Immersing yourself in the world of anime or manga is one of the must-do activities while staying in Japan. How can you do it? Here are four places that offer such an amazing experience that you might not want to leave!
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Ghibli Museum, Mitaka (Tokyo)
Official Website: The Ghibli Museum
Located just some 15 minutes’ walk from the station a little aside from central Tokyo, you’ll find yourself surrounded by huge forests in the Inokashira Park, where the Ghibli Museum stands. Renowned among Japanese people of all ages, the museum showcases the world of Studio Ghibli’s anime movies. Even if you might not be familiar with the name “Ghibli”, you have most likely seen or heard of some of their movies, including gems like “Spirited Away”, “Princess Mononoke”, and “My Neighbor Totoro”.
Studio Ghibli is one of the biggest animation studios in Japan and has created many award-winning anime movies and TV series over the decades. The museum presents the world and characters of the studio’s works, including Totoro, in front of you.
What You Can Enjoy Inside
The museum was designed by Hayao Miyazaki, the legendary director of Studio Ghibli, who said, “Let’s get lost together”. It’s no wonder that the uniquely shaped facility transports everyone into his imaginary world.
Exhibitions
The exhibitions of the legendary works of Studio Ghibli are everywhere, from the entrance on walls and ceilings to a gallery space and corridors in the facility. Among them, there is a regular exhibition space consisting of five rooms named “Where a Film is Born”. With books and toys on the shelf and sketches and drawings on the walls all over, one of the rooms looks like somebody has been working on their creation until just now.
Reading Room
There is also a library-like reading room named “TRI HAWKS” (literally means Mi-taka, three hawks in Japanese), where you can find a collection of books that have inspired Hayao Miyazaki for his works, as well as carefully curated children’s books by Hayao and the librarians.
Small Theater in the Basement
When you walk down to the basement floor, you’ll find a small theater room with 80 seats, where original short anime movies are played each month. It’s not just about the screen, as the colorful ceiling and walls add to the excitement of the viewing experience.
Gift Shop
After exploring all the rooms and spaces in the facility, make sure you stop by one more place before you leave: “MAMMA AIUTO!”. It is a gift shop, named after the sky pirates in Studio Ghibli’s anime movie “Porco Rosso”. The shop offers a wide variety of gift items inspired by the beloved characters of Ghibli works, including Totoro plush toys, T-shirts, accessories, plates, and cups with different Ghibli character motifs.
General Information
- Opening Hours: 10 a.m. – 6 p.m. (as of April 1, 2023)
*Requires Advance Booking (Official Ticket Office)
- Access: 15 minutes’ walk from Mitaka station (JR Chuo Line)
- Official Website: The Ghibli Museum
Kadokawa Culture Museum (Saitama)
Official Website: Kadokawa Culture Museum
Walking down Saitama, just an hour from central Tokyo by train, passing through a park lush with grasses and trees, you’ll be drawn to a massive rock situated at the center of the recently developed area named Tokorozawa Sakura Town. That rock is none other than the Kadokawa Culture Museum, a fascinating building that houses a museum, a library, and art exhibitions. Designed by world-renowned architect Kengo Kuma, the Kadokawa Culture Museum stands at a towering height of 40 meters and is built with 20,000 granite stones placed asymmetrically, providing a thrilling experience of exploring a secret base filled with comics and more.
Library
On the first floor, you’ll discover the “Manga & Light Novel Library,” which offers an amazing 37,000 titles of comics and light novels to entertain visitors of all ages. Despite Kadokawa being one of Japan’s largest publishing companies, the collection also includes comics and novels from various other publishing companies.
Edit Town – Book Street
The Edit Town” book street is a 50-meter-long pathway that distributes 25,000 titles arranged into nine unique themes. “Full of Images” is an example, which starts with poetry and lyrics and ends with science fiction, mysticism, and magic. You’re sure to come across books that you’ve never seen in regular bookstores and be embraced by brand–new inspirations that they offer along the way.
Bookshelf Theater
A photogenic library space measuring around 8 meters contains 20,000 titles, including publications by Kadokawa. The space is designed around the concept of “playing and interacting with books,” and it also serves as a theater during projection mapping events, providing a 3D experience with the books.
EJ Anime Museum
The “EJ (Entertainment Japan) Anime Museum” aims to introduce Japanese anime culture in an unparalleled way. The museum showcases not only anime works but also anime creators and related products derived from each work.
General Information
- Opening Hours:
Monday, Wednesday, Thursday, and Sunday: 10 a.m. – 6 p.m.
Friday and Saturday: 10 a.m. – 9 p.m.
- Access: 10 minute–walk from Higashi Tokorozawa Station (JR Musashino Line)
- Official Website: Kadokawa Culture Museum
Toei Animation Museum (Tokyo)
Official Website: Toei Animation Museum
Founded in 1956, Toei Animation has produced countless legendary anime works from shows like “Saint Seiya” or “Sailor Moon”, all the way to “Dragon Ball” and “One Piece”, just to name a few. The Toei Animation Museum is placed inside the Toei Animation Oizumi Studio, where these works are created every day, and it displays the stories behind its long history in various ways.
Who’s Pero?
Upon entering the site, the first thing visitors will see is “Pero” standing by the fountain. As an icon of Toei Animation, Pero is the main character in the anime film “Puss in Boots,” based on Charles Perrault’s classic children’s story. Lucky visitors might witness an entertaining performance at the fountain.
Display Screen
A large monitor introduces many of the works that Toei Animation has created over the past 60 years. Visitors can touch each work to learn more about its history and story. Some works are also accompanied by original short movies on the gigantic screen.
Behind the Scenes
The entire production process of anime films is explained through a comparison of different methods. Before anime creation became digital, most works were created using a transparent material called celluloid to animate each second of movement in the animation. A set consisting of a working desk and a chair from the past provides a glimpse into how creators worked hard to prepare thousands of “cel-ga,” or celluloid pictures, to make a single episode.
Exhibitions of Recent Works
In addition to its long history, Toei Animation is currently creating many anime works airing on Japanese TV, theaters, and streaming services. Exhibited in the area are related products and materials from series such as “Pretty Cure,” “Oshiri Tantei,” and “One Piece.” Additionally, the official YouTube channel “Toei Animation Museum Channel” offers episodes of popular works for free.
General Information
- Opening Hours: 11 a.m. – 1 p.m. / 2 p.m. – 4 p.m.
- *Requires Advance Booking (Official Site)
- Access: 15 minutes’ walk from Oizumi-gakuen Station (Seibu Ikebukuro Line)
- Official Website: Toei Animation Museum (Japanese)
The Tezuka Osamu Manga Museum (Osaka)
Official Website: The Tezuka Osamu Manga Museum
Being the most popular manga artist and animator, Osamu Tezuka is known for creating numerous legendary works such as “Astro Boy,” “Black Jack,” and “Phoenix.” Born and raised in Osaka, he is often referred to as the “Father of Manga” due to his innovative techniques, great imagination, and deep insights shown in each plot. The Tezuka Osamu Manga Museum was built to commemorate his achievements and represents the concepts of “love for nature” and “respect for life,” which Osamu had always advocated through his works.
History in 40 Capsules
In the permanent exhibition, the museum displays items related to Osamu and materials from his works in 40 transparent capsules inspired by the life-support system that appears in the “Phoenix” series. The exhibition consists of two parts: “Takarazuka (his hometown in Osaka) and Osamu Tezuka” and “Osamu Tezuka, the author”. The first half features Osamu’s childhood, while the second half goes into depth on his works and thoughts. You will be surprised to find many innovations and developments he made in the manga creation process with exhibitions of actual drawings and charts that he wrote.
Special Exhibitions
Since Osamu created approximately 150,000 manuscripts and 500 titles in his lifetime, the museum presents three rotating exhibitions per year with different themes and approaches.
Atom Vision: Mini Theater
There is also a small theater called “Atom Vision” that offers visitors an original animated movie that portrays the stories and thoughts of Osamu. The movie is renewed monthly, so be sure to come back regularly (if possible). Don’t forget to look up at the ceiling, where characters from Osamu’s works are painted all over to entertain you even more.
General Information
Opening Hours: 9:30 a.m. – 5 p.m.
Access: 10 minutes’ walk from Takarazuka Station (JR/Hankyu Line)
Official Website: The Osamu Tezuka Manga Museum (Japanese)
Summary
We have introduced four of the best anime and manga museums in Japan. If you ever get the chance to visit any of them, we are sure that you will become even more immersed and obsessed with the world of Japanese pop culture.
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