Anime-based theme park to open in Japan in November
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Japan introduces a new world inspired by films produced by its top anime studio Studio Ghibli.
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Studio Ghibli theme park to open in Japan in November.
A theme park based on the films of top anime studio Studio Ghibli, known for titles such as the Oscar-winning "Spirited Away", will open in central Japan on November 1, the studio and local officials announced on Thursday.
The eagerly anticipated Ghibli Park opening date was revealed on the studio's Twitter account, along with an illustration of the cuddly forest spirit character Totoro.
Studio Ghibli’s Hotly Anticipated Theme Park Is Opening On November 1 https://t.co/JF2ZZrJat5 pic.twitter.com/4NS6Q5zeP1
— Forbes (@Forbes) January 27, 2022
According to documents, the site is currently under construction within a vast area of parkland in the central Aichi region, 250 kilometers (150 miles) west of Tokyo, at a total cost of 34 billion yen ($300 million).
A life-size model of the house where the main characters of the 1988 classic "My Neighbor Totoro" lived is included in one of the theme park's five areas, evoking the lush scenery of the Japanese countryside.
On se verrait bien déambuler dans ce parc d'attraction #Ghibli! au milieu de #Totoro #Chihiro #San et #PorcoRosso... pic.twitter.com/9YVYhI6qdM
— Constantin Deaconescu (@leroijaune) February 12, 2015
According to a local government official, it will be the first section of Ghibli Park to open this year.
"Visitors will be able to go inside a Totoro-like statue built at the back of the house," the official told AFP, adding that information on tickets is not yet available.
The official stated that two more areas will open next year, one themed on "Princess Mononoke", the story of a girl raised by wolves in a forest, and another inspired by "Kiki's Delivery Service" and "Howl's Moving Castle."
Hayao Miyazaki, known internationally for directing 2001's "Spirited Away", about a girl who gets lost in a mysterious world and tries to save her parents who have been turned into pigs, co-founded Studio Ghibli.
The studio already runs the hugely popular Ghibli Museum on Tokyo's outskirts.
Tickets to the museum are only available at the beginning of each month and frequently sell out within hours of going on sale.
