ok. Its gonna take ages to upload all pictures. Using the hostel's shared computers, of which only 2 have usb 1.1, and the upload speed isn't amazing. In fact its more like 1 minute per picture, since I can't edit the pictures either and they simply are in 3008x2000 pixel size with jpeg set to fine. That said I did manage to upload a few last night, they can be found at my flickr page, here http://www.flickr.com/photos/45387146@N00/ . I'll try to upload some more tonight or during the day, depending on what I decide to do today.

So, the museum was great. As in really great. It's built like some kind of sunken in 3 story building with one floor underground, different colores on the wall, lots of small details that point at various Ghibli movies, and there's several constant exhibitions, aswell as a couple places meant for changing shows. Those were a gallery of an upcoming russian animation that looks like a painting from the romantic era, or whatever the time was called, lots of pastells, everything looked handpainted... And then there was a larger exhibition about Aardman and their figures, and ofc their movies. But who really comes there to watch some european stuff when on the other floors on the other side of the main hall there's the Ghibli stuff.

That stuff is one big showcase of what animation is about, with several rooms that basically form a story and show how an animation is born, from just general drawings and clips and pictures showing anything from boats to landscapes all built like somekind of imaginary kids room full with things that'll inspire and help creativity. Then it moves on through drawings to storyboards, character animations, studying of framing, painting backgrounds, coloring cels, taking the screens of the cels, and finally editing the actual movie. Pretty sweet stuff. Then downstairs there was 2 things, a movie theater screening 2 of a group of movies made by the studyio exclusively for the museum, with them changing around which 2 movies they show every day. And obviously you can only see one movie per entrance ticket so there's like a reason to come back. They also change around stuff inside the museum daily so chances are no 2 visits to it will be alike. Oh and the other thing downstairs was a exhibition room showcasing the birth of film and animation, first with those round things where you peek into a hole and it'll show a small changing set of images, and then with a huge huge 3D model of a tree, lots of totoros and then all that turns around, is blasted with strobelight and it looks as if it's actuallly moving. I think there's over 350 or so 3D figures built in that one to make it work. Sadly no picture taking inside so the entrance is the only thing I took a picture off. Good thing their shop sells a book about the msueum with tons of pictures and background information so I got that too.

Anyhow, after the museum visit I did some traveling around Tokyo and ended up here, with headache and a sore throat. Yay. Decided to stay at the guesthouse for the evening, take it easy and go to bed early. Which was a great plan until an old man came around and started chatting with his granddaughter in finnish of all languages. Soon enough we were chatting away about Tokyo, Japan and what were the good and bad things so far. And in walks this young couple from as it turns out Tampere. So from a nice loong sleep and quiet evening it went into something of a spontaneous Finland meet in the livingroom, prolly scaring the other people who suddenly were onslaughted by 5 people talking Finnish.

Next morning, 8th March, I decided to go visit the highest place in town, which incidentally seems to be not the Tokyo Tower but fairly close to it, the Mori built Roppongi Complex, with the Mori Tower. In his infinite wisdom mr. Mori chose to put his private little art museum into the top floors of his skyscraper. So up the elevator to the 52nd floor of the Mori tower, then escalators to the 53rd and into an exhibition about Laughter in art. Starting with old old figures all the way round through religious paintings to pretty much everything all through to modern day art. Which somehow features some finnish stuff too. Yay again. There was alot of cool things there, like a brain that just jumps around on the floor, or well, lots of artsy stuff... After the museum there's the 52nd floor again, which has been made into a sightseeing floor. So you can walk around the whole building and see Tokyo in every direction. Out with the camera and about 40 pictures of various directions of Tokyo. The aforementioned Tokyo Tower looks really great from here, and reminds you that indeed it's not the tallest place in town anymore. Also mount fuji can be seen on a good day, sadly though there was abit too much clouds and smog so I only got the outlines of it...

After being in a museum I decided to do the proper thing and visit Finland's embassy to do my voting. Jonas W. better do the same in finland... Found the embassy, got to speak some more finnish, and after that little fun venture I headed through akihabara once more, on to Ueno, and then back to the hostel. Which brings us to here, and now. With the cleaning crew in action here I think it's time to head out there somewhere, although it's fairly cold and cloudy... -.- . I guess I'll just have to think of something to do, there's still some places I've not been too yet, I think...