After 10 years of living in Japan, I finally visited the Ghibli Museum with my friends. We went towards the end of the day, and honestly, I wasn’t sure what to expect given all the hype and praise it receives. As someone who enjoys Ghibli films but isn’t a die-hard fan, I found the experience pleasant but not mind-blowing.
The museum is fascinating, especially for those interested in the mechanics of animation; it’s a wonderful place for kids to explore and learn. However, the overall space is smaller than I anticipated. The exclusive short films they screen monthly are fun and creative, but keep in mind there’s no English subtitles, which might be challenging if you don’t understand Japanese.
One thing to note, even though photos and videos are strictly prohibited inside the museum, some visitors still break the rules, which can be quite annoying and distracting from the experience. On a positive note, I have to say their bathrooms are surprisingly exquisite and impressive, definitely worth a mention!
Overall, it’s a good visit, especially if you’re a fan of Miyazaki’s work or curious about the animation process. Just keep your expectations in check. For a 1,000 yen ticket, it’s definitely worth seeing at least once.

As everyone knows you must purchase tickets way ahead, one month before our trip I had to wake up at 4am and queue online for about 1h to get my tickets but it was worth it. The museum is not big and there's not much to see but what there is, it is beautiful and magical. The cafeteria and restaurant despite looking very good and high end could use some improvement, the food sucked. Also there's a no picture policy, not even without flash, the store was good, I got a very cute t-shirt, however they ignored some movies like my favourite: mononoke:(
Very nice Small museum. We went at 5pm and was able to see everything and have time for the gift shop before closing at 6pm. It’s a little hard and out of the way to get to by public transport. You have to buy tickets online and they go on sale one day the month before. So look it up and plan ahead. No tickets sold at the facility. No photography or video allowed inside. There is a cafe as well but we don’t have time to enjoy it.
A place where you watch your favorite movies and your inner child cries with each chapter of their hard work, brought to life through animation. Studio Ghibli’s artists would rather lose money for the sake of art and entertainment than compromise their vision. Oh, how each scene makes my soul weep! Every moment feels so vivid, it’s as if my past life was Japanese. I love every minute of it. It’s both sad and wonderful how they strive to keep the Ghibli Museum’s magic alive. No pictures or videos are allowed inside, preserving the enchantment for those who visit. You can’t look back at photos or videos to relive it—you must experience it firsthand.I visited and was only able to take pictures outside, but the inside holds its magic and wonders. Disney and Universal should follow this example, ensuring others don’t experience their magic secondhand through someone else’s photos or videos. Studio Ghibli, thank you. I grew up with your films, and now my children are watching your magic and living it. We will cry when the final scene ends.

The Ghibli Museum is a great place to visit for those interested in the studio’s process of animation. The museum is small and quaint. It was a great experience and there’s lots to learn about Ghibli. Pictures are not allowed inside which is a rule respected by most. There is also a small theatre which shows unreleased short films. There are cafes and a children’s play area. You can purchase tickets online on the 10th of every month and they sell out quite quickly. Overall, a great experience for a Studio Ghibli enthusiast.