Japan’s Highly Anticipated Ghibli Park Opens After Long Wait

Studio Ghibli, which is the Japanese animation studio behind the film, was founded by Miyazaki, Toshio Suzuki, and Isao Takahata. It is also known for other hit films such as ‘Howl’s Moving Castle’, My Neighbour Totoro’, and ‘Ponyo’ and has garnered an avid fan following over the years.

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— スタジオジブリ STUDIO GHIBLI (@JP_GHIBLI) October 29, 2022

On 1 November, the highly anticipated Ghibli Park opened its doors, five years after the initial announcement was made. Rather than rollercoasters or rides, the space is set within over seven hectares of green parkland within the grounds of the Expo 2005 Aichi Commemorative Park at the Nagakute, Aichi prefecture which will allow visitors to immerse themselves in the wonderful worlds of Miyazaki’s creative mind.

Three of the five planned areas are currently open – Ghibli’s Grand Warehouse, Hill of Youth, and Dondoko Forest – with two more set to open over the next two years. Next year, ‘A Mononoke Village’ which is based on the film ‘Princess Mononoke’ is set to open. In 2024, an area based on Kiki’s Delivery Service about the 13-year-old witch is slated to be completed.

Japanese director Goro Miyazaki, the son of the director, supervised the creation of the theme park.

The main area of Ghibli’s Grand Warehouse is an indoor space with artefacts and exhibits such as the airship from past films such as ‘Castle in the Sky’.

Visitors won’t want to miss out on the chance to snap a picture next to the iconic character No-Face on the sea railway train. There are also huge statues of Yubaba the witch and Kashira, the green heads all from the film ‘Spirited Away’ to marvel at here.

If you’ve been amazed by the detailed food pictured in the animated films, you won’t want to miss out on the exhibition ‘Delicious! Animating Memorable Meals’, which shows the secret behind the films and production materials from films like ‘From Up on the Poppy Hill’.

At the Hill of the Youth area, visitors can then peek at the antique shop and the violin maker’s workshop from the 1995 film ‘Whisper of the Heart’.

A massive Totoro statue sits at the Dondoko Forest and nearby is Satsuki and Mei’s House from the 1988 film. Visitors can enter the house for a tour that offers a detailed look into the animation’s lead characters.

For now, tickets to the park can only be bought in Japan as it was unclear when overseas tourists would be allowed back into the country during its opening.

Tickets are required for respective areas and must be booked in advance, but admission tickets are already sold out until the end of 2022. As travel restrictions for tourists were lifted in October, this is set to change early next year. Start preparing your money, guys!