A small, hand-made museum in a park, a lake with swan boats, and an alley of tiny bars by the station, 15 minutes from Shinjuku.
Hayao Miyazaki's studio museum sits at the edge of Inokashira Park in Mitaka. It is small, playful and hand-drawn, a world of sketches, workshops and short films shown only here.
Tickets are sold only in advance. Those for the following month go on sale at 10am Japan time on the 10th, through Lawson's online shop, and sell out fast.
Tickets are issued in a name and checked against your passport at the door. The museum is closed on Tuesdays.
Walk there from Kichijoji through the park, past the swan boats. Afterwards, drink in Harmonica Yokocho, the alley of izakaya by the station.
Park, museum, alley.
Be ready at 10am Japan time the month before.
15 minutes from Shinjuku on the Chuo line.
Walk round the lake, past the Benzaiten shrine.
Passport ready; allow two hours inside.
Back by the station for a drink in a tiny bar.
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Only through the official Lawson channel; resold tickets are refused at the door.
JR Chuo line to Kichijoji or Mitaka; a community bus also runs from Mitaka.
Photographs from Wikimedia Commons and Pexels under their licences.
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