Studio Ghibli reveals more details of their anticipated theme park

2019-06-07T19:48:00-04:00

At a press conference in Tokyo on Friday, Studio Ghibli producer and co-founder Toshio Suzuki, Aichi governor Hideaki Omura and Chunichi CEO Uichiro Oshima laid out the basic plans for the park. The site is located within the Expo 2005 Aichi Commemorative Park, and in keeping with director Hayao Miyazaki's strong environmental beliefs, is to be built in harmony with existing nature and without cutting down a single tree. The park will not feature roller coasters or other ride-type attractions.

The celebrated Japanese animation house Studio Ghibli announced more details of their upcoming theme park in Nagakute City, in Japan's Aichi Prefecture. The studio and their collaborative partners revealed that three areas of the 494-acre park will open in fall 2022. According to Japan Today, the “Hill of Youth Area” will feature the whimsical, steampunk architecture of the film Howl's Moving Castle; the “Dondoko Forest Area” — in reference to My Neighbor Totoro — will have walking trails; and the “Ghibli Big Warehouse Area” will feature shops, cafes, an exhibition room, and a rumored Cat Bus building. Other parts of the park, which will be modeled after the studio's other beloved films Princess Mononoke and Kiki's Delivery Service, are scheduled to open in the following year.

Studio Ghibli theme park to open by 2022

2018-04-30T15:38:00-04:00

The fantasy world of Oscar-winning animator Hayao Miyazaki will come to life as a theme park, set to open in central Japan in 2022, the regional government said Wednesday. Miyazaki is the cofounder of Studio Ghibli, the nation’s premier animation studio, and is renowned internationally for works including “Princess Mononoke” and “Spirited Away.” Studio Ghibli has released a basic concept for the vast park, which will be built by 2022 near Nagoya in Aichi Prefecture.

Plans for a Studio Ghibli theme park have been floating for some time, but they appear to become more concrete now with the announcement by local officials in Japan's Aichi Prefecture and the release of (very conceptual) illustrations of the park depicting structures that resemble buildings from animation classics like "Howl’s Moving Castle" and "My Neighbor Totoro."

Images: Studio Ghibli.

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Studio Ghibli reveals more details of their anticipated theme park

Studio Ghibli theme park to open by 2022