Tokyo Day 5 - Ghibli Park
Monday, 11 May 2026 23:03![[personal profile]](https://www.dreamwidth.org/img/silk/identity/user.png){kind=small}
elusivekI keep telling myself, I'm on a holiday, I'll sleep in tomorrow. But then I have my itineraries and then I have to wake up earlier than even when I'm going to work. I had to forego my hotel's breakfast (I've come to enjoy my hotel's breakfasts) and got myself on-the-go food as I was on the Shinkansen at 6:33am already. Once at Nagoya I had to go search for the bus stop - not too far away but a little complicated to get into the building.
Soooooo I went to the Ghibli Park! A friend had mentioned there are places to see that I need to get extra tickets for (because I got the regular pass only) so I toured around the "Factory" pretty quickly. Which, after I visited those extra places, wasn't really special, I should have spent more time at the Factory. Anyway! Today's movie was Koro no Daisanpo (Koro's BigWalkies Adventure). Although objectively, I know for kiddy animes nothing will happen to the dog but I hate... passionately HATE these stories. *Some reason* dog manages to escape home and tries to follow owner's scent and goes after owner - almost gets hit by a car, almost gets run over by a train, etc. etc. etc. I hate it. Yes they reunite in the end but more often than not, that's storytelling. In real life? The dog's toast.
This is where having a friend to holiday with is a good thing - photos!
Honestly speaking, I've only ever watched maybe... 3 Ghibli shows? Nausica was before they were Ghibli and I was actually too young to actually remember. Laputa is probably the only one I've watched from start to end and actually know the story because I've watched more than once (re-runs on the TV). Totoro... coming to think of it I actually haven't watched it. Kiki's Delivery service I watched twice maybe so know more or less, but the one that has the story more clearly etched in my mind is Laputa. Though for some reason I actually like Nausica (despite not really understanding it). Loved the field of gold scene.
That is to say.... all these scenes...... I cannot relate lol.
The staff said this is a new installation. Would have loved to have a photo taken here, like just poking my head out like the girl there.
The staff said this is from On Your Mark. Dunno, didn't watch. I can sing the theme song though. 🎵On Your Mark 僕らがそれでも止めないのは🎵 er,... it's Chage & Aska. Why do I suddenly feel old saying that lol.
Absolutely no idea what these are!
I suddenly came into an empty room with a staff.... with these?
Apparently the staff aren't allowed to help take photos, but since I was first in the room and no other guests, the girl helped me take a photo here.
Only AFTER did I see the cat bus... that is for adults! I can finally go in the cat bus!
So much interesting stuff on the two walls!
Random scene from some show I guess?
The people in front of me offered to take a photo for me. I would have asked the people behind me (I knew they were Taiwanese, and I was planning to give them heart attacks by asking them in Mandarin lol)
I can say I know this is from the Chihiro show but I can't say more.
The milk... wasn't anything special.
Walked over to Witches' Valley.
Awfully nice day.
So I paid extra to see the other 2 places that wasn't included in my pass, Witches' House and the house of some guy. Howl's castle was sold out, so bummer. But anyway, all these extra paid places were no photo areas. I'm not saying I need to take a photo of everything (ok maybe I am), but when I see something particularly interesting I'd like to take a photo and make a note of it. Like the Witches' kitchen there was a corner with all the herbs and stuff, I really wanted to take a photo, but couldn't.
Hey look! Jiji's Family!
Bought some bread from Kiki's Bakery.
The white bread with a flower was yuck. The Canale was normal stuff.
This part is Princess Mononoke's area, and... you guessed it, I haven't watched, so I dunno.
There was a warabimochi thing in the house but I was a little stuffed from the bread.
Oh, then I actually found a hidden mountain trail. I had basically finished seeing everything, and it was still 1pm, the next bus off wasn't until 3pm, so I walked around to see what else there is and found the trail. Half way up was this Wing thing from I dunno which show lol. Nobody here to help me take a photo.
And then I saw this rail car thing...? It was mad steep, but in the car it didn't feel like it. Also I got to sit in the car alone, private trip lol.
Slowly making my way back to the bus station, got ice cream.
Thus ended my trip to Ghibli Park.
Made my way back to Tokyo and then went to hunt for dinner. As I was sitting at the waiting area of a restaurant, what do you know, it's a small world after all. I saw an alumni from my university. I didn't think he'd know me since he's like 3 years before me, but apparently he did. He came over to greet and we exchanged pleasantries. We don't even chance encounter in Macau, yet we chance-met in a random restaurant in Tokyo.
By now I've sort of run out of places to go. I planned another excursion tomorrow and decided to join a day trip on Wednesday, so at least there's stuff to look forward to.
Soooooo I went to the Ghibli Park! A friend had mentioned there are places to see that I need to get extra tickets for (because I got the regular pass only) so I toured around the "Factory" pretty quickly. Which, after I visited those extra places, wasn't really special, I should have spent more time at the Factory. Anyway! Today's movie was Koro no Daisanpo (Koro's Big
This is where having a friend to holiday with is a good thing - photos!
Honestly speaking, I've only ever watched maybe... 3 Ghibli shows? Nausica was before they were Ghibli and I was actually too young to actually remember. Laputa is probably the only one I've watched from start to end and actually know the story because I've watched more than once (re-runs on the TV). Totoro... coming to think of it I actually haven't watched it. Kiki's Delivery service I watched twice maybe so know more or less, but the one that has the story more clearly etched in my mind is Laputa. Though for some reason I actually like Nausica (despite not really understanding it). Loved the field of gold scene.
That is to say.... all these scenes...... I cannot relate lol.
The staff said this is a new installation. Would have loved to have a photo taken here, like just poking my head out like the girl there.
The staff said this is from On Your Mark. Dunno, didn't watch. I can sing the theme song though. 🎵On Your Mark 僕らがそれでも止めないのは🎵 er,... it's Chage & Aska. Why do I suddenly feel old saying that lol.
Absolutely no idea what these are!
I suddenly came into an empty room with a staff.... with these?
Apparently the staff aren't allowed to help take photos, but since I was first in the room and no other guests, the girl helped me take a photo here.
Only AFTER did I see the cat bus... that is for adults! I can finally go in the cat bus!
So much interesting stuff on the two walls!
Random scene from some show I guess?
The people in front of me offered to take a photo for me. I would have asked the people behind me (I knew they were Taiwanese, and I was planning to give them heart attacks by asking them in Mandarin lol)
I can say I know this is from the Chihiro show but I can't say more.
The milk... wasn't anything special.
Walked over to Witches' Valley.
Awfully nice day.
So I paid extra to see the other 2 places that wasn't included in my pass, Witches' House and the house of some guy. Howl's castle was sold out, so bummer. But anyway, all these extra paid places were no photo areas. I'm not saying I need to take a photo of everything (ok maybe I am), but when I see something particularly interesting I'd like to take a photo and make a note of it. Like the Witches' kitchen there was a corner with all the herbs and stuff, I really wanted to take a photo, but couldn't.
Hey look! Jiji's Family!
Bought some bread from Kiki's Bakery.
The white bread with a flower was yuck. The Canale was normal stuff.
This part is Princess Mononoke's area, and... you guessed it, I haven't watched, so I dunno.
There was a warabimochi thing in the house but I was a little stuffed from the bread.
Oh, then I actually found a hidden mountain trail. I had basically finished seeing everything, and it was still 1pm, the next bus off wasn't until 3pm, so I walked around to see what else there is and found the trail. Half way up was this Wing thing from I dunno which show lol. Nobody here to help me take a photo.
And then I saw this rail car thing...? It was mad steep, but in the car it didn't feel like it. Also I got to sit in the car alone, private trip lol.
Slowly making my way back to the bus station, got ice cream.
Thus ended my trip to Ghibli Park.
Made my way back to Tokyo and then went to hunt for dinner. As I was sitting at the waiting area of a restaurant, what do you know, it's a small world after all. I saw an alumni from my university. I didn't think he'd know me since he's like 3 years before me, but apparently he did. He came over to greet and we exchanged pleasantries. We don't even chance encounter in Macau, yet we chance-met in a random restaurant in Tokyo.
By now I've sort of run out of places to go. I planned another excursion tomorrow and decided to join a day trip on Wednesday, so at least there's stuff to look forward to.
