There’s no way of knowing when the Ghibli Museum will be reopening. Dedicated to the work of Studio Ghibli—the animation studio that has given us such classics as Spirited Away, My Neighbor Totoro and Castle in the Sky—the museum has been closed since February due to the coronavirus pandemic. And even when it reopens, who knows how long it’ll be before it becomes feasible to travel to Japan. It could be years before fans from around the world are able to make it to the town of Mitaka.
Fortunately the museum has started bringing itself to the people through its YouTube channel. A series of short videos explore the beautiful building, from the detailed artwork on the lobby walls, to ornate stained glass windows, to the room known as “Where a Film Is Born,” an exhibit that depicts the workspace of a boy coming up with ideas for his own movie.
There are currently three videos up, published a week apart each. Based on that schedule there should be a new video arriving tomorrow, Tuesday, May 5. Will it focus on the rooftop garden and its 16-foot tall robot? Maybe the Mamma Aiuto gift shop? Or will it explore the recreation of the Catbus from Totoro? Either way it’ll probably be a pretty neat way to spend 30 seconds or so if you’re a fan of Ghibli’s movies.
You can check out the Ghibli Museum’s YouTube channel here, and watch one of them below. These tantalizing glimpses may not be much, but it’s the closest any of us will get to actually visiting this museum for months to come.