Photo/Illutration The “Ghibli’s Big Warehouse” area of Ghibli Park is shown to the media on Oct. 12. Visitors can act as a character in films produced by Studio Ghibli there. (Tadashi Mizowaki)

NAGAKUTE, Aichi Prefecture--The final countdown for Studio Ghibli Inc. fans to visit a theme park centered around the studio's beloved anime films has begun, which will open here on Nov. 1.

Visitors can experience the scenes depicted in Ghibli hit films such as “Castle in the Sky” or “My Neighbor Totoro."

In a media preview on Nov. 12, parts of Ghibli Park that will open on Nov. 1, earlier than the rest of the park, were shown for the first time.

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A character from a film produced by Studio Ghibli is shown on a bench in Ghibli Park. (Tadashi Mizowaki)

“We are so delighted that this day has come," said Goro Miyazaki, who supervised the creation of the park, at a news conference on Oct. 12. "We want many people to enjoy the park.”

Ghibli Park will open inside the Expo 2005 Aichi Commemorative Park, a 157-hectare park run by the prefectural government.

The commemorative park was built on the site of the 2005 World Expo.

Ghibli Park will open in an area of around 7.1 hectares. It will be divided into five areas, of which three will open on Nov. 1. The three areas contain sites of totaling around 3.4 hectares.

One of the three areas is named “Ghibli’s Big Warehouse.”

In this area, visitors are welcomed by the ruined garden featured in the film “Castle in the Sky.”

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The “Ghibli’s Big Warehouse” area of Ghibli Park is shown to the media on Oct. 12. Visitors can see scenes from films produced by Studio Ghibli there. (Tadashi Mizowaki)

They can also see restaurants, which mimic the restaurant street featured at the beginning of the film “Spirited Away,” a house of tiny people from “Arrietty,” and “Quartier Latin,” a high school clubhouse featured in the film “From Up on Poppy Hill.”

Scenes from the Showa Era (1926-1989) are re-created in the “Dondoko Forest” area.

In this area, visitors can see the house where the young protagonists Satsuki and Mei live in “My Neighbor Totoro.” 

In the area named “A Hill of Youth,” the “Earth Shop” featured in the film “Whisper of the Heart” and a building featured in “The Cat Returns” are re-created.

One of the other two areas is named “Mononoke Village,” themed on the film “Princess Mononoke.” This area will open in fall 2023.

The last is named “Kiki’s Valley,” themed on “Kiki's Delivery Service” and other Ghibli films. It is scheduled to open in March 2024.

There is no large attraction or a ride in the park, but visitors can experience acting as characters in Ghibli films.

They can also watch short Ghibli films and see Ghibli-related exhibitions.

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The north entrance of the Expo 2005 Aichi Commemorative Park (Tadashi Mizowaki)

There will be entrance fees for each area.

Entrance fees on weekdays for an adult to enter all three areas that will open on Nov. 1 will be 4,000 yen ($27).

The admission fee for the “Ghibli’s Big Warehouse” area will priced differently on weekends and national holidays. Children aged 3 and under can enter free of charge.

There will be a daily cap on the number of entrants in each area to enable visitors to fully enjoy the Ghibli experience.

Visitors need to book their tickets in advance, designating the date of entrance.

According to Aichi prefectural officials in the section responsible for promoting Ghibli Park, the operating cost of the park is around 34 billion yen.

The prefectural government is constructing the park. 

Ghibli Park Co., a company jointly set up by Studio Ghibli and The Chunichi Shimbun, will manage and operate the park.

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