This post is also available in:
Are you a fan of Hayao Miyazaki’s films? If you are, like many people around the world, you will be thrilled to know that there will soon be two attractions you can go to enjoy a day out with your friends and family. Tourists come from all over the world to visit the Studio Ghibli Museum in Mitaka, Japan. Soon, you will get your chance to enjoy more Ghibli themed venues! A new Studio Ghibli Amusement Park, originally planned to open in 2020, has now been scheduled to open in 2022.
Where Will the Amusement be Located
The amusement park will be located inside Aichi’s Expo Park, built in 2005, Nagoya, Japan. There already is a replica of Satsuki and Mei’s home seen in the infamous movie “My Neighbor Totoro”, which was constructed as part of an Expo in 2005. The house represented in the movie “My Neighbor Totoro” is an existing attraction but it will soon be renovated, and all attractions in the park will be completely new.
Size of the Amusement Park
The amusement park will be 200 acres. Currently, the plan is that the initial phase of the park will revolve mainly around the movie “My Neighbor Totoro”. However, fans hope the park will be expanded to include other popular Miyazaki’s films. Sketches from the Aichi Prefecture website show that the park may include a Ghibli Warehouse featuring exhibition areas and a children’s play area, a Princess Mononoke village and “Dondoko Forest” which takes its name from the “Dondoko” dance Satsuki and Mei do at night with Totoro to help sprout their planted seeds.
Planned Sketches of the Park
The sketches below have been released by Studio Ghibli. Further details have not been released yet. However, when they come available, we will happily present them to you Guidable Co. readers. Don’t expect there to be many rides in this theme park, the idea is more centered around transporting visitors into the world of Ghibli and exploring to their hearts content. Can you see yourself there already, searching for Totoro? I know I can!
Studio Ghibli Museum
Of course, while waiting for the theme park to open, you can still check out the Studio Ghibli Museum located in Mikata, Japan. The Ghibli museum is famous throughout Japan and many visitors from a whole diversity of countries come to have their very own Ghibli experience. The museum’s popularity makes it difficult to take tickets, so we definitely advise you plan ahead and book your tickets well in advance.
Information about what you can see, admission cost, how to reserve tickets, the location, how to get there, etc. can be found by going to this link (English). http://www.ghibli-museum.jp/en/ The website also features information about what short film is currently being shown at the museum and the current exhibitions.
I have personally been to the Studio Ghibli Museum with my husband, son and Japanese parents-in-law. It is a great family outing, and I’m looking forward to seeing the amusement park come to fruition in the near future.
Peggy/United States