Animations by Hayao Miyazaki (宮崎駿)

One of the greatest modern Japanese exports (among other impressive achievements) is the animation films created by Hayao Miyazaki and the Ghibli Studio. The studio won its fame in the animation world in the late 80s, and has since created many world famous classics such as My Neighbor Totoro, Princess Mononoke, Spirited Away and Howl's Moving Castle.

Hayao Miyazaki announced his retirement at the 2013 Venice Film Festival, leaving fans around the world with his final masterpiece - The Wind Rises, a historical fantasy with reference to the war time era and a more historical and political flavor compared to other previous works.

Popular among children and adults, Ghibli is now a major global brand akin to Walt Disney or Pixar in the US.

For fans and visitors to Tokyo, there is even a museum dedicated to Ghibli's film making, a place worth a visit especially for family visitors with young children. The Ghibli museum, situated in a park at the outskirts of Tokyo takes visitors into the world of Hayao Miyazaki, through the magical journey of animation creation.

Tickets are often sold out weeks and months in advance, visitors are advised to book their tickets through appointed local country agents before visiting the museum. The museum gift shop offers a wide range of cute merchandises. Be warned, this shop is always packed with people.

p.s. At the park you will see many Japanese exercising. One strange observation is that there seems to be lots of people jogging at lunch time when the heat is at its peak. Is there a reason for this I wonder?