There are only a few weeks left before the world’s first Ghibli theme park opens on Nov. 1.
True to the Miyazaki vibe, the much-anticipated park in Nagakute, Aichi Prefecture, has little of the fireworks or carnival atmosphere of, say, Disney World, offering a quiet, small-scale feel instead.
There are no rides, prizes or humans dressed as bipedal dogs. Instead, discrete houses are nestled peacefully inside the existing dense forest of trees inside the Expo 2005 Aichi Commemorative Park. (According to Goro Miyazaki, Hayao Miyazaki’s son, any trees that had to be removed for construction were replanted elsewhere.)
The park will initially open with three main sites: Hill of Youth, Dondoko Forest and Ghibli Grand Warehouse. The warehouse is the largest space, and has been built inside an expo hall, which lacks some of the charm and quaintness of the other two stand-alone houses. Two other areas — Valley of Witches and Mononoke Village — are expected to open by spring 2024.
The 10 short animations that show exclusively at the Ghibli Museum in Tokyo’s Mitaka neighborhood will also be screened on rotation at a small theater in the warehouse (although it won’t be possible to see more than one short in the same visit).
A major departure from the Tokyo museum is that photography is allowed in most of the spaces at the park. A large wing inside the warehouse displays 14 scenes from 13 Ghibli films, which serve as backdrops that visitors can pose in. What’s sure to become an Instagram favorite is a scene from “Spirited Away,” in which visitors can sit next to No Face on the train, looking just as Chihiro does as she heads for Zeniba’s house toward the end of the film.
Tickets to the park are available through a lottery system and on a first-come, first-serve basis online or in person at a Lawson or Ministop. Representatives have yet to confirm if buying tickets from abroad will be possible, but for now it looks challenging. Tickets bought online have to be picked up at a Lawson or Ministop, or sent to a mobile phone with a Japanese number.
Here’s a further look at what to expect at the park:
Ghibli Grand Warehouse
Dondoko Forest
Hill of Youth
With your current subscription plan you can comment on stories. However, before writing your first comment, please create a display name in the Profile section of your subscriber account page.