AnimeTripJapan

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Studio Ghibli

The moss forest, the port town, the bathhouse and the hill road — all real, all reachable.

Ghibli travel is usually described as the Mitaka museum and Ghibli Park, both of which need tickets bought well in advance. The more interesting half is the places the films came from, and several of them are documented rather than guessed. **Shiratani Unsuikyo** on Yakushima is the moss forest Ghibli scouted for Princess Mononoke. **Tomonoura** in Hiroshima is the port where Miyazaki stayed for around three months while conceiving Ponyo. **The Edo-Tokyo Open Air Architectural Museum** in Koganei holds Kodakara-yu, the 1929 bathhouse the studio's own site names as a major reference for Spirited Away. **Seiseki-Sakuragaoka**, thirty minutes from Shinjuku, is drawn street by street through Whisper of the Heart. And the **Sayama Hills** outside Tokyo are the Totoro landscape, now protected by a land trust set up for that purpose. Four of those five are free or nearly free, and none needs a ticket lottery.

Choose a district

Where in Japan?

Pick a city and we show you what is there for Studio Ghibli — the places, and what is on while you visit.

Kanto

Tokorozawa & the Sayama Hills所沢・狭山丘陵The wooded hills northwest of Tokyo that the Totoro landscape comes from, protected by a land trust founded for that reason.1PlacesTokyo東京Every major anime and game IP keeps its flagship store in Tokyo. Shibuya, Ikebukuro and Akihabara each cover a different part of the hobby, and all three sit on the same loop line.4Places
Asakusa 1Mitaka & Kichijoji 1Seiseki-Sakuragaoka 1Koganei 1

Chubu

Nagoya名古屋The gateway to Ghibli Park in Aichi — the only Ghibli theme park in the world. Osu is the local hobby district.1Places

Chugoku

Tomonoura (Fukuyama)鞆の浦（福山）A small Edo-era port town on the Seto Inland Sea. Hayao Miyazaki stayed here for around three months while conceiving Ponyo.1Places

Kyushu

Yakushima屋久島A World Heritage island of ancient cedar and moss forest south of Kagoshima. Ghibli scouted the Shiratani ravine for Princess Mononoke.1Places
All districtsEverything in one list8Places

Map data © OpenStreetMap contributors

Routes

Tested walking orders, with travel times between every stop.

1 day7 hr

Ghibli Tokyo: Museum and Beyond

A morning museum slot in Mitaka, then east along the Chuo line through Nakano to the Ghibli shop under Tokyo Station.

ghibli

Shopping

Sold in Japan and nowhere else.

Sold out overseas

Totoro Plush, Large (Donguri Kyowakoku)

¥6,600

Overseas $129.99

Common questions

Can I buy Ghibli Museum tickets at the door?

No. The Ghibli Museum sells no tickets at the entrance under any circumstances. Every visitor must hold a date-and-time-specific ticket purchased in advance, released on the 10th of the previous month at 10:00 Japan time through Lawson Ticket, or bought through an authorised travel agent.

What can I do if I cannot get Ghibli Museum tickets?

Visit a Donguri Kyowakoku store, which sells the full official Studio Ghibli merchandise line with no ticket, reservation or lottery. The branches inside Tokyo Solamachi and Tokyo Station Character Street are the easiest to reach. Ghibli exhibitions at Tokyo museums also run regularly and use ordinary timed-entry tickets.

Can you take photos inside the Ghibli Museum?

No. Photography is prohibited inside the museum and the rule is enforced. It is a deliberate design decision — the museum asks visitors to look rather than film. Photography is permitted in the outdoor areas, including the rooftop Robot Soldier.