Ghibli Park, a theme park inspired by the works of legendary anime studio Ghibli, will open on November 1, 2022 in Japan. The opening date was announced by Governor of Aichi Prefecture Hideaki Omura, where the park is located, and Studio Ghibli Producer Toshio Suzuki. The announcement was accompanied by photos of the construction site. [Thanks, ANN]
Here’s how it looks.
2022年11月1日火曜日、大安に
ジブリパークオープン
正式発表㊗️㊗️㊗️㊗️
ジブリパーク案内所 pic.twitter.com/VBnuZOPEMO— ジブリパーク案内所 (@ghibliparknet) January 27, 2022
The Aichi Tourism Bureau also took the occasion to promote tourism to the area. It shared a promotional video.
The four-minute trailer called “Play Along with the Wind” shows off areas in Aichi proper. It ends on a visit to Satsuki and Mei’s House. The house is an attraction within Ghibli Park that replicates the residence of the characters Satsuki and Mei. They appeared in the Ghibli film My Neighbor Totoro.
Located within Aichi’s Expo Memorial Park, the attractions in Ghibli Park will recreate iconic locations from the studio’s catalog of films. On opening day, three of the planned areas will be open to the public: Ghibli’s Giant Warehouse, the Hill of Youth, and Dondoko Forest. The Giant Warehouse is built from a former public swimming pool. It is an indoor area with shops, exhibition spaces, and a dining area patterned after the town area from Spirited Away. The Hill of Youth will serve as the entrance to the park. It will house a replica of the antique shop from Whisper of the Heart. Dondoko Forest replicates the rural landscape of My Neighbor Totoro. It contains Satsuki and Mei’s House. Development on Ghibli Park will continue past opening day. Late 2023 will see the opening of the Mononoke Village and Witch’s Valley areas.
Ghibli Park will open in Japan on November 1, 2022, though the Studio Ghibli Museum in Tokyo continues operations. The studio’s films are available on streaming services and via online and physical retailers. Its latest film is Earwig and the Witch.
