Escaping reality

At the end of 2002, I had been living in Japan for a couple of months and I experienced my first real battle of culture shock mixed with homesickness. I had never lived far from home (college was only an hour or two away to either parent’s house). I broke down in tears at small challenges and felt desperate to be with my loved ones. The emotional rollercoaster was confusing and overwhelming.

When my boyfriend (now husband) called to chat, I told him about my distress and he told me “I’ll be right there.” Soon, he arrived and informed me we were having a movie night. I shrugged my shoulders and invited him in. A quiet night inside sounded perfect for my overstimulated brain. I was a bit surprised that he chose an animated movie, but I wasn’t going to argue about it.

As I settled in, the movie “My Neighbor Totoro” started to play. It is a very famous cartoon about 2 young sisters who move to a new house with their dad while their mom is in the hospital. As they are adjusting to their current circumstances, they meet a new imaginary friend, Totoro. He is a big, soft, kind animal-like creature that brings them joy and comfort. And he did the same for me. I fell in love with that sweet creature on that day, and he’s held a special place in my heart ever since.

My Neighbor Totoro, and 21 other full-length movies, are the creation of Studio Ghibli. The studio has a cult-like following, with many famous characters that rival Mickey Mouse in popularity here. Although I’ve seen 17 of their movies, several of which I’ve watched countless times, Totoro always ranks top in my book.

Holding this adoration in my heart, I was excited to learn about the Studio Ghibli Museum in Mitaka, a suburb of Tokyo, on a trip to Japan with friends back in 2008. We were able to get tickets and made a special excursion to Tokyo to go. That museum visit had a lasting impact on me.

Because I had such a wonderful experience the first time, when we moved here, I wanted to take my son so badly. He had only watched two of their movies at that point (My Neighbor Totoro and Kiki’s Delivery Service), but it was on my list of things to do.

I didn’t realize how difficult it was/is to get tickets. There are only so many available. Each ticket is for a specified date and time. The tickets are released on a certain date each month for the following month. Tickets are not sold at the door. You have to log onto their website and purchase the tickets super fast. They sell out each month in as fast as ten minutes!

I’d pester my husband about it here and there, but the timing was always wrong and there wouldn’t be any tickets available. Then, a couple weeks ago, he popped his head into the living room while I was watching tv and casually mentioned “I got tickets for Ghibli Museum. I put it in the calendar.” Then he left, not waiting for me to jump off the couch screaming in excitement and give him a big kiss.

Knowing it was 12 km (7.5 miles) away from our house (located in Inokashira Park), we’ve been riding our bikes a lot to make sure we could make it on our own two wheels versus taking public transportation. Our son was up for the challenge as well. Luckily, the weather cooperated and getting there by bikes was much easier than any of us expected.

By the time we arrived, I thought our son would be a bit worn out, but he was jumping up and down saying over and over “I’m so excited!” Our tickets were for 2pm, and there was a lot of anticipation on all of our parts to get inside and see everything. There was a short line, as people had their temperatures taken and were kindly instructed to use hand sanitizer before entering the building.

Guests are not allowed to use cellphones or take any photos inside the museum. Although disappointing, I really do feel I was able to enjoy the museum even more without the distraction of getting good photos.

A stained glass window depicting Laputa.  I took this from outside the museum.

Seeing Totoro just outside the entrance.

We started in "The Beginning of Movement" room, where we saw examples of stop animation and layering cells to give movies depth. Then we explored the replicas of the studio offices (called "Where a Film is Born"). We also reserved a time slot for our son to climb on the life-sized cat bus (from My Neighbor Totoro). Since it was a beautiful day, we were able to climb the stairs to the rooftop garden to see a statue of a robot from my husband’s favorite Ghibli movie, Laputa or Castle in the Sky. They allow photos up there because it is outside.

We stopped by the gift shop and then went to see the animated short that is only viewable at the museum. These movies change monthly. The one we saw was about a hiker who used apples to thank the spirits for guiding her on a safe journey. It was really cute. All three of us enjoyed it a lot.

When it was time to go, we felt satiated. The museum is not especially foreigner friendly. They don’t have any English (or other language) descriptions or information beyond the map. (You can buy a book in the giftshop that details everything in the museum in English.) But it didn’t matter. Studio Ghibli makes people feel good and just being there and seeing their displays made me happy.

I'm so glad we were finally able to take our son. It is a beautiful museum featuring characters close to our heart. Although it isn't really interactive, it is still a magical experience for everyone who goes.