JAPAN 2015: Day 2 - All Things Ghibli (Museum).

July 05, 2015

JAPAN 2015: Day 2 - All Things Ghibli (Museum).

April 8th, 9AM - Mitaka, Tokyo.

Yeah boyyyy! I finally visited Ghibli Museum. If you haven't already know, I'm a huge Ghibli fan. Even more than Disney, I dare say. Not that I don't love Disney, but I just find Ghibli's values more relatable and meaningful.

Mitaka was freezing cold and the use of "freezing" isn't even exaggerated. It was 1 degree. And I was dressed for spring.

See, got slight frost! It was drizzling frost.

This is damn bonus for me la because I've never seen snow in my life before and this is the closest I can get to snow, for now.

The museum wasn't open yet so I went for a walk around the area.

This looks like something out of a storybook. Maybe if I walked down this petals covered path, I would end up in Narnia - or more accurately, a scene from a Ghibli film?

And then it got a bit too cold for me so I sought refuge in a nearby Lawson's.

Warmth!

More warmth! (“⌒∇⌒”)

Lawson's is also where you can purchase tickets for Ghibli Museum but I got mine earlier via Voyagin (because I kiasu scared the tickets sold out.)

April 8th, 10AM - Mitaka, Tokyo.

It was time to enter the museum.

Ghibli Museum has a strict no-photography in the building policy. So whatever pictures you will be seeing are either sneakily taken or at the allowed areas.

Compared to other museum, Ghibli Museum is rather small. The architecture though, is amazing and they really made sure every space is well utilized (every nook and corner - literally - lies a surprise). From the narrow spiral staircases and bridges to the balconies, they all look like they came out of a storybook.

Miyazaki-san, you did it! The building itself is indeed a part of the exhibit.

Even the toilet cubicle looks like this. Nicer than my room already lor.

At the outdoor balcony of the highest floor, take the spiral staircase up and you'll find yourself in a garden. It's a small rooftop garden but it is where you can find:

The five meter tall Robot Soldier. The white spots you see on it is actually the falling frost.

The keystone, also from Castle in The Sky (天空の城ラピュタ).

Each visitor is permitted to watch one short film at the museum's theater during their visit. Excited for the film, I headed down to the basement where Saturn Theater is located (a little too excited actually, because I had to wait about 15 minutes before the theater hall opens).

Image source

Damn cute right! Reminds me of the baby room in Spirited Away. You may be wondering, eh how come theater got window one? How to watch movie liddat? No worries, these windows have automated shades which lower before the film begins.

There are several Ghibli short films (exclusive for Ghibli Museum) that are rotated from time to time, but only one short film is shown per day.

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)

During my visit, they were showing "Looking for a home / Yadosagashi". I've also watched "Mr. Dough and the Egg Princess" before. These short films are just about 12-15 minutes long and I've made it my life goal to watch all the short films in the list.

"Portal to a storybook world."

Yellow building above is a restaurant called Straw Hat Cafe, which I didn't get to try because the line was too long for me.

I've watched all the Studio Ghibli films except for "When Marnie Was There."

Which is your favorite one then?

Top 10 Best Studio Ghibli Films of All Time (as of 2015)

1. Spirited Away

2. Howl's Moving Castle

3. Whisper of the Heart

4. Nausicaa and the Valley of the Wind

5. From Up on Poppy Hill

6. Princess Mononoke

7. The Cat Returns

8. Kiki's Delivery Service

9. My Neighbor Totoro

10. The Wind Rises

The list above is my own and according to my personal preference. If you're new to Ghibli and would like to have a go, I'd highly recommend to begin with the Top 2 and just go by random for the rest. If you have already watched Ghibli before, well, how about you? Which is your favorite?