Japan’s extraordinary Ghibli Park will be fully open by March 2024 for those planning a visit in the coming months. Intro
Ghibli Park - Japan’s unique and spectacular immersive experience from legendary animators, Studio Ghibli - is set to open its final two areas by spring 2024. This means the park will be fully open for the first time in just a few months. The two remaining areas, Mononoke Village and the Valley of Witches, will be unveiled to visitors in November 2023 and March 2024 respectively. Alongside this, Studio Ghibli has also announced another exciting attraction - a real-life Catbus that will ferry visitors around the park from March next year. We’ll explain more about the Catbus - one of the studio’s most iconic characters from Hayao Miyazaki's animated film My Neighbor Totoro - further below.
(All images copyright @Studio Ghibli)
This November, the park will also screen the never-before-seen outside of Japan sequel to My Neighbour Totoro at Ghibli Park. And, amazingly, that’s not the only Ghibli Park news! This year has seen the release of a new Ghibli movie in Japan, which is set for an international release very soon. And there’s more! Tickets can now be bought by overseas fans from the park’s international website. It’s all happening at the moment with Studio Ghibli and there’s no better time to visit Japan if you’re a fan of their magical films. In this blog, we’ll bring you up to date with the latest news and tell you everything you need to know if you’re planning a visit to Ghibli Park with the Japan Rail Pass.
What Is Ghibli Park?
When is a theme park not a theme park? When it’s Ghibli Park. Unique to Japan and arguably unique to the world, Ghibli Park is an immersive and interactive experience that allows visitors to step inside the magical worlds created by the films of Studio Ghibli.
At Ghibli Park, there are no roller-coasters or traditional funfair rides. Located in Nagakute, Aichi Prefecture, Ghibli Park is designed much more as a magical experience - a unique, interactive adventure - like finding a portal into your favourite animated films.
From visiting the life-size home of Satsuki and Mei from My Neighbour Totoro to sitting in a real-life and very soft-looking Catbus, to eating food inspired by scenes from the films, such as dining in the yatai from Spirited Away, or sitting on the train next to the iconic No Face from the same film, the list of incredible experiences goes on and on.
Ghibli Park brings these magical animated films to life, as only Studio Ghibli could, for you to explore and enjoy.
Ghibli Park officially opened in November 2022, but two of its five planned areas were always scheduled to open at a later date. Recently, Studio Ghibli announced that the final areas - Mononoke Village and the Valley of Witches - will open this November and March 2024 respectively. Here is a description of each of the five areas:
(All images copyright @Studio Ghibli)
1. The Hill of Youth
A quaint-looking suburban area filled with lush greenery and pretty buildings inspired by Whispers of the Heart, The Cat Returns, and more. Hill of Youth serves as the park’s official entrance with architecture inspired by Western Tokyo’s Seiseki-Sakuragaoka neighbourhood.
(All images copyright @Studio Ghibli)
2. Ghibli’s Grand Warehouse
An expansive indoor area with large roof, playgrounds, shops, restaurants, and shops, including the famous sky garden from Laputa: Castle in the Sky, a giant Catbus from My Neighbour Totoro, the mysterious tunnel that takes the main character to another world in Spirited Away, and an area of giant objects from Arrietty. The grand warehouse also features a small cinema with 170 seats. 
(All images copyright @Studio Ghibli)
3. Mononoke’s Village
A full recreation of the Muromachi period irontown of Tatara-ba from the film, Princess Mononoke, surrounded by dense, magical woodland, with characters and creatures from the story. Set to open in November 2023. 
(All images copyright @Studio Ghibli)
4. Valley of Witches
Drawing inspiration from the films Howl’s Moving Castle and Kiki’s Delivery Service, this area features a townscape and landscaped green area. Arguably the highlight will be a 16-metre tall recreation of Howl’s Moving Castle itself complete with moving cannons. Set to open in March 2024, this will undoubtedly be one of the park’s biggest and best highlights.
5. Dondoko Forest
A rural landscape with Showa period architecture, this area will feature Satsuki and Mei’s house from one of the studio’s best loved films, My Neighbour Totoro.
(All images copyright @Studio Ghibli)
As well as these main areas, Ghibli Park features a wealth of interactive features, playgrounds, cafes and restaurants (with the aforementioned Ghibli themed food and drink), and much more, all inspired by the films. From the beginning, the studio was keen to express that the park is not a typical theme park with rides like Disney or Universal, but more of an experience akin to stepping into another world. If you’re a fan of these award-winning movies then a visit to Ghibli Park is a once in a lifetime experience.
What’s New at Ghibli Park for 2023/2024?
- Mononoke Village to open at Ghibli Park - November 2023
- Mei and the Catbus short film to be screened at Ghibli Park - November-December 2023
- The Boy and the Heron (the new film from Studio Ghibli) - December 2023 (International release)
- Catbus to launch at Ghibli Park - 11 March 2024
- The Valley of Witches to open at Ghibli Park - March 2024
Ghibli Park: Key Facts
- Opened on 1 November 2022.
- Located in Nagakute, Aichi Prefecture.
- Covers 7.1 hectares of land.
- There are five main areas - Hill of Youth, Dondoko Forest, Ghibli Grand Warehouse, Mononoke Village, and Valley of Witches.
- Photographs are permitted at Ghibli Park - unlike the Ghibli Museum in Tokyo.
- You can find the park’s official website here: https://ghibli-park.jp/en/
How To Buy Tickets
When Ghibli Park first opened, tickets could only be purchased in Japan through Lawson’s tickets service or with a specific travel agency accommodation package deal. That has all changed now however. From 2023, international Ghibli fans, including those planning a visit to Japan in 2023/24, can buy their tickets online through Ghibli Park's official international ticket website. Tickets are sold on a first come, first served basis, and go on sale from the 10th of every month, three months in advance. For ticket prices and entry times go to the Ghibli Park international ticket site here.
Studio Ghibli: An Overview
The Studio Ghibli story began almost 40 years ago. The legendary animation studio was founded in Tokyo on 15 June 1985 by directors Hayao Miyazaki and Isao Takahata, and producer Toshio Suzuki. The company was launched after the success of the 1984 animated film Nausicaä of the Valley of the Wind, which was written and directed by Miyazaki. It is often thought of as a Studio Ghibli film, but in reality it was produced and distributed by a different company. There are several stories around the name of the studio and the world ‘Ghibli’. One explanation is that it comes from the Libyan-Arabic word for hot desert wind because the studio was determined to ‘blow a new wind through the film industry’. Another is that it refers to an aircraft – the Caproni Ca.308 Ghibli. The studio’s mascot is a ‘Totoro’ – a large furry deity from one of its most famous films. Since the studio’s formation, it has created some of the highest grossing and most award-winning anime films of all time, including Spirited Away, My Neighbour Totoro, Kiki’s Delivery Service, Howl’s Moving Castle, Princess Mononoke, and Ponyo on the Cliff By The Sea. Despite announcing his retirement several years ago, Hayao Miyazaki has returned to filmmaking with a new film, The Boy and the Heron, which was released to critical and commercial acclaim in Japan in July this year and is set for a global release in the coming months.
(All images copyright @Studio Ghibli)How To Get To The Ghibli Park
As we mentioned above, the new Ghibli Park will be located within the Expo 2005 Aichi Commemorative Park (also known as Moricoro Park) in Nagakute City near Nagoya. Travel to Nagoya - a major city which famously has the world’s biggest train station - is easy from other major Japanese cities (such as Tokyo, Kyoto, and Osaka) using the Japan Rail Pass and the JR Tokaido Shinkansen, specifically the Hikari Shinkansen, which stops at Nagoya. Once in Nagoya, you can use the subway, specifically the Higashiyama Line and the Linimo followed by the Tobu Kyuryo Line to get to Nagakute City. It takes one hour to get from Nagoya to Nagakute and you should get off at the Aichikyuhaku-Kinen-Koen Station for the Expo 2005 Park. As a bonus, read our guide to Activating Your JR Pass at Nagoya Station. You may also want to invest in a prepaid travel card such as an ICOCA, PASMO or Suica card, for subways, as well as a JR Pass for getting around the rest of the country. Check out our Top 30 Tips for Using Japan’s Metros for advice and guidance on using the city’s subway network.
(All images copyright @Studio Ghibli)Studio Ghibli Museum
As mentioned above, the Ghibli Park is not the studio’s first foray into creating a visitor attraction for its fans. Arguably one of Japan’s most in-demand attractions in recent years, the Studio Ghibli Museum is notoriously difficult to get tickets for, and they must be booked in advance. Located in Mitaka, Japan, the museum opened in 2001 and quickly became an integral part of any anime tour through Japan. Characteristics of the building’s design — such as the maze of spiral staircases, bridged passages, and overhanging terraces — often reflect storyboards of Hayao Miyazaki’s films. Widely considered ‘Japan’s Walt Disney’ by westerners, Miyazaki is Ghibli Museum’s director and designer as well. The museum’s storybook-like world exhibits an uplifting experience that will leave all who enter with an enriched feeling that may not have been there when they first entered. Although currently closed, the museum should open as normal again in the near future. To find the Ghibli Museum by rail, take the JR Chuo Line from Shinjuku Station to Mitaka Station. From the south exit of JR Mitaka Station, it’s a 15-minute walk to the museum. A community bus runs from JR Mitaka Station to the museum. Travellers can purchase bus tickets at the vending machine by bus stop No. 9. For more, read our guide to Studio Ghibli Museum Tour, Tickets, and Travel Information.
Bonus Recommendations
- Alongside Ghibli Park and the Ghibli Museum, there are more adventures to be had in Japan for those enchanted by the magical films of this legendary studio. For example, you can Visit Tomonoura - Japan’s real-life ‘Ponyo’ town. If you’re a fan of Studio Ghibli and Ponyo in particular, a visit to this scenic seaside town is unmissable.
- Similarly, you can also visit the island of Yakushima in southern Japan, which is home to a fairy-tale forest so magical that it inspired Hayao Miyazaki, the genius behind Studio Ghibli, to include it in one of his animated masterpieces, Princess Mononoke. Find out how to visit it in our guide to Visit Yakushima: the Real-Life Forest from Princess Mononoke.
- If you enjoy all things anime and cosplay too then Japan is the place for you. You can find out lots more about everything related to this in our guide to Japan for Games, Otaku and J-Culture.
- Ghibli fans will also find much to enjoy from the world of Japanese Manga and Anime. Our guide to The Top 10 Manga and Anime to Read will help you get acquainted with these world-famous exports.
- Meanwhile, for something similar (but also a little different) why not also consider a trip to Japan’s delightful Snoopy Museum in Tokyo. if you’re a fan of theme parks generally and want to visit some of the very best in Japan, read our guides to Tokyo Disney Resort, Japan’s Universal Studios theme park, and the new Super Nintendo World that’s also due to open in 2022.
- Finally, if you’re a fan of theme parks generally and want to visit some of the very best in Japan, read our guides to Tokyo Disney Resort, Japan’s Universal Studios theme park, and the new Super Nintendo World that’s also due to open in 2022.
