Ghibli Museum facts for kids
.jpg)
Exterior of the Ghibli Museum
|
|
| Established | 1 October 2001 |
|---|---|
| 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, Mitaka Forest Ghibli Museum) is a super cool museum that shows off the amazing work of the Japanese animation studio Studio Ghibli. It's located in Inokashira Park in Mitaka, a city near Tokyo, Japan. This museum is like a mix of a children's museum, a technology museum, and an art museum, all about the magic of animation. You can see a giant Catbus from My Neighbor Totoro, visit a café, explore a bookstore, relax in a rooftop garden, and watch special short films made only for the museum!
Contents
Behind the Scenes: How the Museum Started
The idea for the Ghibli Museum began in 1998. Construction started 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 design was inspired by beautiful European buildings, like those in the Italian village of Calcata. The museum has cool spiral staircases made of iron, bridges inside, and balconies that go all the way up. These stairs lead to different exhibits, fun dead ends, and across bridges. This design makes you feel like you're stepping into one of Miyazaki's animated worlds. His goal was for the building itself to be part of the adventure. He wanted visitors to feel happier and more inspired when they left than when they arrived.
To help you get completely lost in the storybook world, taking photos or videos inside the museum is not allowed. The museum's slogan is "Let's get lost together." This comes from Miyazaki's wish for everyone to dive deep into his imagination and the amazing worlds of his films.
In February 2020, the museum temporarily closed because of the COVID-19 pandemic. It later reopened to local residents in July 2020 and then fully to everyone in September 2020.
What You Can See: Exhibits
Permanent Displays
On the bottom floor, there's an exhibit 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 when it spins!
Up on the first floor, you can explore a pretend animation studio. This exhibit, called "Where a Film is Born," shows you how an animated movie is made. It covers everything from drawing ideas to coloring and painting backgrounds. The rooms are packed with books, toys, and drawings covering the walls, making it feel like a real artist's workspace.
Special Exhibitions
Besides the regular Ghibli exhibits, the museum also has a special area for temporary shows. These often feature work from other animation studios or focus on specific Ghibli films. Here are some examples of past special exhibitions:
| Date | Exhibit |
|---|---|
| 2001–2002 | Spirited Away |
| 2002–2004 | Castle in the Sky and Imaginary Flying Machines |
| 2004–2005 | Pixar Animation Studios |
| 2006–2007 | Aardman Studios, focusing on Wallace and Gromit. |
| 2007–2008 | Goldilocks and The Three Bears and Panda! Go, Panda! |
| 2009–2010 | Ponyo on the Cliff by the Sea |
| 2011–2012 | The View from the Cat Bus |
Short Films
The Ghibli Museum has its own movie theater called the Saturn Theater, located in the basement. It shows special short films that you can only see there! The theater has windows with shades that open and close. Miyazaki designed it this way so that young children wouldn't feel scared in a completely dark, closed-off space.
Here are some of the 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
- Treasure Hunting
- Boro the Caterpillar (毛虫のボロ, Kemushi no Boro)
These films are also shown at the Cinema Orion, which is part of Ghibli Park in Nagakute.
Other Fun Spots
Tri Hawks Bookstore
Tri Hawks is a reading room and bookstore inside the Ghibli Museum. It opened on February 6, 2002, and is filled with books that Hayao Miyazaki himself recommends. The name "Tri Hawks" comes from the word "Mitaka," the city where the museum is located, which means "three hawks."
Mamma Aiuto Souvenir Shop
Mamma Aiuto is the souvenir shop at the top of the Ghibli Museum. It's named after the group of sky pirates in the movie Porco Rosso. The film is set in Italy, and "Mamma Aiuto" means "mama, help me" in Italian. Here, you can buy all sorts of cool items, including classic and non-Japanese animated movies under the Ghibli Museum Library label.
Straw Hat Café
The Straw Hat Café is the only sit-down restaurant at the Ghibli Museum. It was created with the help of a housewife and mother of four. Miyazaki wanted the food to feel like "home cooking." They serve hot and cold meals, snacks, and desserts. You can also get a special alcoholic drink called "Valley of the Wind" beer from the takeout section. This beer was made with a local brewery. The label for the beer was hand-drawn by Gorō Miyazaki, Hayao Miyazaki's son, who is also an animation director at Studio Ghibli.
Catbus Playroom
There's a special playroom for children aged 12 and under. The best part is a giant, stuffed Catbus toy that kids can actually play inside! It's a little smaller than the one in My Neighbor Totoro so it fits perfectly in the museum.
Rooftop Garden
On the museum's roof, you'll find a beautiful garden. The coolest thing there is a life-size, five-meter-tall statue of a robot. This Robot Soldier is from the final episode of Lupin III Part II and also from the movie Castle in the Sky. The artist Kunio Shachimaru made it from hammered copper, and it took two years to finish! You can also see a replica of the keystone from Castle in the Sky in the garden. It has ancient writing on it and is like the control stone found in the floating castle, Laputa, in the movie.
Fresco Painting
Right at the entrance of the museum, the ceiling is covered in a beautiful fresco painting. It features characters from many Studio Ghibli films, like Kiki flying on her broomstick from Kiki's Delivery Service (1989).
Tickets
You need to buy tickets to the Ghibli Museum in advance, as they are not sold at the door. Prices vary depending on age:
- Adults: ¥1,000
- 13–18-year-olds: ¥700
- 7–12-year-olds: ¥400
- 4–6-year-olds: ¥100
- Children younger than 4 can enter for free.
See also
In Spanish: Museo Ghibli para niños
