Katie's Birthday

Yesterday, June 13, was Katie's 17th birthday. She called her family on Skype, who were surprised that it was her birthday.  That international date line can be so confusing!!  Katie later wondered if she was really 17 since she was born in a different time zone.

Katya and Katie (on her birthday) at the Ghibli Museum

With just a bit of help from me, Katya figured out the trains to take on the subway on Wednesday morning.  We hadn't told Katie that our first destination was the Ghibli Museum in Mitaka City, although she suspected.  We got there easily enough after a half hour or so on the train.  The train station was bustling, although not as much as Shinjuku or Tokyo stations, but after we exited, we soon found ourselves on a lovely, quiet residential street facing a deep green tree-lined canal, where people were walking their dogs and bicycling here and there.  Most of the buildings were plain, but there were a few which were decorated in striking colors.  There were even some houses which were quite large.  Of course, as is true everywhere in Japan, there was not a speck of litter anywhere and everything was neat and orderly.  As we turned onto a main street bordering Inokoshira Park, we found a bit more street traffic, but also French and Italian restaurants and a few upscale shops.  After walking about 15 minutes from the station, we arrived at the irregularly shaped Ghibli Museum just in time for the 10:00 opening.  I didn't know what to expect, but the girls were excited.  For those of you, like me, who are in the dark, the museum showcases and explains the work of Studio Ghibli.  The famous Japanese animator, Hayao Miyazaki, designed the museum himself, using drawn storyboards similar to the ones he makes for his films. The design was influenced by European architecture, such as the hilltop village of Calcata in Italy. Miyazaki's aim was to make the building itself part of the exhibit.  It is colorful and eclectic inside and outside.  I was most impressed with the rooms full of books on a wide variety of subjects, mostly in English, and the actual colorful sketches, completed paintings and cells.  His work is quite vivid and fanciful and filled with luminosity.

After buying some food quickly (more stuff from a bakery) at the station, we caught a train back to the main part of Tokyo, destination:  Edo-Tokyo Museum.  I'll post more about the rest of the day later.  We are leaving Tokyo soon, en route to Nikko. -- Sherri