Ghibli Park

Ghibli Park is a Japanese theme park in Nagakute, Aichi Prefecture, dedicated to the worlds, characters, settings, and visual language of Studio Ghibli animation. Rather than functioning primarily as a high-speed amusement park, it is designed as a slow-paced, immersive environment in which visitors walk through detailed spaces, encounter architectural recreations, view exhibition material, and explore settings associated with films including My Neighbor Totoro, Whisper of the Heart, The Cat Returns, Princess Mononoke, Kiki's Delivery Service, Howl's Moving Castle, Castle in the Sky, and related Studio Ghibli works. The park occupies land within the former Expo 2005 Aichi Commemorative Park, also known as Moricoro Park. Its setting is significant because the grounds already contained a recreation of Satsuki and Mei's house from My Neighbor Totoro, providing an existing connection to Studio Ghibli before the larger park project was developed. Ghibli Park does not have a private parking lot; visitors primarily reach it through Aichikyūhaku-kinen-kōen Station at the park entrance. Plans were first announced in 2017, initially with a narrower concept centered on My Neighbor Totoro and an intended opening around 2020. Later planning expanded the project to multiple film-inspired zones through a partnership involving Studio Ghibli, Aichi Prefecture, and the Chunichi Shimbun. The revised park opened on 1 November 2022 with Ghibli's Grand Warehouse, Hill of Youth, and Dondoko Forest. Mononoke Village followed in November 2023, while Valley of Witches opened on 16 March 2024. When complete, the park is planned to cover approximately 7.1 hectares. Its five principal areas are deliberately integrated into the existing park landscape rather than arranged as a conventional ride-centered resort. Ghibli's Grand Warehouse occupies a former heated swimming-pool facility and contains exhibitions, film-related installations, recreated scenes, and Cinema Orion, which screens short films made available through the Ghibli Museum and Ghibli Park. Hill of Youth draws on Howl's Moving Castle, Whisper of the Heart, and The Cat Returns. Dondoko Forest preserves and develops the My Neighbor Totoro setting around Satsuki and Mei's house. Mononoke Village evokes the film's Iron Town and Emishi Village environments, while Valley of Witches combines locations and motifs from Kiki's Delivery Service, Howl's Moving Castle, Castle in the Sky, and other films. Hayao Miyazaki was reported to have participated in planning, while Goro Miyazaki served as the park's director and lead designer during development. The project extends Studio Ghibli's approach to world-building beyond cinema and into physical space, emphasizing craftsmanship, atmosphere, architectural detail, and visitor discovery over large-scale thrill rides. Its present identity is therefore that of a cultural entertainment destination and experiential extension of the Studio Ghibli brand.

Ghibli Park was developed as a physical extension of Studio Ghibli's animation worlds within the grounds of the Expo 2005 Aichi Commemorative Park in Nagakute, Aichi Prefecture. The site, also called Moricoro Park, had an established connection to Studio Ghibli because it contained a recreation of Satsuki and Mei's house from My Neighbor Totoro. The location had also hosted Studio Ghibli exhibitions in 2008 and 2015. The theme-park project was first publicly announced in 2017. Toshio Suzuki described an initial concept intended to open around 2020 and focused largely on My Neighbor Totoro. As planning developed, the scope broadened beyond a single film. Information released in 2019 described a partnership involving Studio Ghibli, Aichi Prefecture, and the Chunichi Shimbun, together with plans for multiple areas inspired by different Studio Ghibli productions. Hayao Miyazaki was reported to have participated in planning, and Goro Miyazaki was identified as the park's director and lead designer. Construction began in 2020. The project retained the principle of adapting the existing landscape and facilities instead of creating a conventional, ride-heavy resort. One major conversion involved Ghibli's Grand Warehouse, which replaced a heated swimming pool that closed in 2018. The existing My Neighbor Totoro house was renovated and incorporated into Dondoko Forest; it had closed for renovation in November 2021 before reopening with the park. In February 2022, the opening date was confirmed as 1 November 2022. The first operating phase consisted of Ghibli's Grand Warehouse, Hill of Youth, and Dondoko Forest. Plans for the remaining areas were subsequently adjusted. Mononoke Village was developed as a Princess Mononoke-inspired environment and opened in November 2023. Valley of Witches, originally expected earlier, was delayed until March 2024 and opened on 16 March 2024. A free area connected with The Cat Returns was also planned beside Mononoke Village. The completed concept consists of five principal areas. Ghibli's Grand Warehouse presents indoor exhibitions, scene recreations, film-related objects and environments, and Cinema Orion, where visitors can watch short films available only at the Ghibli Museum and Ghibli Park. Hill of Youth includes World Emporium from Whisper of the Heart, the Cat Bureau from The Cat Returns, and a tower influenced by Howl's Moving Castle. Dondoko Forest centers on Satsuki and Mei's house and includes a wooden hilltop play structure. Mononoke Village recreates elements of Iron Town and Emishi Village and includes models of creatures from Princess Mononoke as well as a traditional charcoal-burner's hut and an area for working forge bellows. Valley of Witches contains replicas of Kiki's family home and the Gütiokipänjä bakery, a large recreation of Howl's Moving Castle, restaurants, and small rides inspired by several Studio Ghibli films. Ghibli Park is primarily a walking and discovery experience. Its design favors environmental detail, architectural fidelity, exhibitions, and photo-oriented recreations over large roller coasters or other major thrill attractions. Access is centered on Aichikyūhaku-kinen-kōen Station, and the park does not provide a private parking lot. At full planned extent, the site is expected to cover about 7.1 hectares. The park remains an active destination and a prominent physical expression of Studio Ghibli's broader cultural brand.

• 2024

  Valley of Witches opens

  [1]Ghibli Parken.wikipedia.org

  The Valley of Witches area opened on 16 March, bringing the park's principal themed-area plan to five zones.

• 2023

  Mononoke Village opens

  [1]Ghibli Parken.wikipedia.org

  The Princess Mononoke-inspired Mononoke Village opened as part of the park's second development phase.

• 2022

  Initial three areas open

  [1]Ghibli Parken.wikipedia.org

  Ghibli Park opened on 1 November with Ghibli's Grand Warehouse, Hill of Youth, and Dondoko Forest.

• 2020

  Construction begins

  [1]Ghibli Parken.wikipedia.org

  Construction of the expanded Ghibli Park project began at the former Expo 2005 park.

• 2019

  Expanded multi-area design disclosed

  [1]Ghibli Parken.wikipedia.org

  Further planning information identified a partnership with Aichi Prefecture and the Chunichi Shimbun and expanded the concept to several film-inspired areas.

• 2018

  Former heated swimming pool closes

  [1]Ghibli Parken.wikipedia.org

  The heated swimming-pool facility later converted into Ghibli's Grand Warehouse closed as part of the site's redevelopment.

• 2017

  Theme-park plans announced

  [1]Ghibli Parken.wikipedia.org

  Studio Ghibli producer Toshio Suzuki publicly described plans for a Ghibli-themed park at the Expo 2005 Aichi Commemorative Park, initially emphasizing My Neighbor Totoro and targeting an opening around 2020.

A walk-through cultural entertainment destination that translates Studio Ghibli's animated worlds into detailed physical environments, exhibitions, architecture, and gentle attractions rather than a conventional thrill-ride theme park.

• Indoor exhibition and entertainment area · 2022

  Ghibli's Grand Warehouse

  The park's principal indoor area occupies a converted former heated swimming pool. It contains walkthrough exhibitions, recreated scenes from Studio Ghibli films, displays and environments designed for visitor exploration and photography, the six-metre Air Destroyer Goliath from Castle in the Sky, and ruined-garden imagery. Cinema Orion screens short films available at Ghibli Park and the Ghibli Museum.

• Themed area · 2022

  Hill of Youth

  Hill of Youth combines several Studio Ghibli references. Its observation tower draws on the period styling of Howl's Moving Castle, while World Emporium recreates the antique shop from Whisper of the Heart. The area also includes the Cat Bureau from The Cat Returns, represented as a building scaled to the film's cat characters.

• Themed area · 2022

  Dondoko Forest

  Dondoko Forest is centered on the recreated house of Satsuki and Mei Kusakabe from My Neighbor Totoro, a structure that predated the park through its presence at Expo 2005 Aichi Commemorative Park. The surrounding forest includes a wooden play structure on the hill behind the house. The area's name refers to the Dondoko dance performed in the film.

• Themed area · 2023

  Mononoke Village

  Mononoke Village interprets the settings of Princess Mononoke, particularly Iron Town and Emishi Village. The area contains settlement-style structures, models of supernatural creatures, a traditional charcoal-burner's hut, and a hands-on space where visitors can operate forge bellows, reflecting the film's industrial and rural imagery.

• Themed area · 2024

  Valley of Witches

  Valley of Witches draws primarily from Kiki's Delivery Service and Howl's Moving Castle, with additional elements from Castle in the Sky and Princess Mononoke. It includes a recreation of Kiki's family home, the Gütiokipänjä bakery, a life-sized Howl's Moving Castle rising several stories, restaurants, a small Castle in the Sky-themed bicycle ride, and a carousel incorporating motifs from multiple films.

• 2024

  Launch Valley of WitchesProduct launch

  Background

  The area was part of the park's second construction phase but its opening was postponed from the earlier late-2023 expectation.

  Action taken

  Valley of Witches opened on 16 March 2024 with film-inspired buildings, restaurants, and small-scale attractions.

  Aftermath

  The opening completed the park's five principal themed areas.

  Source

• 2022

  Open in phasesStrategy

  Background

  The park's development was divided into operating phases rather than waiting for every planned area to be finished.

  Action taken

  Ghibli's Grand Warehouse, Hill of Youth, and Dondoko Forest opened first, with Mononoke Village and Valley of Witches scheduled for later completion.

  Aftermath

  The phased approach allowed the park to begin operations in November 2022, followed by the later openings of Mononoke Village and Valley of Witches.

  Source

• 2019

  Expand from a single-film concept to a multi-area parkStrategy

  Background

  The initial public concept focused mainly on My Neighbor Totoro, but later planning sought to represent a broader selection of Studio Ghibli films and use multiple parts of the existing Expo park.

  Action taken

  The project added planned areas inspired by films including Howl's Moving Castle, Princess Mononoke, Kiki's Delivery Service, and other Studio Ghibli works.

  Aftermath

  The expanded concept became the basis for the five-area park that opened in phases from 2022 through 2024.

  Source

1. 1Ghibli Parken.wikipedia.org