Highly anticipated Studio Ghibli theme park releases new images, official website

Ghibli Park, a theme park from animation house Studio Ghibli under construction in Japan, recently launched its official website.

“Welcome to the great warehouse of Studio Ghibli’s secrets and iconic architectures you have seen in the films,” the website’s main page reads.

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According to the site, Ghibli Park, which is located at Aichi Expo Memorial Park in Nagakute, Aichi, is inspired by the beloved films of Hayao Miyazaki and his animation studio.

While there are no rides in the theme park, visitors are free to “take a stroll, feel the wind and discover the wonders” of the Ghibli film-based attractions.

“The first phase of construction includes ‘Ghibli’s Grand Warehouse,’ ‘Hill of Youth’ and ‘Dondoko Forest,’” the description continues. “Ghibli’s Grand Warehouse is an indoor facility that stores all of the studio’s secrets, from large to small artifacts and exhibits from past Studio Ghibli movies. You will find from fantasy-filled exhibitions such as Robot Soldier, Cat Bus, and kid-sized film studio exhibitions, to materials and resources that reveal the secrets of Studio Ghibli films.

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“On the Hill of Youth, there stands World Emporium, the antique shop from Whisper of the Heart,” it added. “In Dondoko Forest, ‘Dondoko-do’ awaits you at the top of the forest hill that sits behind Satsuki and Mei’s House.”

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On Jan. 27, Aichi Governor Hideaki Ōmura and Studio Ghibli producer Toshio Suzuki announced on Twitter that the theme park’s opening would be scheduled for the beginning of November.

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The tourism board of Japan’s Aichi Prefecture previously shared photos of the attractions under construction at the Aichi Expo Memorial Park and launched another website featuring a promotional video in which a young girl is led to Satsuki and Mei’s House from the 1988 film “My Neighbor Totoro.”

The website also included its work gallery and information regarding its production and staff.

While the Ghibli Park’s first few attractions — the Grand Warehouse, Hill of Youth and Dondoko Forest — are set to open on Nov. 1, the Valley of Witches, inspired by the 1989 film “Kiki’s Delivery Service,” and Mononoke Village, inspired by 1997 film “Princess Mononoke,” are expected to open in 2023.

Featured Images via Ghibli Park website

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