Tokyo W · Mitaka / KichijojiNo.167★★★Open in map →
Ghibli Museum
The permanent museum of Studio Ghibli, set inside the forested edge of Inokashira Park in western Tokyo. Designed by Hayao Miyazaki, it houses permanent exhibitions, an exclusive short film only screened here, and a life-size robot soldier on the roof.
The Ghibli Museum opened in October 2001 in the southwest corner of Inokashira Park, on a site provided by the city of Mitaka. Hayao Miyazaki designed the building and its layout himself, and the museum is intended to feel like entering one of his films: rooms connect through unexpected passages, stairs lead where you do not expect, and the building itself is covered in climbing plants. Inside, the permanent exhibitions explore how Ghibli films are made — hand-drawn cels, concept art, and working animation desks are displayed throughout. The rooftop holds a robot soldier taken from the film Laputa: Castle in the Sky, and the basement cinema screens a short film produced exclusively for the museum that cannot be seen anywhere else. Entry is by advance reservation only.
Background & history
Studio Ghibli was founded in 1985 by Hayao Miyazaki, Isao Takahata, and Toshio Suzuki, and produced My Neighbor Totoro, Princess Mononoke, Spirited Away (which won the Academy Award for Best Animated Feature in 2003), and many other internationally known films. The museum was conceived as a physical space connected to the studio's creative process. It has operated without significant interruption since 2001 and remains one of the most sought-after museum tickets in Japan.
What to look for — in walking order
- Permanent exhibition (how films are made)
- displays of hand-drawn animation cels, storyboard sketches, and animators' desks that show the production process behind Ghibli films
- Saturn Theatre (basement)
- the museum's cinema, which screens short films produced exclusively for the museum — these films cannot be seen anywhere else
- Robot soldier on the roof terrace
- a life-size model of the robot soldier from Laputa: Castle in the Sky, standing on the garden rooftop
- Inokashira Park (surrounding grounds)
- the museum is set inside the park; the walk in from Mitaka Station along the Tamagawa Josui aqueduct path takes about 15 minutes through greenery
How to enjoy it
Tickets for the following month go on sale at 10:00 on the 10th of each month through Lawson Ticket online (search for 'ローソンチケット ジブリ美術館'). Set a reminder: popular slots — especially weekends — sell out within minutes. Entry is for a specific time slot; arriving more than 30 minutes late forfeits admission. The 15-minute walk from Mitaka Station along the Kaze no Sampomichi (Tamagawa Josui path) is pleasant and well-signed; alternatively, a community bus runs every 15 minutes from the station's south exit for 230 yen.
How to actually get there
- Shinjuku Station → Mitaka Station (JR Chuo Line Rapid, ~17 min).
- South Exit → community bus to Ghibli Museum (every 15 min, 230 yen) or walk via Tamagawa Josui path (~15 min).
- Show reserved timed ticket at the museum entrance (no walk-in; late by 30+ minutes = no entry).
- Shinjuku Stn → Mitaka Stn (JR Chuo Line) → museum (walk or bus)
- From Shinjuku Station, take the JR Chuo Line Rapid (direction Takao) to Mitaka Station — about 17 minutes. Exit from the South Exit (南口). Then either: walk along the Kaze no Sampomichi path following the Tamagawa Josui aqueduct channel — about 15 minutes and well-signed — or take the community bus from the South Exit bus stop (every 15 minutes during opening hours, 230 yen adult / 120 yen child, IC card accepted).
- Return from Mitaka Station to Shinjuku (same JR Chuo Line)
- Take the return bus or walk back to Mitaka Station, then take the JR Chuo Line Rapid to Shinjuku (about 17 minutes). Trains run frequently. The museum closes in the early evening, so there is no issue with last-train timing.
Before you go
- Cash
- Admission tickets must be reserved in advance through Lawson Ticket online — tickets cannot be purchased at the museum gate. Adult admission is 1,000 yen; children 4 and under are free. The community bus (230 yen adult) accepts IC cards. Bring some cash for the museum shop.
- Closing days
- Closed on Tuesdays (and sometimes additional days — check the official calendar). Open approximately 10:00–18:00. No cameras or recording inside the exhibitions. Arriving more than 30 minutes after your reserved time forfeits entry.
- Another way
- From Kichijoji Station (JR Chuo or Sobu Line, or Keio Inokashira Line), you can walk through Inokashira Park in about 15 minutes, entering the museum from the park side. A bus bound for Chofu also runs from Kichijoji Station south exit every few minutes, stopping at Mansuke Bridge — a 5-minute walk from the museum.
- After you get off
- From Mitaka Station South Exit, the bus stop is directly outside (community bus to Ghibli Museum, every 15 min). The walking route follows the Tamagawa Josui path westward for about 15 minutes.