Anyone been to the Ghibli Museum in Mitaka?

Question

I was wondering if anyone has been before and could let me know what it was like, apparently tickets are only 1,000 Yen (£5) plus £3.50 handling charge from ticket vendor in the UK, which can only be bought in advance.

So obviously money is not a matter and i'll be heading to Tokyo hopefully in 2009 when my term breaks up for the holidays.

So can anyone who has been let me know what to expect, thanks.

Answer 1

not really an answer but I like to point out someting since I'm planning my trip as well.

From what I read, you can only reach Ghibli Museum by its special bus, which will pick up on the side of one park a little outside Tokyo.  If you do decide to go to Ghibli Museum, it will be a good idea to get all the map and location clear.

Answer 2

Yeah, I've been to it.  The Ghibli Museum is small, but inexpensive and interesting.  it is almost entirely a tribute to Hayao Miyazaki's animated films.  He's a famous anime creator responsible for "My Neighbor Totoro, Spirited Away, Howl's Moving Castle, Princess Mononoke", etc.  The museum itself has 3 basic parts. The first room is a tribute to animation, and contains things from zoetropes to moving pictures and an amazing 3D moving figure display that uses strobe lighting to create the illusion of motion.  The other two parts are a small theater where they show an exclusive anime short, and finally a miniature replica of several rooms from the Louvre art museum.  There is also a gift shop and restaurant, oh, and if you have children, there is a room containing a cat-bus for them.  Oh, and there is absolutely no photography allowed within the museum.

Bottom line, its an amazing experience if you enjoy anime, especially Hayao Miyazaki's style.

I hope this helps!