Photo/Illutration Toyota Motor Corp.’s low-speed electric vehicle APM (Provided by Toyota Motor Corp.)

NAGOYA--Ghibli fans can ride a real-life Catbus under a plan to operate vehicles inspired by the beloved film “My Neighbor Totoro” in the Expo 2005 Aichi Commemorative Park.

“It will be another great attraction in the park,” said Hideaki Omura, the governor of Aichi Prefecture, which operates the park in Nagakute in the prefecture, an open-air complex that contains Ghibli Park, the famed animation studio’s theme park.

Toyota Motor Corp.’s low-speed electric six-seater APM will be re-designed to mimic the iconic creature, which combines a feline and a bus.

Five Catbuses will be introduced to carry visitors in the park by the end of March 2024, according to the plan announced on Feb. 9.

The prefectural government also announced a 6.5 billion yen ($50 million) budget for Ghibli Park for the fiscal year that starts in April 2023.

The fund includes building costs of new attractions inspired by films such as “Princess Mononoke” and “Kiki’s Delivery Service,” which are planned to open during the fiscal year.

It will be the local government’s final spending on the theme park. The prefecture has earmarked a total of 34 billion yen since fiscal 2018.

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