Ghibli Museum!

Have you ever seen a Hayao Miyazaki movie? My Neighbor Totoro, Princess Mononoke, Howl's Moving Castle, Spirited Away, to name a few. Damn, they're good. As far as 2D animation goes, Miyazaki and his studio, Ghibli, have placed major benchmarks on the timeline, creating animated movies that rightfully create a sense of wonder in the viewer, age be damned. Miyazaki's pieces are absolutely brilliant.
 Being that they originated right here in Japan, it's no wonder that this is where his work is the most revered, and even today's children know about Totoro, despite that movie being older than I am.

Meet me on the roof!

And so it should come as no surprise that Studio Ghibli has its own museum in Tokyo, and that it's hell of popular. I had to book my ticket 40 days in advance to get in - and when the day came I realized I was scheduled to work.
 So I pleaded with a co-worker to switch shifts with me, and I ended up taking 14 of his hours so that he would liberate me for 8. Necessary measures. I can say I've been to the Ghibli Museum now, and damn was it good.
 On top of being dedicated to the studio's movies, the museum also showcases the origins of animation and the inspirations of the directors. One can even watch an animated short that cannot be seen outside of the theater in the museum itself. The one I watched was called "Mei to Konekobasu" (Mei and the Kittenbus?) It was delightful. But they switch the movie shorts out every couple of weeks. If I went again I'd probably catch a different one.

Couldn't resist the urge.

The museum itself looks like something out of the movies, with the exterior looking like some kind of hobbit mound. It's enchanting enough merely to go inside and see stained-glass windows with recognizable characters, on top of elevators that look like they're made of clockwork. I thought the most enchanting thing was to go inside the one room intended to look like a home-studio, with sketchbook clippings of concept art all over the walls and a desk piled with tomes and pencils and brushes. But the other honorable mention goes to the Catbus playroom, with the would-be life-size cat-bus made of plush that children can go in and jump around inside and on top of. You're not allowed to take pictures in the inside, so the experience can't quite be shared, but man, 1000¥ is a pittance if you're a fan of either the movies or animation in general. Just reserve far enough in advance.