A dream for any anime superfans, a Studio Ghibli theme park is opening in 2022, and we can now get a first look at what it’s going to be like.
Situated near Nagoya, Japan, the Studio Ghibli amusement park’s front gate will reflect the designs of Howl’s Moving Castle. There will also be a ‘Big Ghibli Warehouse’ with exhibition spaces, a theatre, and play areas. As Kotaku reports, it will also feature a replica of Whisper of the Heart’s antique shop and attractions based on the stories of Howl’s, My Neighbour Totoro, and Kiki’s Delivery Service. Areas of the park are called ‘Dondoko Forest’ (a nod to Totoro), ‘Witch Valley’, and ‘Princess Mononoke village’. Fantastical installations of spirits – spiders, boars, and more – will be erected throughout the park.
New images from the local government illustrate the proposed plans for the theme park.
The legendary Japanese animating house, created by Hayao Miyazaki and Isao Takahata, already has the very popular Ghibli museum, situated just outside of Tokyo.
This new park will be built on the Expo 2005 Aichi Commemorative Park, according to the Aichi government. Projected costs have not been released.
We recently reported that Ghibli co-founder Isao Takahata, the filmmaker behind The Tale of Princess Kaguya (2014), Grave of the Fireflies (1988), Only Yesterday (1991), and more magical films, passed away aged 82. Miyazaki recently began screening Boro the Caterpillar, his first anime in five years, at the Ghibli museum. Ex-Ghibli staffer Hiromasa Yonebayashi, who created When Marnie Was There and The Secret World of Arrietty, recently released his dazzling Mary and the Witch’s Flower with his new company, Studio Ponoc.
