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Ghibli Museum, Tokyo

Colourful ivy-covered facade of the Ghibli Museum in Mitaka with round windows and lit arched doors at dusk
Photo: lumoplank, CC0, Wikimedia Commons

The essentials in 10 seconds

Ticket
19+ ¥1,000; 13–18 ¥700; 7–12 ¥400; 4–6 ¥100; under 3 free
officialConfirmed by an official source: the venue, a ministry or the operator.
Hours
10:00–18:00; timed entry, leave when you like
officialConfirmed by an official source: the venue, a ministry or the operator.
Time on site
A typical visit without queueing. In high season add 15–30 minutes.
2 h
With kids
Fine with kids
Buying
Advance only; no sales at the museum
officialConfirmed by an official source: the venue, a ministry or the operator.
Sales open
Lawson Ticket — 10:00 (Tokyo) on the 10th for the next month
officialConfirmed by an official source: the venue, a ministry or the operator.
Closed
Per the museum calendar, usually Tuesdays
verifyingFrom reliable travel sources; we are still checking it against an official one. Double-check before you go.
Getting there
JR Chuo line from Shinjuku to Mitaka ≈ 20 min, then 15 min on foot
Coordinates
35.69623, 139.57043YesGo MapGoogleApple

Key facts

Mitakathe western Tokyo city where the museum stands in Inokashira Park
Sourceen.wikipedia
Advance onlyno tickets are sold at the museum
Sourceghibli-museum.jp
The 10thsales for the next month open at 10:00 Tokyo time
Sourceghibli-museum.jp
¥1,000adult ticket — cheap for a museum like this
Sourceghibli-museum.jp
Cinemashows Ghibli short films you can't see anywhere else
Sourceen.wikipedia
35 mm filmthe entry tickets are made of it — each with its own frame
Sourceghibli-museum.jp
Catbusa replica from 'My Neighbor Totoro' — for children
Sourceen.wikipedia
¥230bus from Mitaka station to the museum
Sourceghibli-museum.jp

What is the Ghibli Museum?

The Ghibli Museum is the museum of Hayao Miyazaki's animation house Studio Ghibli. It stands in leafy Inokashira Park in the city of Mitaka, western Tokyo, and combines a children's museum, a technology museum and an art museum, showing how animation comes to life.

A giant Totoro greets you at the entrance, stained glass shows characters from the films, and the central hall with its spiral stairs and bridges looks like a building from the animations. Your entry ticket is a strip of real 35 mm film — each with its own frame. The cinema screens short films you can only see here.

How the museum works

The museum is open 10:00 to 18:00; you enter at the time on your ticket and can leave whenever you like. According to the official site, tickets cost ¥1,000 for ages 19 and over, ¥700 for 13–18, ¥400 for 7–12 and ¥100 for 4–6, with under-3s free. Closing days are marked on the museum calendar.

Inside are a permanent exhibition on how animation is made, a changing exhibition, the cinema, a big Catbus for children, a shop, a reading room and the Straw Hat Café. The rooftop garden with the robot guardian from 'Castle in the Sky' is reached only by a narrow spiral staircase and closes in bad weather. According to guides, photography isn't allowed inside.

What to see

  • Totoro at the entrance and the stained glass.
  • The central hall with its stairs and bridges.
  • The cinema with museum-only films.
  • The Catbus — for children.
  • The Laputa robot in the rooftop garden.
  • The Straw Hat Café.

How to get to the Ghibli Museum

Step-by-step directions are below; the map shows where you arrive.

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Where are you starting from?

We’ll draw it on the map on foot and by taxi; metro and buses open in your maps app. Your location isn’t stored.

More tips

  1. From Shinjuku — JR Chuo line to Mitaka station, about 20 minutes.
  2. From Mitaka station — south exit, about 15 minutes on foot along the river.
  3. Bus — from Mitaka station every 15 minutes during opening hours, ¥230.
  4. From Kichijoji — through Inokashira Park, about 15–20 minutes on foot.
  5. Sunrise Tours JTB — a coach tour including the museum.

Ghibli Museum or Ghibli Park

Ghibli Museumyou are hereMitaka, TokyoAn animation museum20 minutes from ShinjukuAdvance only, Lawson Ticket
Ghibli ParkAichi prefecture, near NagoyaA large theme parkSeveral hours by shinkansenA separate system

How long do you need?

Visitors spend 1.5–2 hours in the museum, or half a day with the café and a walk in Inokashira Park. Arrive at the start of your time slot — entry is by the time on your ticket.

Nearby are Inokashira Park with its pond and boats, and Kichijoji with its cafés. Back to the centre on the same Chuo line — 20 minutes to Shinjuku.

Is the Ghibli Museum worth visiting?

Yes, if you love Miyazaki's films: it's not a poster exhibition but a living storybook world, and the ticket is just ¥1,000.

The YesGo take: the hard part is getting a ticket. Set an alarm for 10:00 Tokyo time on the 10th, expect a queue on the site, and don't buy from resellers — resale is against the museum's rules.

Before you go: checklist

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Tokyo museums: compare and choose

Museums and cultural sites in Tokyo rated by YesGo. Tap a column heading to sort.

Tokyo Imperial Palace621 h 30 minfree16.5 km
Senso-ji511 hFree20.5 km
Zojo-ji4240 minFree16.6 km
Nezu Shrine3930 minFree17.4 km
Yanaka361 h 30 minFree18.1 km
Kabuki-za351 h 30 minsingle act ¥1,600–10,800 (Nov 2026)18.1 km
Tokyo National Museum352 h¥1,000; students ¥50018.8 km
Gotoku-ji3245 minFree8.7 km
Ghibli Museumyou are here262 h¥1,000, advance booking only—

West Tokyo and Shinjuku

The Ghibli Museum in Mitaka in the morning, Shinjuku Gyoen in the afternoon, and the free Tokyo Metropolitan Government observatory in the evening. Add them to your route — YesGo fits in the timing and transfers.

  1. Ghibli Museumyou are here2 h · ¥1,000, advance booking only
  2. 220 min walk from the previous stopShinjuku Gyoen1 h 30 min · ¥500; under 15 free
  3. 30 min walk from the previous stopTokyo Metropolitan Government Building45 min · free

3 places · about 8 h 25 min with walks · 250 min on foot in total

Go · my route

How to do it right

  • Tickets: the 10th at 10:00 Tokyo time.
  • No tickets sold at the museum.
  • Don't buy from resellers.
  • Arrive at your entry time.
  • Nearby: Inokashira Park and its pond.

Questions

How do I buy Ghibli Museum tickets?

In advance only: from abroad via Lawson Ticket, on sale from 10:00 Tokyo time on the 10th for the next month.

How much is entry?

¥1,000 for 19+, ¥700 for 13–18, ¥400 for 7–12, ¥100 for 4–6, under-3s free.

Can I buy a ticket on the day?

No, the museum doesn't sell tickets.

What are the opening hours?

10:00–18:00, with entry at the time on your ticket.

How do I get there?

JR Chuo line from Shinjuku to Mitaka (≈ 20 minutes), then 15 minutes on foot or the bus.

Can you take photos?

According to guides, not inside; outside and on the roof, yes.

How long do you need?

1.5–2 hours.

Is this Ghibli Park?

No, Ghibli Park is in Aichi; the museum is in Mitaka, Tokyo.

Have you been? Was it worth your time?

1 — no, 5 — absolutely

Your vote counts towards the YesGo score.

Sources and fact-check

  • Ghibli Museum official site (ghibli-museum.jp/en) — prices, Lawson Ticket sales, hours, access, bus, rooftop (checked 09.11.2026)
  • English Wikipedia: Ghibli Museum — location, cinema, Catbus, café, rooftop garden
  • Guides — closing days, no photography inside (unofficial)
  • Wikidata Q947907 — coordinates
YesGo editorial team · facts checked 09.11.2026 ·
How we checkedPrices, sales rules (advance only, Lawson Ticket from 10:00 Tokyo time on the 10th), hours, access, the bus and rooftop rules are from the museum's official site. Room descriptions are from the official site and Wikipedia. The closing-day calendar can't be read by script — guides say usually Tuesdays, which we mark unconfirmed. The no-photos rule inside is from guides. We don't retell the films' plots.

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