At the Ghibli Museum, visitors can immerse themselves in the magical world of Studio Ghibli, the renowned animation studio behind films like "Spirited Away" and "My Neighbor Totoro." The museum features:
Exhibits showcasing the art and animation techniques of Studio Ghibli films.
A miniature theater screening of exclusive short films by Studio Ghibli that can only be seen here.
Interactive areas where visitors can explore and feel like part of the studio's beloved worlds.
The enchanting rooftop garden with a life-size statue of the robot from "Castle in the Sky."
A cafe offering Ghibli-themed food and drinks.
A gift shop with unique Studio Ghibli merchandise.
It's a place of inspiration, creativity, and nostalgia, perfect for fans of all ages.
Photography inside the museum is not permitted to ensure visitors are fully immersed in their experience and to maintain the mystery of the museum's interior.
Yes, the Ghibli Museum is fully committed to accessibility, ensuring that it is a welcoming space for all visitors, including wheelchair users. Wheelchairs can also be conveniently hired on-site.
The Straw Hat Café offers a range of snacks, meals, and desserts, including exclusive items like Valley of the Wind beer. There's also a food truck selling hot dogs for those looking for quicker options.
The museum is located on the edge of Tokyo's Inokashira Park, accessible from both Kichijoji and Mitaka stations. The most convenient route for many will be the JR Chuo Line from Shinjuku Station. There's also a shuttle bus from Mitaka Station, or for those who prefer a scenic route, a pleasant walk from Kichijoji Station is an option.
Traveler reviews
I grew up watching Miyazaki movies. Coming to his studio museum has been a dream come true. Being able to see how the storyboard comes together and behind the scenes on a few of my favorite movies was just amazing. It’s super challenging to obtain tickets a month in advance but worth every effort. We arrived 15 mins before our allotted entrance time. There was already a line but I didn’t feel you needed to arrive early to enter.
Staff is friendly and eager to help with any questions. No photos allowed inside. The gift shop is so fun to browse around but super crowded.
It takes about 1-2 hours to walk through the museum, additional time if you decide to eat at its cafe.
I made a mistake - I prepared and read Miyazaki’s statement on what he wanted this museum to be and not be. It is beautifully written (in English on their website) and really moved me. I was expecting to be embraced (like everyone) and to really have a cultural and artistic experience. When we entered it felt immersive and they were very paranoid about no photos no phones. Then I saw that everything (and I mean everything) is in Japanese - without the phone camera there’s no way to translate. So it’s inclusive for everyone, so long as they’re Japanese, and it’s a cultural experience, so long as you understand and read Japanese. To us foreign people it has some of the immersive feel of a goods theme park but it is way to small for that. To get a museum feel, almost by definition, it’s important to be able to understand the curatorial explanations. I was so disappointed (and though tickets are cheap, I had problems ordering them so took a service and paid a lot because I thought it would be amazing).
I will say that the animation from inanimate objects going around in circles around a pole was mesmerizing and I watched it for quite a while. I think it’s possible thanks to precise timing but I’m not sure 🤔 if only I could read the signs…
Kids Must Do list but it's so challenging to get the tickets on the 10th of the preceding month and we can only get the 4pm entry for our December trip.
Went especially earlier to try to get in queue so as to maximize our 2 hour slot there.
Museum is very beautiful and love every exhibits. We do have time to complete all of them without feeling too rush probably it's due to us skipping the cafe.
Outdoor photos are nice especially using dusk and provide another perspectives.
On the bucket list for any dedicated fan of Ghibli and Miyazaki. Your first challenge is getting tickets. Availability is very limited for non residents and you need to plan 2 months in advance.
Even though everyone had timed tickets, the queue to check everyone in was still 15 minutes.
Once in it was bigger than I had been led to believe, including a 15 minute mini anime. The building and a exhibits are very cute. The cafe is ok too, but busy
No photos inside, and they are strict.
Very little non Japanese information and we felt we couldn't take our phones out to translate, so we had a lot of questions about what we were looking at.
A couple of souvenir stores as well of course!
There's a park outside with picnic tables. My tip: go early and bring a picnic.
Get your tickets early and enjoy being immersed in the Ghibli world for a couple of hours.
We thoroughly enjoyed our visit to the Studio Ghibli Museum. We purchased our tickets through GetYourGuide, which was considerably more expensive than buying them through the official ticket office.
Nevertheless, we had a wonderful experience and especially loved the decor, the interior design, and the no-photography policy inside the museum, which made the visit feel more immersive and special.
I would have appreciated learning more about Studio Ghibli's history and the creative process behind some of its most iconic films. Additional information about the making of these beloved movies would have made the experience even more memorable. Also I would have been great if there were English description.
