Fan of all things Disney? Fascinated by all of the effort that goes in behind the scenes to create their cinematic masterpieces? Or perhaps you've just got little ones that incessantly sing "Let it gooooooooo!" at the top of their lungs...thanks, Frozen.

If the answer to any of those questions is yes, there's currently a museum exhibit running at the Niigata Prefectural Museum of Modern Art that truly is a must see - aptly titled Disney's The Magic of Animation.

The exhibition here gives you a glimpse into the process of how Disney films are made, starting from Steamboat Willie back in 1928 and going right through to 2016's Moana - and everything in between.

You'll really get an insight into how far technology has brought the world of animation as well. Toy Story was Disney's first full 3D computer generated animation (back in 1995!) and even since then you'll see that different techniques, software and skills have been incorporated into subsequent films.

The event at the Niigata Prefectural Museum of Modern Art has been running since February 17 and goes through to May 13, so you've got just over a month to check it out in this location - admission is priced at 1500 yen for adults and 1300 yen for students.

If you can't get to Niigata before the exhibition finishes, the event is moving on to the Miyagi Museum of Art in Sendai from June 16 to September 30 2018. Photography is not permitted inside the venue.
 

Getting there

Getting to the Niigata Prefectural Museum of Modern Art is easy - if you're arriving at Nagaoka Station, head out the Ote exit and take the central loop bus (platform 8). You'll need to alight at the Kenritsu Kindai Bijutsukan stop. Taxis are also available (and plentiful) at the station if you'd prefer.

by Kim B