Studio Ghibli fans, REJOICE! Studio Ghibli has announced that the first Ghibli Park in Japan will open on 1st November 2022. How exciting!
It is located within the Expo 2005 Aichi Commemorative Park in Nagakute city near Nagoya. If you were to hop on a train from Tokyo, it would take you about three hours to reach the park.
So far, the theme park will be divided into five areas which are Hill of Youth, Ghibli's Large Warehouse, Mononoke's Village, Valley of Witches and Dondoko Forest. If you're huge fans of Studio Ghibli movies, here's what you can expect from the Ghibli park.
> Hill Of Youth
Located close to the Expo 2005 Aichi Commemorative Park's north entrance, the Hill of Youth is the gateway to this Ghibli wonderland.
> Ghibli's Large Warehouse
It is said that the Ghibli's Large Warehouse used to be a public swimming pool. They transformed the place and it is three times bigger than the Ghibli Museum in Tokyo's Mitaka neighbourhood.
> Mononoke's Village
A real-life Tatara-ba, the Irontown shown in the 'Princess Mononoke' movie will be included in the park. That is so cool! Can't wait to see it.
> Valley Of Witches
The design of the Valley of Witches draws inspiration from 'Howl's Moving Castle' and 'Kiki's Delivery Service' (1989). You'll be able to visit Kiki's family home that's surrounded by trees and a lavender garden.
There will also be a real-life, 16m tall version of 'Howl's Moving Castle', with moving cannons resembling eyeballs. The fun part is that visitors inside the castle are welcome to take a peek into the magician's quirky bedroom.
> Dondoko Forest
The Dondoko Forest will resemble a rural landscape from the Showa period (1926-1989) and features Satsuki and Mei's house from 'My Neighbor Totoro'. Another exciting part is that there will be a 5.2m tall Totoro and it can accommodate up to five children at a time.
HOW TO GET TICKETS?
Entry to the Expo 2005 Aichi Commemorative Park itself will remain free, but each area in the Ghibli Park has its own entry fee. Click here to know more about the tickets.
All these attractions are based on the studios most famous flicks and will blend in seamlessly with the existing nature in the park. Are you excited for this theme park to open because we can't wait for it.
