Japan's Studio Ghibli Museum Is Now Offering Free Virtual Tours So You Can "Travel" From Home

It's a bummer that our vacation plans have been cancelled due to the Covid-19 situation, but there is hope for your wanderlusting soul yet; Many tourist attractions around the world are offering free virtual tours of their premises, and another place that has recently joined the list is Japan's famous Studio Ghibli Museum in Mitaka, Tokyo.

Read on to find out more!

Photo from @hijessicaanne via Instagram

You might have heard about how difficult it is to secure tickets to the ever-popular Ghibli Museum. Reservations must be made in advance, as ticket sales only open on the 10th of each month for dates in the following month.  People actually camp at their computers in anticipation of ticket releases, and no walk-ins are accepted.

On top of that, photos and videos are strictly not allowed inside the museum, so the magic that lies within largely remains a mystery to those who have yet to visit it in person.

With exclusive virtual tours on their YouTube channel, however, you can finally sate your curiosity and get a glimpse of your favourite anime films come to life - all while saving on the JPY 1,000 (˜S$13) entry fees.

Each tour clip shows a different facet of the museum. The first one features "The Space of Wonder", with stained glass windows and a giant ceiling mural featuring characters like Kiki the witch and Totoro's Catbus.

The next video takes you to one of the rooms in "Where a Film is Born", with old books, sketches, and toys strewn about in an artful mess - giving you an idea of how a film's storyboarding and animation process is like.

The most recent upload brings you on a night tour of the museum, with the main highlight being a mesmerising Totoro-themed stained glass door.

At time of writing, just 3 clips have been uploaded. But it looks like there will be new releases on a weekly basis, so there's much for fans to look forward to.

While the video captions are all written in Japanese, just being able to virtually walk through the charming museum's grounds already brings a sense of wonder. Couple that with the calming instrumental music in the background and you'll feel like you've truly teleported into a fantastical anime set.

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Text by: Girlstyle SG