Hayao Miyazaki’s fans will surely be thrilled to learn that the magical world of the renowned Japanese animator was the subject of the park plans featured in this archive. For those who do not know, Hayao Miyazaki is the mastermind behind one of the most well-known animation houses in the world – Studio Ghibli. You have probably seen at least a few of the studio’s masterpieces, like the Oscar-winning ‘Spirited Away’ or ‘My Neighbour Totoro.’ At the time of this announcement, the theme park was scheduled to open to the public in 2022. These are historical planning details, not a future opening notice. The plans described construction on the grounds of Aichi Commemorative Park in Nagakute city, according to the regional government.
The park is a 500-acre lot that was previously used as the site for the World’s Fair in 2005. The plans presented here aimed to combine settings associated with Studio Ghibli films with enjoyment of the surrounding park landscape.
In the park, there's already a replica of the house from ‘My Neighbor Totoro,’ which was built for the 2005 World’s Fair.
The proposed amusement park would feature European-style brick buildings - which often appear in the studio’s films.
The original announcement compared the proposed park with the already established Ghibli Museum. It was opened in Tokyo, in 2001. The museum also includes an exhibition space, children’s learning facilities, and a theater amongst other things.
The announcement did not confirm a project cost or architects. That describes the state of information when these plans were reported, rather than the present status of an operating attraction.
Image credits: Studio Ghibli
The park opened in 2022
Ghibli Park opened on 1 November 2022 at the Aichi Earth Expo Memorial Park, the former Expo 2005 site east of Nagoya. Three areas opened first: Ghibli’s Grand Warehouse, Hill of Youth and Dondoko Forest, home to the replica house from My Neighbor Totoro; Mononoke Village and Valley of Witches were scheduled for 2023. At opening there was no general admission ticket: each area was booked separately and in advance. Check the park’s current ticketing before planning a visit.
Sources: CNN via KVIA, 1 November 2022
A rendering shows an intention
The visualizations translate a fictional atmosphere into paths, buildings and landscapes a visitor might inhabit. They belong to the planning stage described in the 2019 report. Comparing that intention with an eventual built place would require later documentation; the archived pictures should not be passed off as current photographs of the operating park.
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Reading the planning images as an archive
A concept image is useful for seeing what a project intended to emphasize: recognizable film settings, architecture and relationships with the surrounding greenery. It is not a record of every detail that was ultimately built. Keep the credited Studio Ghibli images attached to this historical planning story, and use the park’s own visitor information for a present-day visit.
Current visitor information: Ghibli Park official website.
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