In Inokashira Park the world of reality and fiction begin to blend near the jet lag fuzzied edges. The scene is too perfect. Are the falling yellow leaves real or has each one been painstakingly hand painted and set in motion a frame at a time? There couldn’t be a better entry to the Ghibli Museum.

And yet, going to Ghibli is not like a Disney experience. They do not try to make you believe that the worlds and characters they create are real. Yes, there is a room with a giant stuffed cat bus for children to play on, but the majority of the place is devoted to the technique of animation and the joy of the creative process. The wonder doesn’t come from magic. It comes from hard work.