a potted plant at the entrance. No picture policy inside the museum is an ingenious idea. This way, we can concentrate on enjoying the moment of here and now, instead of trying to get the perfect picture with the best lighting and framing and also selfies. The cafe has super long lines, we were smart to bring outside food to eat in the garden then finish off with ice cream from the Deck stand.

There are no pictures allowed inside! It's a shame really because there are so many amazing photo opportunities. I can't explain my love for this place adequately. No words can explain the joy and excitement I had at being able to experience this museum. Watch the original short at the theatre. It was so sweet. I love Miazaki films. I love that there are no true antagonists. More than halfway through, I started tearing up, because, goddamn it, I'm in Japan watching an original short by one of my favorite directors. How wonderful is my life that I can travel halfway across the world to experience this!? This is the mecca for true Miazaki fans.