Day 1 in Tokyo Studio Ghibli Musem

So our first full day was Friday and we had tickets to go to the Studio Ghibli museum. Tickets are hard to get hold of outside of Japan and only a small number are available. When the dates were announced for the time of our trip I was gutted to find out that the museum was shut for maintenance for most of our trip so that only left Friday, Saturday and Sunday to apply for tickets ahhh! I was lucky enough to get tickets for the Friday though.

Our Air BnB had free portable Wifi and can I just say that it was a GOD SEND for the whole trip. I used google maps to plan the train journey and how to get to the places we needed to go. We woke up and ate the breakfast we had bought the night before and headed off to the train station. Our location in Shibuya was perfect and only 5 minute walk to the train station. The train ride was quiet and we arrived at Kichijoji Station. Using google maps we then took a 20 minute walk through a beautiful park and town and made our way to the museum. It was a crazy hot day (about 28 degrees but felt like 32 apparently!)

 The park we walked through was beautiful and we took a leisurely stroll. The museum was easy to spot with its coloured walls and fantasy shaped buildings. As it was Friday it we arrived quite early the queues were short to get in. We queued and went through into a little reception area with stain glasses windows in the doors of scenes and characters from the movies. They have a very strict no photo policy inside the building so I only got photos outside but it really was stunning inside. Because of this rule it meant that everything inside was a complete surprise and a new experience.

We started by having a look around inside and after looking at some of the beautiful displays we went outside onto the sundeck area where there was a snack area and the ‘Straw Hat café’. Both feeling a little peckish we ordered some hot dogs from the snack area and ate those before exploring the rest of the museum. There was so much in there, lots of sets with so much detail and original sketches and drawings. Everything was set out like you were living inside a Ghibli movie. There were 3 outside areas too. They had a roof top garden which you had to get to via an iron staircase, the main deck area with the food vendors and two areas downstairs one out the front with just a small area and seating and then a courtyard type area which had a working water pump. It was made to look like a courtyard to a little house, with beautiful flowers and logs.

After exploring the whole place we decided to try our first proper Japanese food (not McDonalds or Hot dogs) and went to the Straw Hat Café. There was a pretty big queue and they let people in, in batches. However they had a lovely seating area outside and although the day started to get a little cooler it was still beautiful and warm so sitting outside was lovely.

We got in within 45 minutes max and the inside was super spacious and cute. We picked to have the ‘Straw Hat Omelette Filled with Fried Rice’ and choose to have an iced coffee. The food came out on the cutest Totoro themed plate which I wanted to steal so badly and the food was super cute and super tasty too!

After we ate we took a look round the shop where I bought far too many pins for my jacket and a few other bits. The shop just like the rest of the museum was cute and just like being inside a Ghibli movie. I then dragged Matt all over again in search of the giant Totoro I had seen in peoples photos and I COULD NOT find him! We left shortly after that feeling defeated as we left we went round the opposite way we had come in and TOTORO was there outside! 

As it was still quite early (I think it was around 3/4pm) we decided to go and explore the park a little more. We found a lake and shrine and walked along there. Also I forgot to mention before now about the vending machines. I knew they had a lot in Japan BUT SERIOUSLY they were everywhere and they were amazing too! I bought so many drinks while we were out there and SO many sugary drinks… they have amazing flavours and Matt and I started to refer to them as fizzle drinks.

The weather started to change and it started getting quite cool and the Jet Lag and lack of sleep started to catch up on us so we headed back to Shibuya. We dropped our stuff off to our room and then after relaxing for a little bit and few phone calls home we headed out to a Ramen place to get some dinner. There was a big queue and loads of people were out partying as it was Friday night. We got in within an hour though and ordered out food via a machine. Then you go inside and sit at individual booths where the people making the food open up a little hatch take your ticket and then give your food back through the hatch.

The Ramen was SOOOOOO good it really was delicious. I really enjoyed it! We ate pretty quickly and headed out to explore more of Shibuya played on some arcade machines (if you like arcade places you are in luck in Tokyo they are everywhere!). A quick stop of at 7Eleven again and we headed back to get a good nights sleep! Before I knew it day 1 was done!