Prepare to be spirited away by Ghilbi theme park
With only a few weeks left before the first Ghibli theme park opens on November 1, the world’s press has been allowed to take a look around.
True to the Miyazaki vibe, the park in Nagakute has little of the razzamatazz or carnival atmosphere of Disney World. This is a much more quiet, low-key affair. Darker than Disney.
There are no rides, no prizes and certainly not any humans wearing huge fibreglass duck heads. Instead, discrete houses nestle peacefully inside the Expo 2005 Aichi Commemorative Park.
The result is believed to be Japan’s first “hybrid park,” built around an existing public space to minimise harm to the environment. Mindful of sustainability, its creators sourced as many materials as possible locally. The main attraction — Ghibli’s Grand Warehouse — is converted from an indoor pool attached to an indoor skating rink.
The park will eventually comprise five areas, with three ready for opening next month.
A major departure from the Tokyo museum is that photography is allowed. Inside the warehouse are 14 scenes from Ghibli films, which serve as backdrops that visitors can pose in.
The Hill of Youth presents Nishi’s antique shop from “Whisper of the Heart” and the Cat Bureau from “The Cat Returns.”
Two other areas — Valley of Witches and Mononoke Village — are expected to open by spring 2024.
The 10 famous animations that show at the Ghibli Museum in Tokyo will also be screened in a small theatre in the warehouse, though it won’t be possible to see more than one short in any visit.
