A new round of Ghibli Park preview images reveal some of the Totoro and Spirited Away-themed attractions that will be featured at the park.
Exclusive new preview images of the soon-to-be-open Ghibli Park showcase attractions inspired by the films My Neighbor Totoro and Spirited Away.
Twitter user @TheGhibliFamily featured the photos on their page, which give viewers a general sense of the type of attractions they can expect to see at Ghibli Park. According to a description on the park’s official website, it is not a destination for rides but rather “a great warehouse of Studio Ghibli’s secrets and iconic architectures you have seen in the films.” The photos reflect this, one of which features an interior model of the train that Chihiro rides in Spirited Away, complete with a replica of No-Face. Another shows a model of the iconic Totoro sleeping inside his tree. The park’s website urges also guests to “take a stroll, feel the wind and discover the wonders,” evoking the idea of a relaxing, leisurely experience for visitors.
Ghibli Park is situated on and within the grounds of Expo 2005 Aichi Commemorative Park, otherwise known as Moricoro Park, in Japan’s Aichi region. The choice of location is apparent in one of the images, where trees surround a series of wooden archways that lead up a path toward an enormous Totoro statue. Another image features a life-size recreation of Mei and Satsuki’s countryside home from My Neighbor Totoro, which is surrounded by trees and nature as it was in the film. The house is located in the park’s “Dondoko Forest” region, one of the three areas that will be open to visitors upon opening day, which is Nov. 1. The other two areas are “Ghibli’s Grand Warehouse” and the “Hill of Youth.”
Ghibli Park Will Pay Tribute to Iconic Films Like Princess Mononoke
Ghibli Park will also feature two different areas called the “Valley of Witches” and “Mononoke Village,” both of which are listed as TBA on the park’s website. One of the attractions planned for the former is a giant recreation of the titular castle from the 2004 fantasy film, Howl’s Moving Castle. This area will also feature attractions inspired by the 1989 film Kiki’s Delivery Service. “Mononoke Village” will pay tribute to the 1997 film Princess Mononoke, by recreating many of the locations seen in the film, including architectural replicas of iconic buildings.
Ghibli Park opens on Nov. 1. Reservations are required to visit each area. Those interested in checking out Studio Ghibli’s library of films can watch them on HBO Max.
Source: Twitter, Ghibli Park’s website