Ghibli Museum

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Ghibli Museum, Mitaka
Ghibli Museum, Mitaka

Ghibli Museum (三鷹の森ジブリ美術館 Mitaka no Mori Jiburi Bijutsukan?, Mitaka Forest Ghibli Museum) is a commercial museum featuring the Japanese anime work of Studio Ghibli. Located in Inokashira Park in Mitaka, a western suburb of Tokyo, Japan, it opened in 2001.

The museum is a fine arts museum, but does not take the concept of a usual fine arts museum. With many features that are child-oriented and a sprawling and occasionally mazelike interior, the museum is a playfully created place. Centered around the motto appearing on the museum's website "Let's become lost children together" (迷子になろうよ、いっしょに Maigo ni narō yo, isshoni?), or 'let's lose our way together' as it is translated in the English leaflet. It has no set path or order of viewing. It seems to be primarily a Japanese tourist location, as though the museum brochure contains a variety of languages, the signs within the museum are in Japanese only.

Contents

[edit] Exhibits

[edit] Permanent exhibitions

On the bottom floor is an exhibit room showing the history and science of animation. One of the displays uses models of Ghibli characters, each in a slightly different pose, arranged in a circle on a spinning table. The models and poses are created like animation frames, which becomes apparent when the table spins in synchronization with a flickering stroboscope. The light flashes illuminate each model as it passes the same spot, creating the illusion of movement and showing how animation works.

On the first floor is a mock-up of an animation studio, with sketches, story boards, reference material and more to look at. Also shown is the process of creating an animated film, from sketches, storyboarding, keyframing, cleanup, coloring, background painting, etc.

[edit] Special exhibitions

In addition to Ghibli-oriented exhibitions, the museum hosts an area where it brings in other animation work.

Date Exhibit
2008-2009 Petit Louvre [1]
2007-2008 Goldilocks and The Three Bears (3びきのくま Sanbiki no kuma?), based on a picture book version by Leo Tolstoy.

Panda! Go, Panda!, one of Miyazaki's and Isao Takahata's early, pre-Ghibli films from 1972.[2]
2006–2007 Aardman Studios, primarily focused on their work on Wallace and Gromit.
2005-2006 Heidi, Girl of the Alps
2004-2005 Pixar Animation Studios
2003-2004 Works by the Russian animator Yuri Norstein
2002-2004 Laputa: Castle in the Sky and Imaginary Flying Machines
2001-2002 Spirited Away

[edit] Short films

The museum shows one of the following Ghibli short-films in the Saturn Theatre:

Each guest to the museum is only permitted to watch the short film once during a single visit. The films are rotated on a monthly basis.[3]

[edit] Other features

The museum also includes an animation bookstore, souvenir giftshop and a theme restaurant called The Straw Hat Cafe. There is also a playroom for children aged 12 and below with a giant catbus toy to play in. On the museum's roof there is a garden with a life-size statue of a robot from Castle in the Sky.[4]

[edit] Tickets and access

The museum requires tickets be purchased in advance, either from travel agencies outside Japan or Lawson convenience store ticket kiosks in Japan. [5]

The museum is a 15 minute walk from Mitaka Station. There is also a bus service. From Shinjuku Station in Tokyo it takes approximately 20 minutes to Mitaka Station on the JR Chūō Main Line.[6]

[edit] References

  1. ^ 企画展示『小さなルーヴル美術館』展 (Japanese). Retrieved on 2008-04-03.
  2. ^ (Japanese) The official site of Ghibli Museum, Mitaka in Japan Exhibition information
  3. ^ (Japanese) The official site of Ghibli Museum, Mitaka in Japan Screening Schedule
  4. ^ The official site of Ghibli Museum, Mitaka in Japan
  5. ^ The official site of Ghibli Museum, Mitaka in Japan - Ticket Information
  6. ^ The official site of Ghibli Museum, Mitaka in Japan - Access

[edit] External links

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Coordinates: 35°41′46.44″N, 139°34′13.55″E