Ghibli Museum facts for kids
Exterior of the Ghibli Museum
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| Established | October 1, 2001 |
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| Location | 1-1-83 Shimorenjaku, Mitaka Tokyo 181-0013 |
The Ghibli Museum (三鷹の森ジブリ美術館, Mitaka no Mori Jiburi Bijutsukan, meaning "Mitaka Forest Ghibli Museum") is a special museum in Japan. It celebrates the incredible animated films made by Studio Ghibli. You can find it in Inokashira Park in Mitaka, a city near Tokyo.
This museum is like a mix of a children's museum, a technology museum, and an art museum. It's all about the art and magic of animation. Inside, you can see a fun replica of the Catbus from My Neighbor Totoro. There's also a cozy café, a bookstore, a garden on the roof, and a theater. This theater shows short films that you can only see at the museum!
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Exploring the Ghibli Museum's History
The idea for the Ghibli Museum started way back in 1998. Construction began in March 2000, and the museum officially opened its doors on October 1, 2001.
Hayao Miyazaki, the famous director from Studio Ghibli, designed the museum himself. He used storyboards, just like he does for his movies! The museum's design was inspired by charming European buildings. Think of places like the hilltop village of Calcata in Italy.
The museum has cool spiral staircases made of iron. You'll also find bridges and balconies that stretch high up. These features are meant to remind you of the amazing buildings in Miyazaki's films. His goal was for the museum itself to feel like part of the exhibit. He wanted visitors to leave feeling happier and more inspired than when they arrived.
You can't take photos or videos inside the museum. This is because it's meant to be a "portal to a storybook world." Hayao Miyazaki wanted people to experience the museum with their own eyes and ears. The museum's slogan is "Let's get lost together." This comes from Miyazaki's wish for visitors to dive deep into his imagination and film creations.
In February 2020, the museum closed for a while because of the COVID-19 pandemic. It later reopened to local residents in July and then fully reopened in September.
Discovering the Museum's Exhibits
The Ghibli Museum has many exciting things to see, from permanent displays to special shows.
Permanent Exhibitions: Animation Magic
On the bottom floor, there's a room that teaches you about the history and science of animation. One cool part is a 3D zoetrope called "Bouncing Totoro." It has models of characters from My Neighbor Totoro that seem to move!
Up on the first floor, you can explore a pretend animation studio. This exhibit is called "Where a Film is Born." It has five rooms that show how an animation filmmaker creates a movie. You'll see illustration techniques and rooms packed with books and toys. Drawings and pictures cover the walls. Another part of the exhibit shows the whole process of making an animated film. This includes sketches, storyboarding, keyframing, coloring, and painting backgrounds.
Special Exhibitions: New Worlds to Explore
Besides the regular Ghibli exhibits, the museum also hosts special shows. These sometimes feature work from other animation studios.
| Date | Exhibit |
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| 2001–2002 | Spirited Away |
| 2002–2004 | Castle in the Sky and Imaginary Flying Machines |
| 2003–2004 | Works by the Russian animator Yuri Norstein |
| 2004–2005 | Pixar Animation Studios |
| 2005–2006 | Heidi, Girl of the Alps |
| 2006–2007 | Aardman Studios, focusing on Wallace and Gromit. |
| 2007–2008 | Goldilocks and The Three Bears (3びきのくま, Sanbiki no kuma), based on a book by Leo Tolstoy. Panda! Go, Panda!, an early film by Miyazaki and Isao Takahata from 1972. |
| 2008–2009 | Petit Louvre |
| 2009–2010 | Ponyo on the Cliff by the Sea |
| 2010–2011 | Ghibli Forest Movies — Welcome to Saturn Theater |
| 2011–2012 | The View from the Cat Bus |
| 2012–2013 | The Gift of Illustrations ― A Source of Popular Culture |
| 2013–2014 | The Lens at Work in The Ghibli Forest |
| 2014–2015 | The Nutcracker and the Mouse King ― A Fairy Tale Treasure |
| 2015–2016 | The Haunted Tower ― Perfect Popular Culture |
Short Films: Exclusive Screenings
The Ghibli Museum shows several short films made just for the museum. These are shown in The Saturn Theater, located in the basement. The theater has special windows with shades that open and close. Hayao Miyazaki designed it this way for young children, so they wouldn't feel too closed in.
Here are some of the Ghibli short films you might see:
- Koro's Big Walk (コロの大さんぽ, Koro no dai-sampo)
- Water Spider Monmon (水グモもんもん, Mizugumo Monmon)
- Mei and the Kittenbus (めいとこねこバス, Mei to Konekobasu)
- The Day I Harvested a Star (星をかった日, Hoshi o Katta Hi)
- The Whale Hunt (くじらとり, Kujiratori)
- Looking for a home (やどさがし, Yadosagashi)
- A Sumo Wrestler's Tail (ちゅうずもう, Chūzumō)
- Mr. Dough and the Egg Princess (パン種とタマゴ姫, Pan dane to tamago hime)
- Treasure Hunting (たからさがし, Takara Sagashi)
- Boro the Caterpillar (毛虫のボロ, Kemushi no Boro)
Each visitor can watch one short film during their visit. These films were made only for the Ghibli Museum. However, with the opening of Ghibli Park, you can also see them there.
Other Fun Features at the Museum
Tri Hawks: A Book Lover's Corner
Tri Hawks is a reading room and bookstore inside the Ghibli Museum. It opened in 2002 and is filled with books that Hayao Miyazaki himself recommends. The name "Tri Hawks" is a clever play on words. "Mi-taka," the city where the museum is, means "three hawks" in Japanese.
Mamma Aiuto: The Souvenir Shop
Mamma Aiuto is the museum's gift shop, located on the top floor. It's named after the sky pirates from the movie Porco Rosso. "Mamma Aiuto" means "mama, help me" in Italian, which is where Porco Rosso is set. You can find classic and non-Japanese animation movies here.
Straw Hat Café: A Taste of Home
The Straw Hat Café is the only sit-down restaurant at the Ghibli Museum. It was created with the help of a mother of four children. Miyazaki wanted the food to feel like "home cooking." The café serves hot and cold meals, snacks, and desserts. You can even buy a special "Valley of the Wind" beer at the takeout section. This beer was made with a local brewery, and the label was drawn by Gorō Miyazaki, Hayao Miyazaki's son.
Catbus Room: Playtime for Little Ones
There's a special playroom for children aged 12 and under. It has a fun Catbus toy that kids can play in! Its size was made a bit smaller than the original Catbus in My Neighbor Totoro so it could fit inside the museum.
Rooftop Garden: Robot Soldier and Ancient Stone
On the museum's roof, you'll find a beautiful garden. Here stands a life-size, five-meter-tall statue of a robot. This robot is from the movie Castle in the Sky and Lupin III Part II.
The Robot Soldier was created by artist Kunio Shachimaru. It's made from hammered copper plate and took two years to build! You can also find a replica of the keystone from Castle in the Sky here. This stone has ancient writing on it and is like the control room stone from the floating castle, Laputa, in the movie.
Museum Tickets: Plan Your Visit
You need to buy tickets to the Ghibli Museum in advance. You can buy these tickets outside Japan in places like Hong Kong, Taiwan, Korea, North America, Europe, and Australia. You can also buy them online or through special JTB Corporation locations.
Tickets usually go on sale on the tenth day of each month for visits the following month. Once you book your tickets, the date and time cannot be changed. Ticket prices vary by age:
- Adults: ¥1,000
- Ages 13-18: ¥700
- Ages 7-12: ¥400
- Ages 4-6: ¥100
- Children under 4 years old are free.
When you arrive at the museum, your ticket is exchanged for a cool 35mm film strip. This strip features a scene from one of the Studio Ghibli films!
Fresco Painting: A Colorful Welcome
As you enter the museum, look up! The ceiling is covered in a beautiful fresco painting. This painting shows characters from many Studio Ghibli films. You might spot Kiki on her broomstick from Kiki's Delivery Service (1989), among others.
See also
In Spanish: Museo Ghibli para niños
- Ghibli Park
