The Ghibli Museum Adds a New Exhibit

Hayao Miyazaki, well known Japanese anime director and creator, was set to delve once again into the world and imagination of a child with his plans for a Three Bears animated film based on Russian authors Leo Tolstoy and Yuri Vasnetsov's work on the traditionally British story. However, he has decided on adding a new exhibit to his museum based on the story instead.

Miyazaki stated "It's impossible to film this story!" (Ghibli World, 2007) after trying for sometime to make the Three Bears into an animated film. Ghibli World reports that Miyazaki worried that he wouldn't be able to do the story justice because in animating the film the production team's views would be embedded into the story, adult views that would detract from the childish imagination that made the story so magical originally. Miyazaki's solution was to allow the children to form their own story through a vivid and interactive 3-D exhibit that used the Tolstoy's book as motivation and muse.

The Studio Ghibli museum is located in Tokyo, Japan and opened the Three Bears exhibit on May 19, 2007. The exhibit is set to run until May of 2008 and Miyazaki's new exhibit is already getting a great deal of attention. The entire exhibit spans two rooms with the first being of the bear's house with a very exploratory feel. The second room deals with the bears and boasts a three meter tall papa bear that seems to be Hayao Miyazaki's own pride and joy accomplishment. To add to the Russian experience that Miyazaki recreated in his work, the museum's café added several Russian dishes to their menu so that children and parents can go beyond the exhibit and experience a bit more of the Russian culture while enjoying the traditional story.

In addition to the Three Bears exhibit, Miyazaki has recently expanded the Ghibli museum to include foreign animation pieces into the Ghibli library. This change took place on May 9^th in hopes of creating a more extensive foreign market and exposure to foreign films in Japan. This news of the new library addition and the new exhibit comes as Miyazaki works to finish his new film Ponyo on a Cliff, and his son recently released Gedo Senki, his take on the Tales of Earthsea story.

Ghibli World. (2007). 22th of May, Miyazaki Brings the Three Bears to Mitaka. Retrieved May 24, 2007, from Ghibli World: http://www.ghibliworld.com/news.html#2205

N.A. (2007). Ghibli's Unproduced Three Bears Film Opens as Museum Set. Retrieved May 24, 2007, from Anime News Network Website: http://www.animenewsnetwork.com/news/2007-05-23/ghibli's-unproduced-three-bears-film-opens-as-museum-set