Our Studio Ghibli Experience

My daughter and I are avid fans of Studio Ghibli. We have both watched a lot of Studio Ghibli movies countless of times and we could repeat the dialogues over and over. You can now imagine how fanatic we are of Studio Ghibli!

So, it is a dream come true to visit the place where beautiful Japanese animation started. Well, technically, it's the museum but to be in that place is just magical! So, when we finalized the plan to travel to Tokyo as early as October, I booked our Studio Ghibli Museum entrance tickets in advance because you couldn't enter the museum without the voucher of the paid entrance pass and booking.

Studio Ghibli is a Japanese animation production company created in 1985 by Hayao Mizayaki and Isao Takahata. It is the famous studio behind the animation releases like Howl's Moving Castle, Kiki's Delivery Service, My Neighbor Totoro, Grave of the Fireflies, The Cat Returns and many more. The English-dubbed version of the movies were dubbed by famous Hollywood thespians like Christian Bale (Howl in Howl's Moving Castle), Billy Crystal (Calcifer in Howl's Moving Castle), Kirsten Dunst as Kiki, Anne Hathaway as Haru in the Cat Returns. They are just few amongst the top actors and actresses who lent their voice in the English version which were all released by Disney.

I guess you can see by the pictures I have posted here how wonderful we felt stepping in the realms of our beloved Studio Ghibli Museum. I compare the feeling to stepping inside Disneyland, the happiest place in the planet. And yes, even if I am exaggerating, I cannot put into words the happiness my daughter and I felt being there, soaking all the wonders and beauty of the museum even for just few hours. It was worth it!

We started our journey in the morning of Dec. 4, 2013. We left Shinjuku around 9 a.m. and caught the JR Chuo line train going to Mitaka. It wasn't really hard to find because as soon as you exit the Mitaka train station, you could see the sign leading to the exit to Studio Ghibli area.  We just followed that direction and saw a very big, yellow and super cute bus that really stood out from the other buses around. It was the bus that would take you to Studio Ghibli. I forgot how much the fare was.

It was brief ride from the Mitaka train station to Studio Ghibli. We passed by residential areas and small stream and there are markers that show how far Studio Ghibli is which is fitting to Studio Ghibli's norm - cute and antiquated!

Alas, we reached Studio Ghibli and we started taking pictures here and there! There's a big Totoro stuffed doll inside a ticket booth for decoration purposes. The entrance was actually in the other direction where the big Totoro was. People just loved that area because of the photo op with Totoro.

Our voucher was exchanged to 3 film reels of famous Studio Ghibli movies which are ours as keepsake.

Picture taking is not allowed once inside so I can't share anything about the wonders we saw inside. The museum is like a big mansion with several rooms to explore. There is a coffee shop and playroom for the little tykes around. There is also a souvenir shop in the higher floor and I bought several keychains, pin and face towel.

I don't mind going back to Studio Ghibli, probably stay a bit longer and maybe watch some of the movies inside too.

If you're planning to visit Tokyo anytime soon, please include Studio Ghibli in your itinerary. It is certainly something you shouldn't miss. I bought my museum pass from UK and the voucher was sent to me via Royal Mail. Just visit this site for more info and depending on which country you are in. Don't forget to arrange for your Studio Ghibli Museum pass even before you arrive in Japan. There are also outlets that sell the tickets but you'll never know if the dates you prefer are fully booked if you buy during your vacation in Japan. I say, plan it and purchase it in advance that will fit within your scheduled vacation in the Land of the Rising Sun.

Our Studio Ghibli Vouchers Are Here!

All's well that ends well! I am happy because the much awaited Studio Ghibli Museum voucher is finally delivered. I got the voucher today via mail at the office and I am certainly squealing in delight!

This voucher is very crucial to our trip to Japan because we really want to visit Studio Ghibli. It is a part of our itinerary simply because my daughter and I are big fans of their movies (eg. Howl's Moving Castle, Spirited Away, Kiki's Delivery Service, My Neighbor Totoro) and this will be the highlight to my daughter's exposure to graphic animation - the course she will pursue in college.

Anyways, the crux of the matter is, I have the voucher with me and we will be exchanging this voucher to the ticket outlet there. Studio Ghibli will exchange it to a portion of their movies' reel like a souvenir token.

Oh, I am so excited! I wish it's December 4 already!!!

Studio Ghibli Tickets Are On Their Way

Well, this is an update on my recent post about our Studio Ghibli Museum tickets going MIA. After I called the office in UK, I also sent another email reminder to their other office handling the Japanese tours and packages section.

I am quite relieved and surprised to know about the status of our tickets. I am relieved that the tickets was sent last week. And I am surprised to know that they only got my payment details and not the shipping details. I could have sworn that I entered all the required details as the electronic form would now save unless shipping details were provided. No wonder there were no pending tickets in their office because no one had processed my orders!

I am happy that the JTB UK is professional enough to handle my request for immediate dispatch of the tickets. I do hope I receive them on time. I could have asked them to levy my shipping charges for the hassle I have been through but I didn't. I am not that kind of person. However, the tickets better reach Dubai in time for our trip or else...

Studio Ghibli Museum Tickets

Studio Ghibli is in our itinerary of places to visit in Tokyo. It's located in Mitaka and not too far from the city centre. I bought the tickets for the 3 of us last 9 October. It is mandatory to reserve in advance as this museum is exclusive and does not allow walk-in guests.

I purchased the tickets from JTB UK Ltd. via online. I am just getting a bit worried now because we haven't received the tickets yet and we need to bring those with us when we travel to Japan this December.

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Anyway, I called the UK office of JTB and asked for the whereabouts. Unfortunately, they do not use registered mails for such so there is no guarantee, really? What will we do then if we don't get the tickets on time and normal postal delivery takes 2 weeks? I will go berzerk!

(Photo credit: yahoo images)

Tokyo, Japan It Is!

My family and I have zeroed in on our family trip destination this December - Tokyo, Japan! Finally, after countless times of revising the budget and all. The Europe tour will be too costly and if we go to Japan, we will spend only a small fraction of the amount the whole Europe tour will cost. So, it was a fair and wise decision made.

I have practically skipped major trips this year except for the Niagara vacation last March/April to ensure that we will have enough budget to go around for the December family vacation. It is my daughter's wish to travel to Europe before she goes back home for her college schooling but the whole thing is just too expensive. I'm glad that even if we won't see the Christmas Markets in Europe this year, she will be able to visit her dream studio of anime films - Studio Ghibli! I am excited too as I watch most of their film works and they are all great.

So there, it will Japan this time. Perhaps we can save more next time for a European tour. It's been a long time since we set foot in Europe but I guess, being pragmatic is more important to us. Anyway, I'll be checking some items in my bucket list even if we go to Japan this year.

Here we come, Japan!

Ease In The Application Of Visa In Japan For Southeast Asians

The news about Japan's move to relax application of some Asian nationalities who wish to visit their country for tourism is well accepted by everyone. I am one of those who are very ecstatic about the news because my family and I have been planning a vacation in Japan for some time. For some reason, it gets getting delayed or shelved temporarily due to the tight visa application process. So, effective July 1, 2013, the ruling for some Asian nationalities like the Philippines, Malaysians, Thais and Indonesians can apply for multiple entry visa. While citizens of Thailand and Malaysia can now visit Japan to a maximum of 15 days without having to apply for a visa but the visa may not be extended. Meanwhile, Filipinos and Vietnamese citizens can now apply for a multiple-entry visa valid for 3 years which was normally granted to few privileged countries.

Japan's move to entice travelers to visit the country is really a brilliant one as more and more Asean nationals are enjoying the perks of traveling. There is a significant boom on the travel industry in the Asean region and Japan will benefit from this.

My family and I are already considering a trip in the offing this May 2014, just in time for my daughter's move to college. It is her request to travel to Japan before she goes back home in the Philippines and I am willing to give her that gift so I can also fulfill my bucket list.

There are plenty of beautiful places to see in the Land of the Rising Sun. My daughter and I have been brushing up with our conversational and reading skills in Nihongo so our immersion trip with the culture will be very appreciated. Not only that, we will time the vacation during the Sakura festival because my daughter and I love Cherry Blossoms so much. I have seen them bloom in New York but my daughter has yet to see them up close. And what better way to view those magnificent flowers is to visit where they originated! Another attraction my daughter will not let pass is the chance to visit the Studio Ghibli. For those who are new to anime, Studio Ghibli is the famous animators behind the films' Howl's Moving Castle, Kiki's Delivery Service, Totoro and so many more which were dubbed by famous Hollywood actors and actresses. Thinking of all the things and places we will see in Japan is already making me excited!

I have been researching the internet with specific keywords like places to visit japan or japan's tourism or things to see and do in japan to yield results that will help me plan the whole trip and squeeze in everything we can in less than 15 days. I know that with the new rule for visa application for our nationalities, I can always come back and see more of what Japan has to offer.

Nihonde wa, koko de wareware wa kite! 日本では、ここで我々は来て! See you soon!