Japan's Ghibli Park invites visitors to the whimsical world of animation

Tourists flocking to a recently opened Japan will soon have a new destination to visit: Ghibli Park, a sprawling attraction dedicated to the country's most famous animation studio.

Located in Aichi prefecture, the park is set to open on Nov. 1, just a few weeks after the country fully reopened its borders to overseas tourists following more than two years of COVID curbs.

Ghibli's Grand Warehouse

Ghibli’s Grand Warehouse is the centerpiece of the Ghibli Park in Aichi prefecture, Japan.

Ghibli Park lies inside a 194-hectare sports and recreation complex run by the prefecture at the former site of the 2005 World Expo. Studio Ghibli is known for such hits as "My Neighbor Totoro," "Grave of the Fireflies" and the award-winning "Spirited Away."

From Tokyo, it takes around an hour and a half by bullet train to reach Nagoya Station, and another 40 minutes by public transportation to reach Ghibli Park.

The facility will initially open with three areas covering 3.4 hectares: Ghibli's Grand Warehouse, Hill of Youth and Dondoko Forest. The park will eventually have two more areas, one dedicated to "Princess Mononoke," slated to open next year, and another featuring "Kiki's Delivery Service" and "Howl's Moving Castle," opening in March 2024.

Ghibli's Grand Warehouse is an indoor venue covering 9,600 square meters that allows fans to immerse themselves in the whimsical worlds of the renowned animation studio and reenact famous scenes. Visitors can take a virtual train ride with Kaonashi from "Spirited Away" or try to catch Sheeta of "Laputa: Castle in the Sky" as she falls through the air.

Dondoko Forest

In Dondoko Forest, visitors can walk through Satsuki and Mei’s house from "My Neighbor Totoro."

One exhibition focuses on the food that appears in Ghibli movies. While watching a story and image board, visitors can learn why the food always looks so delicious and how the scenes of people eating are depicted in such detail. The exhibition also features realistic mock-ups of some of the kitchens and dining places that appear in the films.

"My Neighbor Totoro" tells the story of two sisters who encounter mysterious beings in the Japanese countryside.

"My Neighbor Totoro" tells the story of two sisters who encounter mysterious beings in the Japanese countryside.

Two areas -- "The House Below" and "The Little People's Garden" -- are dedicated to "The Secret World of Arrietty," with oversized props that make visitors feel as if they themselves are tiny people living in someone else's house. The theme continues outside, where visitors can walk through a garden filled with giant flowers.

Hill of Youth

The Elevator Tower, left, and World Emporium are two attraction at the spacious Ghibli Park, which is set to open in November.

The Elevator Tower is one of several attractions at the spacious Ghibli Park, which is set to open in November.

The Minami-machi shopping street boasts three stores specializing in books, plastic models, and candies and snacks. The bookstore features 400 different titles, mostly related to Studio Ghibli. It also sells children's books recommended by director Hayao Miyazaki.

A 20-minute walk from the warehouse stands the Dondoko Forest. Dedicated to the film "My Neighbor Totoro," it has a wooden structure shaped like the titular character and replicates the rural atmosphere of the film.

A replica of the house of Satsuki and Mei, the two sisters from the movie, recreates life in Japan from 1955 to 1965, with meticulous attention given to details such as period-specific kitchen utensils, furniture and medicines.

The Hill of Youth area is modeled after the settings of "Whisper of the Heart" and "The Cat Returns." Here visitors can buy a postcard at the "World Emporium," an antique shop that appeared in "Whisper of the Heart," and mail it from inside the park.

Entry to the sports park is free but visitors will need reserved tickets to enter the Ghibli attractions.

Adult tickets for Ghibli's Grand Warehouse cost 2,000 yen on weekdays and 2,500 yen on weekends, while entry to Hill of Youth and Dondoko Forest is 1,000 yen at all times. Children's fees are half-price.

The Aichi prefectural government expects the facility to draw about 1 million visitors a year initially, and 1.8 million when all five areas are open. When fully opened, the park is estimated to generate 48 billion yen of economic benefits a year.

Studio Ghibli also operates its own museum in Mitaka, Tokyo, which has become one of the most popular tourist spots in the capital.

Photos and video by Yuki Nakao, Rurika Imahashi and Studio Ghibli