Japan Is Saving Studio Ghibli Museum From Succumbing To COVID Dry Spell
Image via astarik / Shutterstock.com
It is with great hope that Totoro will keep his job as a receptionist at the Ghibli Museum. With the COVID-19 situation still unfolding, the famed yet elusive museum hasn’t been receiving as many visitors.
Thankfully, that’s potentially about to change, as the Japanese city of Mitaka intends to offer financial support to the quaint travel highlight. According to a report by Dazed, the Mitaka city council is hoping to raise ¥10 million (US$91,000) to help renovate and repair the Studio Ghibli-focused Museum.
Having previously been shut down due to the pandemic, the museum’s finances have taken a considerable hit—and it’s especially damaging for a closed-door establishment that bans photography, with few pictures to lure the public.
Mitaka will utilize the Japanese government’s Hometown Tax system, which lets citizens obtain goods native to any region in the country by donating to that area. In return for donations, the city will deliver exclusive merchandise featuring a character named Poki—conceptualized by Hayao Miyazaki for the city during the museum’s opening—to people who have made financial contributions by the end of June.
Even though the museum has remained relatively obscure to the public, it made an exception during the lockdown. To lift people’s moods, Ghibli Museum shared a rare virtual tour of its grounds for all to enjoy.
Poki, a boots-wearing bird designed by Hayao Miyazaki, is the mascot for Mitaka, Tokyo (home of the Ghibli Museum). pic.twitter.com/2SSf5eqtLn
— Mondo Mascots (@mondomascots) August 3, 2020
[via Dazed, cover image via astarik / Shutterstock.com]
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