Japan, Day 3 – Ghibli Museum & Ikebukuro

| August 8, 2015 | Japan, Travel | No Comments

Japan, Day 3:

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Ghibli Museum

We explored the museum and it’s grounds, and enjoyed a wonderful lunch at the cafe from 12 – 5pm. The playful architecture is beautiful and fun. The only thing I can compare it to is Disney World, but that doesn’t really work because this place is very real and the experience feels authentic whereas the designed spaces in Disney World are obviously unreal. The Ghibli museum is so well designed, and the quality of materials and attention to detail is so divine that it’ll make you feel like magic is real and within reach if we just pay attention to our surroundings.

Studio Ghibli museum entrance and the exterior of the entry hall. This beautiful building blends with nature in a very natural but whimsical manner. The interior of this part of the building is home to the entrance’s reception counter and a lovely wooden stairway with colorful frescoes and beautiful stained glass windows depicting characters from Ghibli films.

 

The roof top garden was a fun place to admire the eccentric building.

 

Feeling like kids in a candy store. So happy!

 

The Ghibli Museum’s Straw Hat Cafe    
    
    

Fan-girling over some Ghibli (video)

 

Karl’s geocache

Found house with grass roof

Apple soda from vending machine 130 yen

  

Bought fancy fruit dessert from Mitaka Station

 

Local train from Mitaka to Shinjuku

 

Purchased baby powder from convenience stand in Shinjuku station

 

 

Took break in room. Tried a fancy dessert. Yummy.

 

Taste like candy toothpaste.

Watched a Street performer  in front of Shinjuku Station break out some Goblin King moves with a crystal ball.

Shinjuku Ticket Office: reserved tickets

 

Train: Shinjuku to Ikebukuro

 

walked around Ikebukuro

 
  
WaraWara

 

This is the guy that started it all.

Warawara experience (video 1)
Warawara: ordering (video 2)
 

Warawara

 

shoe lockers

  

sunken table service

 



    
  

Wandering around Ikebukuro. The first floor was entirely claw and gashapon machines.

 

My first gashapon purchase.

 

 

Train: Ikebukuro to Shinjuku . It was really full this time of night (midnight). 

 

Shinjuku: we walk through this intersection everyday from our hotel.

 

Georgia Coffee – as good if not better than Boss coffee.

 

Another favorite. Not sure what it is but it taste like Calpis water.

 

12:20 back in room

Highlights:

  • Walking through Mitaka city and residential area
  • Ghibili Museum, Wow!
  • Observing fashion, architecture, nature integrations
  • Communicating more with Japanese. We spoke more Japanese today and are getting more comfortable with Google Translate
  • We’re getting better at paying with yen
  • Trains! I never thought I would love trains so much. I just want to ride them all day.
  • Wandering through Ikebukuro and Warawara dining adventure

Continue Reading: Japan, Day 4: Tokyo with the Motohashi Family
Japan Food Journal: Day 3 (Coming Soon!)
Return to Index: 20 Days in Japan

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