Before going on the Ghibli Museum tour in Tokyo, Japan, I read quite a bit about the place that showcases the work and history of the great animation artist Hayao Miyazaki and his Studio Ghibli. They have produced quite a number of classic animation movies including Spirited Away, Laputa: Castle In The Sky and Hotaru no Haka (Grave of the Fireflies), and a favorite of both adults and children - Tonari no Totoro (My Neighbour Totoro). However, when I was checking up on the information and details about getting to the museum and touring it as well as possibly getting a Studio Ghibli merchandise T-shirt, it was mentioned several times that tickets had to be purchased in advance and they were often sold out many months in advance too. When I found out about the place, it was about a week or two before I was leaving for my trip. Thus, I was quite disappointed and assumed that there was no way I could get my hands on any tickets to tour Ghibli Museum.
However, when I mentioned the museum to my girlfriend while in Tokyo (she's not really an anime fan), she wanted to pay it a visit, despite my telling her that it was probably not possible to get tickets already. To our surprise, we chanced upon the Ghibli Museum tour package from Viator.com and which was run by the local tour agency Sunrise Tours. It was really cheap but I still had reservations that it was probably booked up well in advance. Still, we tried our luck and made a call to the agency to check if we could make the group for the next day. Incredibly, they told us that we could definitely join the trip and that this was one easy way to get tickets without having to book them well in advance, since they have been allocated due to arrangements with the museum management. There was also no need to find out how much are Studio Ghibli tickets since the agency had everything taken care of and probably got discounts too which allowed the whole package to be priced much lower. So, we happily got the tour package to Ghibli Museum for the very next day which was ironic considering that we saw a couple at the location during the trip who failed to get tickets on their own and had to turn back from where they came from.
After saving all that trouble trying to find out how to buy tickets to the Ghibli Museum especially when wondering do their tickets sell out fast, the tour was to begin with us gathering at Hamamatsucho Bus Terminal Station which is just below the JR train station of the same name. The meeting point was also easy to locate as it was just in front of the Sunrise Tours booth which was right at the bottom of the escalator from the World Trade Center at the Hamamatsucho train station. We were each given a sticker badge to help the guide identify us during the trip if necessary, I suppose. The guide was a nice lady by the name of Nana-san and straight off the bat when everyone arrived in order, she told us about our trip to the Ghibli Museum, the itinerary, a very brief introduction and some nice surprises to look ahead to later on. We were told that the museum is in Mitaka, and that we would take a short train ride to Tokyo station and then change trains to Mitaka. The whole journey would last about 30 minutes. Some would have preferred a coach ride by the agency straight to the museum, but we personally didn't mind since it probably meant it helped to make the package cheaper, while also allowing us to experience and see the local people and way of life directly, which is an interesting thing to do by itself.
Once we arrived at the final train station in Mitaka, we had to then take a bus to the Ghibli museum itself. It was our first and only time taking the bus in Japan, and it was fun. Now, Mitaka looks like a very nice and interesting town, with a very European look and feel to it. What is there to see near the Ghibli museum in Mitaka? Well, their homes and houses have Euro-architectural designs and we really loved the way the shops looked. Slight Danish look to them and it would be ideal to settle down in a place like this, with trees lining the walkways and even a river that runs through (or along) the town. The bus was not a huge one and quite comfortable although the seats were a little small in size, even for us. Still, the Japanese people were quite kind to us and made way for the group to alight when we reached our stop, even when it was a little packed. This was different from what an acquaintance related to me about his own experience taking buses in Japan where the children would step on his feet without apology. We never had such an experience and were granted smiles throughout our trip.
From the bus stop, we took a short minute's walk to the museum itself. Once we reached the gates, Nana-san had us stop by the ticket office. Surprisingly, it does not even look like one, and in fact, Nana-san told us that her favorite Miyazaki character - Totoro, was here, and all the other interesting sights we can look forward to, including a lifesized casting of the robot from Laputa: Castle In The Sky. Indeed, we were greeted by a huge replica of Totoro that was within the ticket office, just behind the person who would have sat at the counter (it was closed at that time). I'm sure many kids worldwide love Totoro, and while it was not exactly my favorite, it was darn cute and we proceeded to take some pictures with it. Nana-san then told us that we would be entering the museum soon and that when we handed the ticket officers our vouchers that the travel agency gave us, we would receive our tickets with a special memorabilia from the museum - a few frames of film that would have actual footage from one of the many films produced by Studio Ghibli. This was a nice surprise and certainly a very special touch from the museum.
When you finally enter the museum, you are greeted by a spectacularly designed interior. Before that, Nana-san also mentioned to us that the Ghibli Museum airs a short movie in their theaters, although you would need to queue up in advance as the theater is limited in size. However, they have multiple screenings so you just need to check which screening time that best fits your schedule (the tour group would be there for a few hours - yes, there's that much to look and experience) during the free and easy hours after the short tour conducted by Nana-san. The films to be shown were fixed for the day but I was also told that they change it from day to day. More on this later when we finally catch it. Meanwhile, the museum interior has to be seen to really experience and appreciate the intricate details gone into building it. There are altogether four floors to the whole museum, although the fourth floor is really the rooftop that houses the giant robot. There is a beautiful spiral staircase that you can use to go up and down between floors, or a lift that the less mobile can take advantage of.
We proceeded to view the first and second floors guided by Nana-san (although for those who wanted to go about on their own from the onset can do so as well by informing their guide ahead of time). First of all was to view the exhibits on the first floor that showed many many incredible animation models. Now, these models have to be seen to be believed and to appreciate how special the animation done by Studio Ghibli is. They involve motion together with lighting (strobes?) as well as immaculate geometry and maths involved, that give life to them. They are indeed very life-like and looking at all the models, you will definitely be transported back to your childhood and also a special place in a magical world that one wished would never need to come back to reality from. You will even see some models whereby characters recreated from the many Ghibli films are shown dancing, leaping in the air or involved in other actions - just amazing! There was one which was particularly impressive that had characters like Totori, Mei and many more circling round a pillar or pole, and doing all sorts of moves that are produced simply from the minute model casts, movement and lights. You can also see special illusions that are produced by mirrors, lights and illustrations, similar to neverending mirror illusions but much more interesting than that. There is much more to see and experience on this Ghibli Museum tour than what I can give justice to with my simple descriptions.
On the second floor, you will be able to view lifesized re-creations or re-modeling of the actual studios that Miyazaki and his staff work in in real life. You get a realistic sense and feel of what the animators, editors, writers and others go through during the course of making an animation movie, such as the storyboarding process, film editing and more. There are even actual equipment placed in the studios that the Ghibli Museum visitors can try and use to get a feel of it themselves. One of them involved rolling some sort of lever that will allow you to see actual film reels rolled that reveals the animation details, both forward and back. There are also scores of storyboarding and illustrations plastered all over the walls, as well as many of them bounded into books that we could flip through to understand in greater details. You also learn how tedious, intricate and ultimately skilful a storyboarding process is and requires from animators, thereby appreciating their work and effort even more, which many people who do not understand often are inclined to dismiss as not real work.
There was also an interesting trivia that Nana-san told us about for these studios on the second floor which I cannot quite recall, but it was about certain imps or characters that Miyazaki placed to signify hard at work trolls or something. It was a little amusing and you might have some fun trying to identify and pick them out.
After the studios, it was more or less a free and easy time for the tour group to roam and wander around on our own in the museum. There were more things to see, including the life sized robot on the rooftop, the other exhibits, the short film screening, the outdoor gardens, souvenir shop, book shop and outdoor cafes for a rest. There was also a playroom for children on the third floor, with a really huge catbus or nekobasu that children were able to climb, run all over, and generally have fun with while their parents or adult companions choose to take a rest or check out the rest of the museum on their own.
We first made our way to the movie theater to enquire about showtimes. We decided on one that gave us some time before the screening to check out the bookstore and then proceeded to the latter on the third floor. There is no reservation allowed for the movie screening so you just have to show up ahead of time to be in the queue. The bookshop has shelves of Ghibli books that showcase their art and illustrations, as well as novels and books of the Ghibli movies like Spirited Away, Totoro, and more. There are also copies of other books that were translated in Japanese that were not from Ghibli Studios, such as the famous musical Les Miserables, Sherlock Holmes (a personal favorite of mine) and more. You can also buy souvenir books of the Ghibli Museum which would provide a better rememberance of your day tour here, since one is not actually allowed to take any pictures in the museum, which is a pity, but also fully understandable considering how flash photography might affect the quality of the animation models and museum exhibits. I didn't buy anything from the bookstore in the end as nothing in particular caught my eye and I also decided to save some of my money for the souvenir shop.
After the short sojourn at the bookshop, we then went to queue for the movie. It was not too long a wait although the queues started to form really quickly moments after we got in front. There was a screening going on while we were doing that, and we waited for them to finish and leave the theater from the front. Then, we were allowed in in a very orderly manner and was greeted by a really cute and wonderful theater. It was quite colorful and you had nice little windows on the side which were designed like those classic cartoon windows you often see - with a horizontal bottom and domed top. Later on while the movie began, the windows would automatically have shutters lowered mechanically, leaving the room dark enough with the lights switched off so that the film could be watched. The short film was not something I've seen before and it was about a whale and the now trademark maniacal Miyazaki touch near the end which is still touching and grand at the same time. There are also some nice artwork on the ceiling and walls of the theater which you must check out when inside.
The next stop on our Ghibli Museum day tour was the souvenir shop on the third floor which curiously, had a name to it - Mamma Aiuto. Now this was something that all Studio Ghibli or Miyazaki fan can only dream of. The shop is literally filled with all sort of Ghibli merchandise and memorabilia. From T-shirts, DVDs, CDs, and toys, to figures, plush toys, handphone straps, rarities and more. I had to stop myself from overspending otherwise I would not have enough money on the rest of my Japan vacation. I got a couple of shirts, some region 2 DVDs of Spirited Away, Howl's Moving Castle and Grave Of the Fireflies, and also a bunch of other souvenirs like a soft Totoro backpack for my niece. Ended up spending a few hundred dollars but as a fan you don't feel the pinch until much later!
We next rushed to the top of the museum to check out the giant casting of the robot. Indeed, it was huge! You had to queue as well to take pictures with it as the stairs that led to the top was quite narrow and one has to be careful when climbing and descending it. Still, the robot model was one of the highlights of the tour of Ghibli Museum and could be worth half the price of the ticket itself. There was still much to see in the rest of the outdoor portion of the museum and I will write about it more in the future. Meanwhile, we decided to take a short rest at the cafe with ice cream and hotdogs from one of the stalls which was actually outside the cafe. The weather was fine although it rained earlier, so there was a dampness in the air which still provided a cool enough temperature, considering we were in autumn and nearing winter.
After the rest of our time spending exploring the rest of the museum, including a curious park that was next to it, Nana-san then gathered us all at the pre-agreed meeting point and told us more about our next stop on the tour. After the Ghibli Museum, we would be heading to a memoribilia shop in Mitaka where there were some good buys for Totoro fans. We would also then be able to explore parts of Mitaka if we decided not to spend the hour or so in the shop. We took another bus to the shop and what greeted us were the really nice European designed stores that lined the streets I mentioned earlier. We decided to explore other shops rather than another souvenir store and tried some of the local Japanese food as well, although we had much fun looking at the overall look and feel of the stores, which we found special and unique given that before that our experience in Tokyo, Japan were of modern stores and skyscrapers.
Heading back to Tokyo after the Studio Ghibli Museum tour, we left via train as well which was another short trip. Nana-san again took great care of us and the rest of the group, providing directions and instructions on how to get to our hotels if required. From having given up hope of visiting the museum due to the lack of time in getting Ghibli Museum tickets, to having an easy booking of a cheap tour at the museum while having a great time there, it was one of the great highlights of our overall trip to Japan. It definitely added a great deal considering that we were fans, but the Ghibli Museum tour is also ideal and value for money for families with children who would definitely enjoy engaging in the animation genius of Miyazaki and his studio, as well as a very organized and efficient tour package from the Sunrise Tours agency. Personally, I'm looking forward to a return trip to the museum, not just because I'm a fan, but the next time, we'll definitely want to spend more time in the town of Mitaka itself.
Tuesday, May 5, 2009
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