Travel Reference
In-Depth Information
194
a snail crawling up a fence, a dog relieving itself on a pole, birdsong, and a vendor shout-
ing his wares. The village even changes with the seasons (with trees sprouting cherry
blossoms in spring and threatened by thunderstorms in summer) and, every 45 minutes
or so, undergoes a day's cycle from morning (roosters crow, lights brighten) to night (the
sun sets, the retractable roof closes to make everything dark). Of Tokyo's museums, this
one is probably the best for children; plan on spending about an hour here. Don't confuse
this museum with the much larger Edo-Tokyo Museum, which traces the history of
Tokyo.
Note:
Closed for renovations until August 2010.
1-3-28 Shirakawa, Koto-ku.
&
03/3630-8625.
Call for updated information on admission and hours.
Station: Kiyosumi-Shirakawa (3 min.).
Ghibli Museum
Only fans of Japanese animation (anime) may find the
obstacles of visiting this unique museum worth the effort—a required advance purchase
of tickets (either through JTB offices in Japan or abroad, or through Lawson convenience
stores in Japan), admission at a specific date and time, and the museum's location on the
outskirts of Tokyo (a 20-min. train ride followed by a 5-min. bus ride). It's the brain-
storm of Japan's most famous animation director, Hayao Miyazaki, who is to Japan what
Walt Disney is to the U.S., and whose film
Spirited Away
won the Oscar for best ani-
mated film in 2002. As expected, the museum is a whimsical flight of imagination, with
displays related to Miyazaki's films and a reproduction of his studio, complete with a play
area for children, a rooftop garden, and a theater showing 10-minute excerpts of his
work. Disappointingly, displays are in Japanese only, so you'll probably spend just an
hour here. A consolation: On the same train line to Mitaka is the free
Suginami Anima-
tion Museum,
3-29-5 Kamiogi (
&
03/3396-1510;
www.sam.or.jp/flier.htm; station:
Ogikubo), with English-language explanations on the history of Japanese animation and
a theater showing past and current films; open Tuesday to Sunday from 10am to 6pm.
Mitaka Inokashira Park, 1-1-83 Shimorenjaku, Mitaka City.
&
0442/40-2233.
www.ghibli-museum.jp.
Admission ¥1,000 adults, ¥700 children 13-18, ¥400 children 7-12, ¥100 children 4-6, free for children 3
and under. Wed-Mon 10am-6pm. Closed periodically for maintenance. From Shinjuku Station, take the
JR Chuo Line 20 min. to Mitaka Station; then a 15-min. walk or, from the station's south exit, a 5-min. ride
via museum shuttle bus departing every 10 min. (round-trip fare: ¥300).
Jiyugakuen Myonichikan
Fans of Frank Lloyd Wright will want to make a pil-
grimage here. Designed by the renowned American architect in 1921 while he was in
Tokyo working on the Imperial Hotel, the former girls' school has some notable charac-
teristics, including low-pitched roofs and geometric-patterned windows that resemble
Wright's “Prairie House” designs. It's worth taking a break with tea or coffee and a sweet
in the dining hall, where you can admire Wright's original light fixtures. A small room
devoted to Wright displays photographs of the Imperial Hotel and his other works in
Japan. Plan on about 30 minutes here.
2-31-3 Nishi-Ikebukuro, Toshima-ku.
&
03/3971-7535.
www.jiyu.jp/tatemono/index-e.html. Admis-
sion ¥400, ¥600 with drink and a sweet. Tues-Sun 10am-4pm. Station: Ikebukuo (west exit, 5 min.).
Behind the Hotel Metropolitan.
John Lennon Museum
Opened on October 9, 2000, the day John Lennon
would have turned 60, this museum chronicles the former Beatles musician from his
childhood through his early years in Liverpool, the various stages of the Beatles' fame, his
relationship with Yoko Ono and their commitment to the peace movement, the breakup
of the Beatles, his 5 years as a house husband caring for their son, Sean, and family trips
to Japan. It's worth noting that Japanese-only captions mention Lennon's son Julian from
his first marriage or the fact that Yoko had a daughter from one of her two previous
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