Let's Lose Our Way Together

Before heading out to Mitaka where Studio Ghibli Museum, 

I had this oishi (delicious) bowl of ramen.

Studio Ghibli Museum Gate

This tour is the highlight of this trip. The main reason for coming to Japan is this. THIS! This is my Disneyland. Having been a huge fan of Hayao Miyazaki and Studio Ghibli films, this pilgrimage is a dream come true. It is quite a surreal feeling being here...I still haven't come down from the stellar heights of this adventure...

The Studio Ghibli Museum Crest

The entrance to the museum grounds...yonder looms the Robot Soldier
from the film, Laputa: Castle in the Sky

Totoro at his part time job ^_^

Totoro-san, ni mae de onegai shimasu!
(Two tickets, please Mr. Totoro!)

Look! The susuwatari (traveling soot) are trapped!


Trying to out-cute Totoro, failing miserably.

This foliage wrapped twining staircase is very reminiscent of the ruins in Castle of the Sky

Now time to enter the museum! Our tickets included a strip from the film which makes
a really perfect omiyage (souvenir). Mine has the scene with old Sophie and Markl from the movie Howl's Moving Castle.

photo cred: interior shots from postcards from the gift shop.
You can't take photos inside the museum.

The ceiling fresco painting in the entrance hall

The main hall that was inspired by the bath house scene in Spirited Away

The four-dimensional clay My Neighbor Totoro zoetrope, part of the permanent Zoetrope exhibit.
This one has to be seen in action!

Catbus! No adults allowed, only children are allowed to play and scamper around Catbus.

Stained glass windows depicting scenes from Studio Ghibli movies

The Imagination Place where all stories are made...

 Al fresco cafe under the pine leaves...

The Day I Harvested A Star is a 15 minute animation that can only be viewed at the museum's Cinema Saturno. We made sure not to miss it even though there were still so many things we wanted to look at, but this was top priority!

I managed to get the storybook from the gift shop called Mamma Aiuto.

 Castle in the Sky's Robot Soldier found me!

...then Thad tried to fix him

Checking out the Core Stone Key Cube that fell on the roof of the museum.

View from the top

Wouldn't it be nice if all manhole covers looked like this guy?

I couldn't leave this place of wonder and amazement without going through the gift shop. I finally got the soundtrack CD of Howl's Moving Castle (which was a bit pricey) and some other stuff... ^_^

Dusk...

It was already dark when we left the museum. I'd like to think neko-chan (kitty cat, I'd presume from The Cat Returns) ) peering from the window was silently bidding us farewell...

Losing my way physically causes me stress! That's why I hate driving to anywhere most especially to routes unfamiliar. Hayao Miyazaki, lead creator of Studio Ghibli films who conceived the museum design himself lives his life by his words, "Let's lose our way together." I can totally subscribe to this in terms of not limiting one's imagination on anything about the art of living. Coming here is the zenith of our trip. I feel like I have done everything and seen everything. That is not actual truth for there are still myriads of places to go and get lost in. Thankfully, I have Thad, who always manages to get us where we need to be. As I am writing this, I am welling up just at the weight of giddiness from experiencing this. Wherever it is you feel you have to see,  at least for just even once in your life, go do it. You owe it to yourself.  It is something you will always treasure...and when you reminisce about it that is when people notice the twinkle in your eye...
This magic I will carry with me until I'm old and wizened.

Till next time-- our night in Roppongi, holly up!