Ghibli Park

Ghibli Park (ジブリパーク) is a theme park in Nagakute, Aichi, Japan. It opened on 1 November 2022 and features attractions based on several of the movies produced by Studio Ghibli.[1] First announced in 2017, with construction starting in 2020, the park is located within the grounds of the Expo 2005 Aichi Commemorative Park.[2] It is mainly accessible by the Aichikyūhaku-kinen-kōen Station, which is a railway station at the park entrance. This is the primary place of access as there is no private parking lot for the park.[3] The park will cover 7.1 ha when it is fully complete.[4]

History

Plans for the theme park were first announced in 2017 by Toshio Suzuki, the producer of several of Studio Ghibli

Themed areas

The park is based around five main themed areas, which are based around different Ghibli movies and are located within the grounds and buildings of Expo 2005. Those five areas are: Ghibli's Grand Warehouse, The Hill of Youth, Dondoko Forest, Mononoke Village and Valley of Witches.

Ghibli's Grand Warehouse

Ghibli's Grand Warehouse (ジブリの大倉庫) replaced the heated swimming pool, which closed in 2018.[14] The Air Destroyer Goliath, which is 6 meters long, and the ruined gardens from Castle in the Sky appear at the Grand Warehouse.[15] Inside are numerous walkthrough exhibitions, including a lengthy series of scene recreations from the studio's filmography designed for photo opportunities.[16]

Inside is the Cinema Orion, which shows short films that can only be watched there and in Tokyo's Ghibli Museum.[1]

Hill of Youth

Hill of Youth (青春の丘) is mainly based around the film Howl's Moving Castle, with an observation tower styled to the time period the film is set in.[15][17] This area also features "World Emporium", which is the antique shop from Whisper of the Heart, as well as the "Cat Bureau" from The Cat Returns, which is recreated as a cat-sized building.[14][18]

Dondoko Forest

Dondoko Forest (どんどこ森) is the location of Satsuki and Mei Kusakabe's house from My Neighbor Totoro, which was already built from Expo 2005.[19] The house closed in November 2021 for renovation works, and reopened with the rest of the park.[20] The name of this area comes from the "Dondoko Odori" dance performed by Satsuki, Mei, and Totoro during a scene from the film. There is also a wooden playground on the hill behind the house,[14] which is mentioned on the park's website as "'Dondoko-do' awaits you at the top of the forest hill that sits behind Satsuki and Mei's House".[16]

Mononoke Village

Mononoke Village represents, as its name suggests, Princess Mononoke.[21] It is based on the film's settings such as Irontown and Emishi Village. It showcases models of the many mystical creatures featured in the film.[15] It is also houses a village settlement, a traditional charcoal burner's hut, and an area where visitors can work iron forge bellows.[20]

Valley of Witches

Valley of Witches takes inspiration from the film Kiki's Delivery Service and the wastelands in Howl's Moving Castle. This area includes restaurants and two small children's rides, consisting of a Zamperla Magic Bikes ride themed to Castle in the Sky and a carousel featuring elements of the three films in addition to Princess Mononoke,[22] keeping to the theme of the park having no big rides or attractions. The area also has a replica of Kiki and her parents' home, as well as the bakery Gütiokipänjä.[15][20] A life-sized replica of Howl's Moving Castle, four to five stories high, is the centerpiece of the area.[23]

location	Nagakute
location2	Aichi
location3	Japan
coordinates	35.1725°N, 137.0898°W
mapframe	yes
status	Operating
opening date	November 1, 2022
theme	Studio Ghibli
area ha	7.1
homepage	https://ghibli-park.jp/