Special exhibits on Studio Ghibli’s art and architecture coming soon to two Tokyo museums

For any serious anime fan making a trip to Tokyo, a visit to the Ghibli Museum should be at the top of their list. Not only is the design of the building bursting with subtle references to the works of esteemed director Hayao Miyazaki and his compatriots, the on-site theater also screens Ghibli shorts you can’t see anywhere else, such as the heart-warming follow-up to "My Neighbor Totoro."

This summer, though, two more Tokyo museums are getting in on the act with special exhibits focusing on the architecture of Studio Ghibli plus artwork for the animation house’s newest film.

One of Japan’s most unique museums is the Edo-Tokyo Tatemono-en, also known as the Edo-Tokyo Open Air Architectural Museum. Located in western Tokyo, not far from the Ghibli studio itself, the museum is made up of a number of buildings of historical merit, which visitors can enter and wander about.

From July 10 to Dec 14, the museum will also be hosting an exhibition of background paintings and other artwork connected to the buildings featured in Studio Ghibli’s films, starting with the upcoming "When Marnie Was There" and stretching all the way back to "Nausicaa of the Valley of the Wind," which predates the formal founding of Ghibli itself.

Included in the exhibit will be such plausible structures as Mei and Satsuki’s house from "Totoro," and the Tsukishima home from "Whisper of the Heart," as well as more fantastic creations such as castles of both the in the sky and moving varieties, as seen in "Laputa" and "Howl’s Moving Castle."

Aside from two-dimensional artwork, miniature recreations of some of the more famous Ghibli buildings are also planned to be on display, although the museum has yet to announce which particular ones.

Just a few weeks after the Open Air Architectural Museum’s Ghibli event kicks off, the Edo-Tokyo Museum (which is indoor and focused on art, history, and culture) will hold its own anime-inspired event, an exhibition focused on the "When Marnie Was There" anime and the film’s production designer Yohei Tanada, who also served as an animator on the 2002 theatrical feature "Innocence."

While tickets can be bought for the two museums separately, there’s also the option to prepurchase both in a set for 1,500 yen. While this doesn’t give you any sort of discount, the first 3,000 purchasers will receive a cool freebie in the form of a small sketchbook modeled after the one that appears in "Marnie."

What will save you some money, though, is the triple pack which also includes entrance to the Ghibli Museum for 2,360 yen. Granted, it’s only 140 yen cheaper than the normal price for admission to the three facilities, but with "Marnie" showing in theaters on July 19, that’s money fans can put towards their tickets for opening day.

Sources: IT Media, Edo-Tokyo Museum, Edo-Tokyo Tatemonoen

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