Studio Ghibli’s new theme park is set to become Japan’s Disneyland

Studio Ghibli films have enchanted generations. Director and founder of the film studio Hayao Miyazaki was responsible for the production of the most successful anime in the world:

Spirited Away. But many other world-famous cartoons, such as “My Neighbor Totoro” or “Howl’s Moving Castle”, come from the Japanese film studio. To the delight of all fans, the 200-hectare “Studio Ghibli Leisure Park” is scheduled to open in autumn 2022.

The site in the prefecture of Aichi, 250 kilometers from Japan, is almost 200 hectares in size, on which the five large theme worlds of the Studio Ghibli amusement park are to be created. So much in advance: There will be no big rides and colorful attractions like Disneyland. Instead, the park planners are focusing on sustainability and authenticity. Visitors are meant to “walk with their own feet, feel the wind and discover the mysteries of the forest,” according to Ghibli Park’s official website. In order to be able to get a good feel for the fantastic worlds, various shops from the films are also recreated, such as the antique shop from “Voice of the Heart”.

Opening planned for autumn 2022

From November 1, 2022, the Studio Ghibli amusement park will open its doors to domestic and foreign visitors. Founder Goro Miyazaki was also invited to the celebration.

The Morikoro Park site, on which Ghibli Park is being built, may be familiar to some from the Aichi Expo in 2005. Among other things, the house of the two sisters Satsuki and Mei from “My Neighbor Totoro” was built for this occasion.

Theme worlds in the Studio Ghibli amusement park

At the time of opening, only three of the five themed worlds will be completed, namely the Dondoko Forest Area, Ghibli’s Main Hall and Seishun Hill. The missing areas, the Witches’ Valley and the world of Princess Monoke, are to follow in autumn 2023. Director Hayao Miyazaki will presumably be present on the second opening day.

Dondoko forest area

Inspired by My Neighbor Totoro, this area is mostly forest and trees. In the midst of enchanting hiking trails stands Satsuki and Mei’s house, which houses a Studio Ghibli exhibition.

Ghibli’s Main Hall

In the large hall in the center, visitors can enjoy food and drink, learn more about the history of Studio Ghiblis in the exhibitions or take a trip to the local cinema.

Children can let off steam in the indoor playground and climb around on the bus cat from “My Neighbor Totoro” and discover the sky garden from “The Castle in the Sky”. A replica of the six-metre-long airship “Goliath”, which is used by the army to search for the main character Laputa, is also said to be hanging over the entire area. Another part of the main hall resembles the home of the borrowers from the movie “Arietty”. The Borrowers are small creatures who borrow things from human homes to survive.

Seishun Hill

Seishun Hill is the first thing visitors see to Studio Ghibli theme park, as this is also where the main entrance is located. The buildings, whose architecture is inspired by the sci-fi anime Howl’s Moving Castle and Castle in the Sky, are located in the north of the park. Fans can visit the antique shop from Voice of the Heart or a mini version of the cat office from The Cat Kingdom.

Witch valley

The films “Kiki’s Delivery Service” and “Howl’s Moving Castle” serve as inspiration for this place. Here a 16 meter high life-size replica of Howl’s Moving Castle is to be built, inside which you can even enter Hauro’s bedroom.

Mononoke Village

Among other things, the ironworks will be located in Princess Monoke’s village. This is a huge forge where weapons are made by an entire village in the film. Also planned are a depiction of the great Tatar god and other mystical creatures of the story.