Ghibli Museum’s Virtual Tours Are Truly Something Magical

Studio Ghibli is a bonafide institution when it comes to anime, and fans from around the globe have come to adore its charming films. From My Neighbor Totoro to Ponyo, there are dozens of movies under the studio’s belt. Of course, a good few of them come to life in the Studio Ghibli Museum located in Japan. But if your plans to visit the locale were scrapped because of COVID-19, there is hope for you yet!

Ghibli Museum is set to broaden its opening guidelines soon, and it is celebrating with fans around the world. A series of short clips have been shared with the museum’s Youtube, and they give tiny virtual walkthroughs of the area. This is a huge treat considering how notorious Ghibli Museum is about its photography ban. So if you want to check out the museum in part, now is the time!

These virtual walkthrough reels are meant to act as video journals for the museum’s staffers. Fans are given a unique look at the museum in these videos which seldom pop up online. While visitors may be able to take in some of these sights, these videos document the Ghibli Museum in a new and welcoming light.

As you can see, the reels take netizens through an area knows as ‘Where a Film is Born’ which is one of five areas shown in the clips. This area houses books on animation as well as hand-drawn techniques. This is clearly a nod to Studio Ghibli’s fashioned way of animation as director Hayao Miyazaki isn’t the biggest fan of digital tech.

The videos carry on and give looks at other areas such as its famous stained glass windows and cafe. A slew of figures and plushes can be seen throughout the museum with each representing a different film. Kiki, Totoro, and Howl can all be found if you look closely enough. So if you want to see this museum for yourself, well – it may be time to set aside vacation time to visit the attraction once this pandemic rolls back.

Do you ever hope to visit this museum in person? Share your thoughts with us in the comments section below or hit me up on Twitter @MeganPetersCB.