Museum
Suginami Animation Museum
How anime is actually made, explained in a free ward museum. Suginami has more studios than any other part of Japan.
The museum explains the production process step by step — storyboard, layout, key animation, in-between, colouring, compositing — with hands-on stations where you can trace a cel, dub a scene or make a short. There is a theatre and a library of several thousand volumes. It sits inside a ward community hall, which is why it looks like nothing from outside.
Why it is worth it
It is free, and it answers the question that every other place on this site skips: how is this stuff actually made.
When to go
Rarely crowded on weekdays. Family-heavy during school holidays.
Good to know
The bus from Ogikubo is easier than it sounds — get on at stop 0 or 1 at the north exit and get off at Ogikubo-keisatsusho-mae. Exhibits and the theatre programme rotate, so check the site if you want a specific show. Most signage is Japanese; the hands-on stations work without it.
Osamu Tezuka (Astro Boy)
How anime is actually made, explained for free. Toei's own museum is a short trip away.
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