I am a huge fan of Studio Ghibli and have been for many, many, years (I actually have a Totoro tattoo on my calf). When it came to my attention, however, that a theme park based on the works of the animation giant was opening in Japan, all this did was give even further motivation for me to finally make my long-held wish to visit the country a reality! – To date though, and particularly so with the ongoing COVID-19 situation, the opening of the theme park has been more than a little problematic with no official date in sight.
Following an official post by Studio Ghibli, however, it’s now official. Their theme park will open its doors on November 1st!
「ジブリパーク」の開園日が発表されました。 pic.twitter.com/weMpQjsyEV
— スタジオジブリ STUDIO GHIBLI (@JP_GHIBLI) January 27, 2022
Studio Ghibli Theme Parks Opens November 1st
It’s understood that the theme park will effectively be broken up into around five key areas with each taking a focus on at least one of their particular films. And yes, there is going to be a full-blown Totoro zone which I may very well want to live in! – Unlike more traditional designs, however, Studio Ghibli is understood to be placing a huge focus on the park’s overall environment with a particular focus on nature. While they’ll be no rollercoasters as such, the theme park will instead look to combine experiences from their films into an overall immersive experience.
A Slight Problem
The only mild issue for tourists planning to take a trip is that the theme park is located in the Aichi Prefecture which is in the Western part of Nagoya. A location that is, somewhat frustratingly, located pretty much bang in the middle of its more notable cities (Toyko and Kyoto). – In other words, it’s unlikely that you would be able to visit the Studio Ghibli theme park ‘on a whim’ while taking a general trip to Japan.
Given the excellent transport systems in Japan, however, and not to mention the popularity this is going to get, if you, like me, are hugely looking forward to checking this out, we daresay that more than a few tour operators are going to start throwing this in as an optional extra for your overall Japan holiday itinerary. – The short version though is that be in late this year or early 2023, this is, without a doubt, now cemented onto my bucket list!
What do you think? – Let us know in the comments!
