Visit the New Studio Ghibli Theme Park With Your Favourite Totoro Toy!
Studio Ghibli, the anime production house that garnered a worldwide reputation with renowned anime films like My Neighbor Totoro, Kiki’s Delivery Service and Spirited Away, has recently opened its first theme park in Japan.
This one-of-a-kind park is being constructed over 17 acres of grassland in Aichi Prefecture, about 250 km west of Tokyo.
Unlike a conventional theme park, there are no rollercoaster rides to take here. The park instead offers an immersive experience into the world Hayao Miyazaki, the studio’s director and co-founder has created with his animated films. The studio aims to provide a unique theme park experience without disturbing the environment by seamlessly integrating it with the Studio Ghibli universe.
An elevator tower that will serve as one of the entrances to the Ghibli Park
Studio Ghibli began in 1985 with the collaborative effort of Miyazaki, Isao Takahata and Toshio Takahata. The team released its first movie the subsequent year, titled, ‘Castle in the sky.’ Although the film didn’t break records at the time, it would leave a mark on the animation and video game industry in the years to come. The studio then went on to gain popularity among Japanese fans in the 1990s that would later expand beyond with the 2001 animated-fantasy film Spirited Away. Not only did the Miyazaki directorial rake $400m at the box office, but it also won an Oscar for the best-animated feature film. An even more astounding feat once you know that the animation in the movie is entirely hand-drawn.
GETTING LOST IN THE ‘STUDIO GHIBLI’ WORLD
The main attraction in the Ghibli theme park is the Big Warehouse which is full of props and scenes from the studio’s best works, Spirited Away included. The Hill of Youth World is a section designed based on their 1995 movie, Whisper of the Heart.
Big Ghibli Warehouseb, an indoor attraction
Fans of the 1988 animation My Neighbor Totoro will love to spend time in The Dondoko Forest, where children can enjoy climbing into tree houses designed to look like the loveable spirit animal Totoro. This character has garnered a special place in the hearts of anime fans globally.
Studio Ghibli plans to expand the park experience with A Mononoke Village based on its film Princess Mononoke sometime next year. Another zone in the park is in line for a makeover in 2024 inspired by Kiki’s Delivery Service. Similar to the Ghibli museum in Tokyo, the theme park has a cinema with a 170-seater capacity within, where they will screen exclusive short-film content crafted by their in-house creators.
Howl's moving castle iconic scene
The theme park expects to attract around two million visitors annually and generate about 48 billion Yen (£ 274 million) for the Japanese tourism economy. If the sizable market of Studio Ghibli’s products and merchandise worldwide is any indication of its popularity, then these numbers are achievable. If not in 2023, then soon after. Tickets will be reservation only, costing between 1,000 to 2,500 yen (approx. €7-€17) per area for adults. Get booking now!
How to get your ticket? Try to get it here at the official website here.