Here’s a Sneak Peek of What to Expect from Studio Ghibli Park in Japan
Good news for Ghibli lovers! The Studio Ghibli Park is finally opened to the public on Tuesday, November 1 2022.
A grinning figure of Totoro is ready to welcome visitors at the entrance area. They have announced the opening on Studio Ghibli’s Twitter with the caption ‘Congratulations!’ and an illustration of a line of figures resembling Totoro’s spirit creature and signed by the company’s co-founder, Hayao Miyazaki.
The Five Sections of Studio Ghibli Park
The newest theme park in Japan consists of five areas. Fans of Studio Ghibli’s animation works can enjoy the appearance of characters from Howl’s Moving Castle to Spirited Away which won an award at the Oscars.
The plush Cat Bus, life-size No-Face, and a number of recreational buildings from the famous anime are all set as Japan has reopened its borders to foreign tourists on October 11 2022. You can get tickets through reservation only but they are already sold out until the end of the year!
The attractions spread over an area of 7.1 hectares out of a total area of 194 hectares in Nagakute, Aichi Prefecture. It’s less than two hours from Kyoto by train. This place features a large open area in accordance with the importance of nature in Ghibli films.
3 Rides Open
Of the five planned sections, Ghibli Park currently only opens three rides. One of the rides that is available at this time is “Hill of Youth”. It is the gateway to the park which has an elevator tower inspired by the Ghibli movie, “Castle in the Sky”.
There’s also Dondoko Forest, which evokes the retro style of the classic film My Neighbor Totoro, released in 1988. Inside, there are country trails and the enormous figure of Totoro.
Main Section
The main section is Ghibli’s Grand Warehouse, which is an indoor park shaped like a hangar with various attractions. There are at least 14 sets inspired by the 13 classic Ghibli films. Visitors can stroll along an aisle designed to look like the opening scene of the movie Spirited Away, or sit in the red velvet seats of a train in a carriage next to a No-Face movie character.
I’m sure after reading all of this, you guys are super excited to visit Studio Ghibli Park in Japan! Keep your eyes peeled for the sale of tickets!
📍Expo 2005 Aichi Commemorative Park, Nagakute, Aichi, Japan
📸Image Credits: Kyodo News, Forbes, Travel Daily, Time Out, South China Morning Post, Bangkok Post, Fodors Travel Guide, www.asahi.com, Japan Travel, The Washington Post, TDR Explorer, mainichi.jp, The Japan Times, Digital Journal, The Storiest
Written By Kartini Kannan
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