The Ghibli Museum is a museum in Tokyo dedicated to the works of the film company Studio Ghibli. Pre-booking of tickets is essential for visiting the museum; bookings can be done through their website up to three months before you intend to visit it.
Ghibli Museum Entrance
When you enter the museum, you will be guided to a theatre which presents a short film which can only be seen in the museum, after that you are free to see the exhibits at your own leisure. The exhibits showcase filming techniques featuring characters from the Studio Ghibli films. All descriptions of the exhibits are in Japanese, but the exhibits are still enjoyable even if you can't understand the descriptions. Photography is prohibited within the museum so I have no pictures to display here.
There is also a rooftop garden that gives you a good view of the exterior of the museum and a wonderful sculpture of a robot from the Studio Ghibli film, Castle in the Sky. Photography is permitted on the rooftop garden.
Robot Sculpture from Castle in the Sky
Sculpture from the Rooftop Garden
From my experience, foods sold at cafes of museums were generally average. I was surprised at the quality of food sold at the Straw Hat Café at Ghibli Museum. All the dishes we ordered were delicious and it's a place to take a break and have lunch if you are intending to spend most of your day there. There is also a gift shop which sells products exclusive to the museum such as pins, books, jewelleries and plush toys. Navigating through the shop can be a bit difficult as it is frequently very crowded.
Beef Sandwich
Cold Soup
Strawberry Shortcake
Visiting the Ghibli Museum requires a bit of forward planning, but it is worth the effort.
