Wan-dering Tokyo

From Ghibli to gachapon, a reminder that delight belongs to grown-ups too.

Just got back from two unforgettable weeks in Tokyo, Japan with my husband Steve and daughter Dylan. It was my first time visiting and a bucket-list trip I'd been dreaming about for years. We had the best time.

Pokemon Center Tokyo DX

One thing that struck me about Tokyo was how much it embraces play and wonder for all ages. Gachapon machines (vending machines that dispense collectible toys in little capsules) aren’t just for kids—adults were lining up to use them too. At DisneySea, it sometimes felt like there were more adults than children. Everywhere we went, people seemed perfectly comfortable celebrating what they loved no matter how whimsical, playful, or delightfully quirky.

As a children’s book creator, I found that especially inspiring. We often think of wonder as something reserved for kids, but Tokyo reminded me that curiosity, imagination, collecting, play, and joy don’t have an expiration date.

Gachapon machines were on practically every street corner of Japan.

We climbed to the rooftop of the Ghibli Museum, watched the sun set from Shibuya Sky, wandered through endless floors of gachapon machines and character goodies, visited Takashi Murakami’s gallery and café, explored the immersive worlds of TeamLab Planets, and yes... bought and ate ALL the things. The best part was watching Dylan experience it all. For a couple of weeks, the three of us got to be kids together.

I took way too many photos and videos during our Tokyo adventure, but here are a few highlights that capture some of the magic:

One of our favorite stops of the trip was a visit to the Ghibli Museum, home to what may be one of the most coveted tickets in Japan. (If you’re planning a visit, reach out—I have a guy. 😂)

Like the films, the museum manages to feel both magical and cozy at the same time. Every corner is filled with delightful little details waiting to be discovered.

One of my favorite moments was climbing the winding staircase to the rooftop of the Ghibli Museum and meeting with the Robot Soldier from Castle in the Sky (Laputa).

Concept drawings, storyboard books, and sketches from the films were on display throughout the museum. It was a wonderful reminder that even the most magical worlds begin as rough sketches on a page.

Of course we couldn't leave Mitaka without stopping by Shiro-Hige’s Cream Puff Factory. The bakery, owned by Hayao Miyazaki's sister-in-law, serves adorable Totoro-shaped cream puffs in flavors like chocolate, matcha, and vanilla custard. Almost too cute to eat. Almost.

Even the Donguri Republic (the name of the official Ghibli stores in Japan) gift shops we stumbled across throughout Tokyo were an experience thanks to the incredible displays. This particular store was located at Skytree Town Solamachi.

My Neighbor Totoro is one of my favorite films of all time. I honestly can’t remember the last time a store display made me this happy.

Another favorite stop during our trip was Takashi Murakami's shop, gallery, and café. I've been a fan ever since seeing his retrospective at the Brooklyn Museum back in 2008. I've always admired how seamlessly he moves between the worlds of fine art and pop culture. His characters feel just as at home in a museum display case as they do on everyday objects like pillows and phone cases.

Fun fact about this picture: the plastic bag I’m holding isn’t full of souvenirs. It’s full of garbage. One of the things that surprised me about Japan was how few public trash cans there are. I spent most days carrying around empty drink bottles, snack wrappers, and assorted kid-related debris until we finally found somewhere to dispose of it.

There’s a cozy gallery next door that hosts rotating exhibits. A life-size statue of the man himself greets you at the entrance.

When I was there, the gallery was hosting a book fair featuring exhibition catalogues and rare art books from museums around the world spanning Murakami’s past exhibitions which visitors were free to browse.

One of the many treasures on display included this hand-carved wooden version of Murakami’s iconic DOB character.

After exploring the gallery and shop, I took a fun little break at Café Zingaro. The menu was full of colorful drinks and treats featuring Murakami's iconic artwork. Hall & Oates was playing as I sat down, making the experience feel oddly familiar yet delightfully surreal at the same time. 😁

Murakami's colorful world is tucked inside Nakano Broadway, a building with floor after floor of wonderfully chaotic, maze-like corridors packed with collectibles, toys, vintage treasures, and pop culture memorabilia from what felt like every character ever created. As a whole, the sheer volume of character goods in Tokyo was astounding!

Tokyo’s talent for finding joy in the unexpected was on full display here: A visit to Unko Museum Tokyo, proving that Japan can turn literally anything, including poop, into a delightful attraction. 😂

From one of Tokyo’s silliest attractions to one of its most spectacular, we spent a day at Tokyo DisneySea. Fun fact: DisneySea isn’t actually owned by Disney. It’s owned and operated by a Japanese company under license, which may help explain why the park feels so unique. The theming is on another level. Every area felt like stepping onto the set of an adventure movie.

This lantern scene from the Rapunzel ride at DisneySea was pure magic.

If DisneySea immersed us in beautifully crafted worlds of storytelling, an afternoon at TeamLab Planets immersed us in worlds of art and technology.

We waded through water illuminated by shimmering digital koi, walked among floating flowers, and lost ourselves in ever-changing landscapes of light, color, mirrors, and sound.

One of my favorite moments of the trip: watching the sun set over Tokyo from Shibuya Sky.

It was the kind of view that makes everyone stop talking for a minute and simply take it all in. We really lucked out with the weather. These Shibuya Sky sunset hour tickets had to be booked two weeks out so there was no way of knowing what it would be like. As the sun dipped below the horizon, I found myself feeling incredibly grateful to be there.

Some of my favorite moments weren’t planned at all. There were always fun surprises around every corner like this rainbow-lit staircase in Odaiba. It was in the opposite direction from the train station when we were trying to head back to the hotel after a long day. Of course I had to climb it anyway.

I came home with a suitcase full of little treasures, a phone full of photos, and a heart full of inspiration.

Apparently, childlike wonder takes up quite a bit of suitcase space. Tokyo, we'll be back. 😁

Keep Wan-dering…
Joyce