This museum may seemed a mouthful, but for fans of Hayao Miyazaki's animated movie, Spirited Away, this museum is another must-see. From the bathhouse to the tram, fans will be able to identify many of the buildings here, for this was where the master drew his inspiration from.

This is an open-air museum set up by the Tokyo Metropolitan government with the sole purpose of preserving designated buildings of historical value from the Edo period for future generations. It spans 7 hectares.

We spent a delightful afternoon reliving the movie, taking in the sights, and clowning around with the exhibits. Ask for an English brochure that provides detailed explanation of the history and origins of the buildings.

For fans, the must-see buildings are the public bathhouse (Kodakara-yu), the House of Uemura, the bar (Kagiya), and the stationery store (Takei sanshodo). Look out for the yellow tram, which brought Sen to the witch's sister in the swamp.

If you have time, explore the peaceful Koganei Park as well. This park seemed popular with the locals. It seemed a little odd to us, after arriving from the snow-covered Hokkaido the day before, to see Tokyo in her autumnal coat. Still, we counted ourselves lucky to be able to see two seasons in one trip.

How to get there:
Take the JR Chuo Line from Shinjuku station and alight at Musashi Koganei Station (third stop after Mitaka). Exit through the north exit across the station and take the bus at either bay no. 2 or 3. Alight at Koganei Koen Nishi Guchi bus stop, cross the road, and walk towards the Koganei park. The museum is located within the park, about a 5-minute walk.

Admission:
Fee (purchase from the vending machine in the visitor center):
¥400 for adults and ¥200 for students or senior citizens over 65 years.

Open from 9:30am to 5:30pm
The museum is closed every Monday and on public holidays.