Studio Ghibli releases teasers of planned theme park

A new theme park is set to open in Japan in 2022 that will see Studio Ghibli-founder Hayao Miyazaki’s imaginary universes come to life. The world-renowned animator is the brain behind masterpieces like Spirited Away and Howl’s Moving Castle and has developed a huge following both in Japan and abroad.

The local government has announced that the theme park will be located in Japan’s Aichi prefecture near Nagoya, and follows the hugely-popular Ghibli Museum situated on the outskirts of Tokyo. The park will take up a 200-hectare plot, which will be transformed into a number of Hayao Miyazaki’s fantastical worlds and will include rides from My Neighbour Totoro, Howl’s Moving Castle and Princess Mononoke.

Studio Ghibli has released mockups of the theme park, which feature a Victorian-era house from Howl’s Moving Castle shrouded in trees and a Princess Mononoke village surrounded by forest trails and large green areas. The theme park also promises the Big Ghibli Playhouse, which will include a children’s playground, exhibition areas and small cinemas for film screenings.

Studio Ghibli is one of the world’s most celebrated animation studios. Its film Spirited Away won the Oscar for best animated feature in 2003, making it the first Japanese film to do so.