Studio Ghibli Theme Park, Opening in Japan, Debuts Gorgeous First Look Concept Art
Zack Sharf
Studio Ghibli excited fans around the world when it announced last summer that a theme park based on the studio’s filmography would be opening in Japan. According to The Japan Times, the regional government has now confirmed the theme park will open in 2020. The park is being built in the Aichi Prefecture near Nagoya, where Japan hosted the 2005 World’s Fair.
The Studio Ghibli theme park is being designed as both a traditional theme park and a place where visitors can interact with nature, which is fitting for Ghibli. The Aichi government says the park will include rides and forest trails based on Hayao Miyazaki films such as “My Neighbor Totoro,” “Kiki’s Delivery Service” and “Howl’s Moving Castle.”
“The park will be dotted with the European-themed brick towers that appear frequently in Miyazaki’s works, as well as giant installations of spider and boar-shaped spirits in imaginary landscapes that evoke Japan’s mythical and idyllic past,” The Japan Times reports.
The theme park is the latest brand extension for Studio Ghibli, which already owns a popular museum in Tokyo. The 2020 release isn’t the only thing Ghibli fans have to look forward to in the future. Miyazaki is currently at work on his untitled new feature, which marks his first film since announcing retirement in 2013 with the release of “The Wind Rises.”
As we continue to wait for additional park details, check out the awesome first look concept art below.
【速報】愛知県は長久手市に整備する「ジブリパーク」の基本デザインを発表しました。『魔女の宅急便』のキキの実家や『耳をすませば』の「地球屋」などを再現する計画で、2022年度の開業を目指すとしています。（岩佐雄人） pic.twitter.com/YsUvM6BXkz
— 【公式】高井さんのニュースOne (@tokai_newsone) April 25, 2018
【続報】スタジオジブリが作成したデザインです（提供：愛知県） #ジブリパーク pic.twitter.com/xxb2xQbprj
— 【公式】高井さんのニュースOne (@tokai_newsone) April 25, 2018
