Japanese animation studio Studio Ghibli
My Neighbor Totoro, Spirited Away, The Walking Castle, Kiki the Little Witch, Princess Mononoke and more… These are all colorful fairy tales that Studio Ghibli, the Japanese animation studio founded by manga artist Hayao Miyazaki, gifted to our screens. These popular animations, loved not only by anime fans, but by everyone, big and small, started to meet the real world at a theme park that opened on November 1, about three hours by train from Tokyo.
Spreading over an area of approximately 17.5 square kilometers, Ghibli Park; The Hill of Youth will feature five different areas: Ghibli’s Great Warehouse, Mononoke Village, Witches’ Valley, and Dondoko Forest, but for now, only three are open to visitors. Youth Hill, Ghibli’s Great Warehouse, and Dondoko Forest opened on November 1. Mononoke’s Village will open in the fall of 2023, and the Valley of the Witches will open in March 2024.
All these fascinating locations are based on the studio’s most famous films and are designed to blend seamlessly with the park’s nature. Unlike the theme parks we know, the park does not focus on activities such as roller coasters, but focuses on the guests walking around, feeling the wind and discovering this dream world. In other words, Ghibli Park was designed to make you feel like you’re part of the Ghibli universe, rather than treating you like a visitor.
Youth Hill will be the gateway to Ghibli’s wonderland. There is a watchtower here that also serves as the main gate. The tower contains imaginary 19th century objects that you may recognize from various Ghibli movies.
A former public swimming pool, which was closed in September 2018, has been converted into Ghibli’s Great Warehouse. This part of the theme park is closed, allowing visitors to enjoy Ghibli’s fantasy world regardless of weather conditions. The area includes an exhibition hall, a children’s playground, shops and restaurants, and an exhibition, as well as a small 170-seat cinema.
Surrounded by lush nature, Dondoko Forest resembles a rural landscape from the Showa period of Japanese history (1926-1989) and includes the home of Satsuki and Mei from My Neighbor Totoro.
Mononoke’s Village will feature a real-life reenactment of the town depicted in the movie Princess Mononoke. The design of the Valley of the Witches will be inspired by the movies The Walking Castle and Kiki the Little Witch, both featuring heroes with magical powers. In this part, which resembles a European town, there are restaurants, parks and recreation areas. Visitors will be able to visit Kiki’s family home surrounded by trees and a lavender garden, or even purchase breads similar to the movie from Kiki’s bakery.