Shinjuku and the west - The Rough Guide to Tokyo - page 122

TOTORO'S LEGACY
The enormous and ongoing merchandizing success of My Neighbour Totoro , one of Studio
Ghibli's most famous movies, means that cuddly toys of the giant forest spirit and fellow
characters are found in many family homes in Japan and overseas. More significantly, in
1996 the movie's director Hayao Miyazaki helped establish a foundation to save from
development a patch of land adjacent to the Fuchi no Mori forest on the border of Tokyo and
Saitama prefecture. This forest is near where Miyazaki grew up, and inspired the locations of
My Neighbour Totoro . Locals call it Totoro's Forest , and millions of yen have been donated
by the general public to ensure its protection. See the website of the Totoro no Furosato
Foundation ( W totoro.or.jp.) for further details.

There are several cafés within the gardens where you can grab a reasonable lunch for
around ¥1000, but it's much nicer to bring a picnic and relax in the tranquil surroundings.

11

Animation museums
From Shinjuku Station, you can take the JR Chūō line six stops west to Ogikubo ( Ԯۼ ),
the closest station to Suginami , an area long associated with the animation industry,
location for several production houses and where many key artists are resident.

Suginami Animation Museum
ਿฒΞχϝʔγϣϯϛϡʔδΞϜ • 3-29-5 Kamiogi, Suginami-ku • Tues-Sun 10am-5.30pm • Free • W www.sam.or.jp • 5min bus
journey from Ogikubo station, platform 0 or 1
Astroboy, Gundam and many other anime characters are all present and correct at
the well-organized Suginami Animation Museum , atop a retro-looking function hall.
Colourful displays trace the development of animation in Japan, from the simple
black-and-white 1917 feature Genkanban-no-maki (The Gatekeepers) to digital
escapades such as Blood: The Last Vampire . Videos with English subtitles explain how
anime are made, while interactive computer games allow you to create your own
animations. You can watch anime screenings in the small theatre, and there's also a
library packed with manga and DVDs (some with English subtitles).

Mitaka no Mori Ghibli Museum
ࡾୋͷ৿δϒϦඒज़ؗ , Mitaka no Mori Ghibli Bijutsukan • 1-1-83 Shimorenjaku, Mitaka-ku • Wed-Mon 10am-6pm • ¥1000,
reductions for children; advance booking necessary as the museum can be booked out for weeks at a time; 2400 tickets per day; timed
tickets available online or from Lawson convenience stores • T 0570 055777, W ghibli-museum.jp • Short walk (follow signs) or bus ride
(¥200) from south exit of Mitaka station
Three stops further west along the Chūō line from the Suginami Animation Museum
is Mitaka , the location of the charming Mitaka no Mori Ghibli Museum , found at
the southwest corner of leafy Inokashira Park. Beautifully designed throughout,
the museum celebrates the work of the Ghibli animation studio, responsible for
blockbuster movies including My Neighbour Totoro , Princess Mononoke and the
Oscar-winning Spirited Away . Visitors gain an insight not only into Ghibli's films
but also the animator's art in general. There's also a small movie theatre where original
short animated features, exclusive to the museum, are screened. It's a guaranteed fun
day out for all that will probably have you scurrying to watch the DVDs later.

Inokashira Park
Ҫͷ಄ެԂ , Inokashira Kōen • Kichijōji station
One nice way to approach the Ghibli Museum is through pretty Inokashira Park ,
which has a pleasant carp-filled lake, tree-shaded walks and a small zoo. A favourite
haunt of courting couples, the park is mobbed by everyone during hanami season,
when it explodes in a profusion of pink blossoms.