Bit by bit I’m uploading my holiday snaps to Flickr (a job that’s a bit more complicated since I bought a new camera partway through the stay) so full sized versions of the first few are now available to view over there.
Photography inside the museum itself is prohibited though, so my shots were limited to the roof area and those surrounding the site. In a way it takes a bit of pressure off you as a tourist because you instead focus on simply walking around the place without the concern of “…I ought to take a shot of this…” so I can see why such a rule is in place. Anyhow, it’s a perfect place to rediscover your inner child.
At the time we visited, the Museum theatre was playing a short film featuring a young girl who befriends a small Catbus – Kittenbus? – and after some delightful getting-to-know-you comedy moments the two of them take a magical journey. Squeezed up together in an auditorium whose bench seats are clearly designed with children rather than adults in mind, we were treated to a Totoro sequel of sorts, including the sight of not only a Catbus but a Cat-train and a Cat-airship…I wish I’d been able to catch the name of the director (it may be Miyazaki, but a more junior member of the studio is probably responsible).
The Museum as a whole is intended for children first and foremost: there’s no set route around the exhibits and some areas, such as a life-size Catbus sculpture (complete with furry seating!) and a spiral staircase to the upper floor are physically off-limits to adults, unless you’re a hobbit or something. Considering how my introduction to Japanese cinema in general began with the Laputa movie, it was a real moment of nostalgia to come face-to-face with a statue of one of the robots and a mock-up of the control panel from the film…and since they are on the roof (complete with delightful vegetation, which not only sets the scene but also keeps you sheltered from the blistering sunshine) I was able to get a couple of shots for posterity’s sake.
Other highlights included some wonderfully convoluted contraptions that demonstrate the basics of animation techniques with arrays of gears and levers, a mock-up of an animator’s studio with pages of artwork and the obligatory gift shop…which was utterly full of (mercifully well-behaved) schoolchildren. I had to constantly remind myself that this is a kids’ place even though grown-ups are welcome. Incidentally, the gift shop proved that this country is one place that has orderly queueing done up to a fine art…and that’s coming from someone who was born and raised in England, which up until I visited Japan was the Queueing Capital of the world as far as I was concerned.
The only downside to the Museum is that it’s not particularly large – unlike the big names such as Universal Studios and Disney, who have entire theme parks dedicated to their films that you could spend several days in just to see everything, Ghibli instead opted for a modest low-key attraction that’s charming in its own way; fans of their movies will understand why Miyazaki and co built it the way they did.
One more thing: if you’re travelling from the centre of Tokyo it’s twenty minutes by train from Shinjuku then you should expect a walk on foot or a bus ride since cars are strongly discouraged from the site. Again, it’s very much in keeping with the ethos of the place…and of course Mitaka is a pleasant area to wander around. The route to the Museum takes you through Inokashira park and its area of woodland, complete with cicadas – it’s a relaxing way to spend a morning or afternoon.
