Fans of Hayao Miyazaki’s quirky and imaginative films will be excited to learn that a new Studio Ghibli theme park is set to open in Japan in 2022.
It will be located in the Aichi Prefecture on a 200-hectare plot of land where the 2005 World’s Fair was held, according to their website. It is now the site of the Expo 2005 Aichi Commemorative Park. They plan to bring the award-winning Studio Ghibli to life by having rides and attractions based on its most famous films.
The park’s gate itself will be designed to resemble buildings from Howl’s Moving Castle. Other buildings will adhere to the iconic, European-style brick buildings seen in many Ghibli films. There will also be a walking path through the “Donko Forest Area”. This is a reference to the movie My Neighbor Totoro, which featured a house standing in the forest.
The Quirky Studio Ghibli Theme Park
There will also be various rides, such as a “Princess Mononoke Village,” and a “Big Ghibli Warehouse”. This will display a range of Ghibli-themed exhibitions, play areas, and cinemas.
The news of the park follows the death of Ghibli legend Isao Takahata, and an announcement by Miyazaki that he will be coming out of retirement to make one final film.
It was originally slated to open in 2020 when Tokyo hosts the Olympic Games. However, the Studio Ghibli theme park has been pushed back to 2022. Tokyo is also already home to the popular Ghibli Museum, designed by Miyazaki himself, which features original sketches, and a whimsical fairy-tale atmosphere.
