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Ghibli Park is called the Studio Ghibli theme park however doesn’t include any rides. As a substitute, it’s an immersive expertise on this planet of Studio Ghibli movies.
You possibly can stroll by scenes from the animations, snap a selfie subsequent to well-known characters like Totoro, and even go searching iconic buildings like World Emporium (the vintage store from Whisper of the Coronary heart).
Ghibli Park opened in Nagoya, Japan in November 2022. It options 5 areas unfold out over the big, leafy Expo 2005 Aichi Commemorative Park.
On this Studio Ghibli Park overview, I share get tickets (which promote out quick), what to anticipate in every space, get there, movies to look at earlier than you go to, and whether or not it’s value it.
Contents
Ghibli Museum vs Ghibli Park
Firstly, I wish to clear up some confusion about Ghibli Museum vs Ghibli Park.
Ghibli Museum is the unique Studio Ghibli attraction, which opened in 2001 in Tokyo. It options props, drawings, and details about how the animations are made in a unusual constructing.
Ghibli Park in Nagoya opened in 2022 and is far bigger, with 5 areas unfold over a park. There are recreations of scenes and even entire buildings from the movies.
Each are value visiting, however we choose Ghibli Park. That mentioned, Ghibli Museum is far simpler to entry on the common journey to Japan (most individuals go to Tokyo) and requires much less of a time dedication (just a few hours vs an entire day).
Ghibli Park Opening Hours
Ghibli Park Japan is open from 10am to 5pm (from 9am on weekends, nationwide holidays, and through faculty holidays).
It’s closed on Tuesdays and occasional additional days.
Ticket Choices for Ghibli Park
Ghibli Park ticket choices modified in 2024, and you’ll now not purchase tickets to particular person areas. Actually, this makes reserving simpler, and in case you are travelling to Nagoya, you would possibly as nicely see all of it.
Every ticket offers you an assigned entrance time for Ghibli’s Grand Warehouse, however you now not get an assigned time for the opposite areas.
Observe that costs are 500 yen ($3) greater on weekends and holidays. It’s greatest to go to on a weekday to keep away from the crowds (it’ll nonetheless be busy, although).
There’s additionally a 110 yen ($1) reserving payment.
There are two ticket choices for worldwide friends at Ghibli Park:
Ghibli Park O-Sanpo Day Move Premium
Entry to all 5 areas and 5 buildings. That is one of the best move if you wish to see every part (really helpful) however enable a full day.
Price: 7300 yen ($45) for adults and 3650 yen ($23) for youths aged 4-12.
Ghibli Park O-Sanpo Day Move
Entry to all 5 areas, however you possibly can’t go inside 5 buildings. That is value contemplating you probably have restricted time (or finances) and wish to give attention to Ghibli’s Grand Warehouse.
Price: 3500 yen ($22) for adults and 1750 yen ($11) for youths aged 4-12.
Ghibli Park Tickets on Klook
If you’re unsuccessful with the reserving course of beneath, or you’re in search of last-minute tickets, test for Ghibli Park packages such because the Klook Ghibli Park Day Tour from Nagoya (O-Sanpo Day Move plus bus transport and bento lunch).
These will value greater than reserving your self, however they’ve late availability.
Ebook Ghibli Park Tickets
You should be ready to e book tickets to Ghibli Park as they promote out rapidly—normally in below an hour.
Bookings open at 2pm JST on the tenth of every month for 2 months upfront. So, on 10 September, tickets are launched for the entire of November.
You should be able to e book earlier than the discharge time, so test what time 2pm Japan Normal Time is in your present location.
To extend our possibilities of a greater spot within the queue, Simon and I each used our laptops to e book. The extra gadgets, the higher!
Right here’s e book:
- Determine which date (ideally with just a few backup choices), ticket, and time you need.
- From half-hour to five minutes earlier than 2pm JST, go to the Ghibli Park Worldwide Ticket Web page and click on by to the Lawson Ticket web page. You can be added to a queue and given an estimated wait time. That is given randomly (so long as you be a part of earlier than 2pm), so though Simon joined after me, he had a five-minute wait time, whereas I had a 45-minute wait time.
- Whenever you attain the entrance of the queue (you’ll be notified), choose the month and ticket kind. I like to recommend Premium tickets.
- On the following web page, choose your most popular time for Ghibli’s Grand Warehouse (I like to recommend 11am or 12pm) from the date on the calendar.
- Choose the variety of folks after which your e-mail and cellphone quantity. Undergo authentication.
- Enter particulars of your group chief and create a 4-digit password for the positioning. Observe you’ll want the passport variety of the lead particular person and your deal with in Japan (simply put your first resort if you happen to’re unsure).
- Enter your bank card particulars. Our Visa didn’t work, however our Mastercard did (a standard concern on Japanese web sites). Be sure you have backups.
- Success!
Observe that the group chief should deliver their passport to Ghibli Park, and it could be checked (ours was).
You possibly can present your ticket in your cellphone, however you should have a smartphone and web connection (pre-saved PDFs aren’t allowed).
To be on the secure facet, print out your ticket. We used the printer in Lawson comfort shops, which have an English possibility. It prices 10 yen (6¢) and also you want cash to pay for it.
Ghibli Park Ideas
- You can’t eat outdoors meals in Ghibli Park areas, however you possibly can in the remaining areas within the park.
- Meals choices embrace a Mos Burger truck within the Mikazuki Relaxation Space (outdoors the official park areas), Transcontinental Flight Café inside Ghibli’s Grand Warehouse, Flying Oven in Valley of Witches, a cafeteria close to the principle park entrance, and some snack stands.
- You will have one hour out of your allotted time to enter Ghibli’s Grand Warehouse. Anticipate an extended queue.
- Different areas don’t have allotted instances, however there could also be queues. Dondoko Forest and Hill of Youth are most crowded after 3pm.
- There’s no reentry to the areas apart from Valley of Witches.
- Plan your time properly, because it’s arduous to suit every part right into a day. Our Ghibli Park information beneath has estimated instances for every space. Begin with the areas which might be most necessary to you.
- Be ready to take your footwear off to go inside the home in Dondoko Forest.
Ghibli Park Areas, Pictures, and What to Anticipate
Ghibli Park consists of the next 5 areas unfold out amongst Aichi Commemorative Park.
You’ll want to point out your ticket (and passport of lead particular person) for entrance into every space. Some buildings require a premium ticket.
Ghibli’s Grand Warehouse and Hill of Youth are closest to the park entrance/station and are a couple of minutes stroll aside.
Valley of Witches and Mononoke Village are 5-10 minutes from Grand Warehouse.
Dondoko Forest is essentially the most distant and is a ten to 15-minute stroll from Grand Warehouse alongside a beautiful forested path.
There’s additionally a real-life Cat Bus shuttle that runs between Mononoke Village and Dondoko Forest. It prices 1000 yen ($6) a method, and you should buy tickets from merchandising machines within the park.
Hill of Youth
Time to Go to: 15 – half-hour.
Distance from Station: 300 metres.
Amenities: Bathrooms and water fountain on the entrance.
Pictures: Not allowed inside.
Hill of Youth is impressed by the movies Whisper of the Coronary heart and The Cat Returns.
The principle attraction is the World Emporium, the antiques store from Whisper of the Coronary heart. A premium ticket is required to go inside. At 11am we solely had a brief wait.
Outdoors the Emporium is the Cat Bureau, a bit home which you’ll peek in to see the Baron inside.
The World Emporium is a walk-through attraction with so many particulars to discover—cuckoo clocks, vintage furnishings, dolls, and the Baron as he initially seems within the movie.
Better of all is the grandfather clock from the movie. Ensure you wait to see the present the place the sheep turns right into a fairy. You’ll admire the Emporium far more if you happen to’ve seen Whisper of the Coronary heart.
Downstairs you possibly can see the violin workshop and even play the violin and piano. Each flooring have terraces with views of the park.
Hill of Youth is straightforward to slot in earlier than you go to the Grand Warehouse. Apparently, it’s busiest after 3pm.
Ghibli’s Grand Warehouse
Time to Go to: 3-4 hours.
Distance from Station: 400 metres.
Amenities: Bathrooms and cafe.
Pictures: Allowed in most areas (not in meals exhibit).
Ghibli’s Grand Warehouse is the point of interest of Ghibli Park. The massive indoor house options many reveals, a cinema, playrooms, cafe, and present store.
You’ll must enter inside an hour of your allotted time and count on an extended queue. We joined the queue 25 minutes earlier than our 12pm time and entered at 12.05pm.
As soon as inside we went down the steps then to the left and straight to the Central Exhibit Room (a crimson constructing). That is the preferred space and we’re glad we went first because it was rather a lot busier by 1pm.
You gained’t wish to miss it because it options 14 scenes from Studio Ghibli movies the place you possibly can take your picture as if you happen to had been a personality within the scene.
We had a 15-minute wait to get inside, and there have been particular person queues for every movie scene (5 minutes for No Face, however most had been shorter).
Highlights had been sitting subsequent to No Face from Spirited Away, catching Sheeta as she falls in Fortress within the Sky, and combating Porco Rosso.
Different sights in Grand Warehouse are:
The spectacular mosaic Central Staircase with the Big Flying Ship.
Backyard within the Sky, the place you possibly can see an enormous robotic soldier from Fortress within the Sky (the queue was lengthy for a photograph right here, so we skipped it).
The Director’s Room from Spirited Away—see Yubaba at work. We waited a couple of minutes to look inside.
Milk Stand Siberi-An. We waited 5 minutes to purchase a castella cake sandwich with candy bean filling (koshi-an is creamy, whereas tsubu-an is chunkier). The deal with is from The Wind Rises.
It’s a must to eat your cake on the stand—there are just a few benches.
Cinema Orion reveals a altering Ghibli brief movie about thrice an hour. It’s in Japanese, however we nonetheless acquired the gist of the lovable Mei and the Cat Bus.
There are a number of particular exhibitions, together with one on meals within the Ghibli movies (no images allowed).
This results in the All the things Ghibli exhibit, which options film posters, a room the place you possibly can chat with Totoro at a bar, and the prospect to go inside a Cat Bus.
There’s additionally a kids’s playroom, Minami-machi the place you possibly can store in actual tiny outlets, and far more!
It takes so lengthy to discover that except you eat earlier than you go inside, you’ll possible want to go to the Transcontinental Flight Café, which is outdoors (however inside the ticketed space).
The meals wasn’t nice, however we had been glad to take a break. After all, we needed to queue for quarter-hour to order.
The counter-service menu consists of sandwiches, pizza slices, and sweets. We had been grateful for vegetarian choices—we acquired pizza slices and a guacamole sandwich. I imagine the guacamole and hummus sandwiches are vegan.
There’s additionally a gelato stand subsequent to the cafe (no queue on a chilly day).
Your ultimate cease within the Warehouse will possible be the Adventurous Flying Squadron store. There are some enjoyable Ghibli souvenirs, nevertheless it was so crowded I couldn’t get close to some cabinets. Checkout was quick and environment friendly, although.
Three hours (12-3pm) was simply sufficient for our go to (together with lunch) however we might have finished with extra time.
Dondoko Forest
Time to Go to: 1 hour (together with stroll there).
Distance from Station: 1000 – 1300 metres (relying on route).
Amenities: Bathrooms, small memento store with drinks (each on option to space).
Pictures: Now not allowed inside the home.
You’ll discover all of the My Neighbor Totoro sights in Dondoko Forest. (It’s best to undoubtedly watch the movie earlier than visiting.)
It’s a 10-15 minute stroll from the Warehouse. We took the shorter route by the temple-like gate and over the hill on a forest path. It wasn’t very steep, however if you need a flatter however longer route, you possibly can go across the hill.
We discovered it a bit arduous to search out, so see Google Maps and search for Dondoko Forest written in Japanese on indicators (どんどこ森).
Mei and Satsuki’s home is the spotlight of Donodoko Forest. You’ll want a premium move to enter this Japanese-Western home from the movie and should take off your footwear.
It’s splendidly recreated and you’ll discover so many particulars and even look inside cabinets. There’s a tatami mat lounge, kitchen, lavatory, and the dad’s book-filled workplace.
Dondoko-do is the opposite attraction up stairs on the hill above the home. It’s a 5-meter-tall wood construction of Totoro the place youngsters 12 and below can play inside. We skipped it because it was getting late.
Mononoke Village
Time to Go to: 10 minutes (or longer if you happen to make gohei-mochi)
Distance from Station: 800 metres.
Amenities: Small store.
Pictures: Allowed.
We discovered Mononoke Village essentially the most disappointing space, so I’d depart it till final in case you run out of time.
It was a 15-minute stroll from Donodoko Forest previous Valley of Witches.
The world is impressed by the Japanese mountain village panorama in Princess Mononoke, however we didn’t recognise a lot from the movie.
There’s a Lord Okkoto mosaic slide and a demon spirit statue.
The principle construction is the grass-roofed home Tatara-ba. The one factor inside is the chance to make a neighborhood speciality referred to as gohei-mochi (rice desserts) on a charcoal grill (1200 yen/ $7.50 per particular person). There was an extended wait, so we skipped that.
Valley of Witches
Time to Go to: 1 – 2 hours
Distance from Station: 800 metres.
Amenities: Bathrooms, cafe.
Pictures: Allowed (TBC)
Valley of Witches is the most recent space at Ghibli Park (opened March 2024) and wasn’t but open on our go to.
It’s the second largest space within the park and sounds unbelievable, celebrating witches from Studio Ghibli movies.
I’d make this a precedence, maybe heading right here at 10am earlier than a 12pm reservation at Grand Warehouse.
It consists of:
- The Okino Residence (premium wanted) and Guchokipanya Bakery (actual bread offered) from Kiki’s Supply Service.
- Howl’s Fortress (premium wanted) and Hatter’s Millinery (promoting hats, sweets, and books) from Howl’s Transferring Fortress.
- The Home of Witches (premium wanted) from Earwig and the Witch.
- Carousel – One of many solely actual Ghibli Park rides, nevertheless it’s extra for youths. It prices 500 yen ($3) for youths/ 1000 yen ($6) for adults.
- Flying Machine – One other paid experience for youths (500 yen/ $3). Adults can solely experience when accompanying a toddler.
- Flying Oven – A restaurant with European-style pies and quiches.
There’s additionally a sizzling canine stand, present store, play space, clock tower, fountain and extra to discover.
Get to Ghibli Park
Ghibli Park is positioned outdoors Nagoya, between Tokyo and Kyoto/Osaka, however nearer to the latter.
Nagoya is on the Shinkansen line, so it’s straightforward to achieve from main cities. Nonetheless, you’ll then must take two native trains to achieve Ghibli Park, and the journey can take some time.
Use Navitime to test prepare instances.
Ghibli Park is doable as a day journey from Kyoto or Osaka. Or you possibly can cease on the way in which between Tokyo and Kyoto (depart your baggage in lockers at Nagoya Station or use an in a single day baggage forwarding service). An in a single day keep in Nagoya isn’t needed except you wish to shorten your day.
It’s greatest to get an early begin and purpose to reach at Ghibli Park for the 10am opening (9am on weekends). You’ll want the complete seven hours of opening to see all of it.
Nagoya Station to Ghibli Park
Most guests will move by Nagoya Station on the way in which to Ghibli Park.
Depart Nagoya Station and observe indicators for the Higashiyama Subway Line. Take this line to Fujigaoka Station (the final station). This takes slightly below half-hour.
At Fujigaoka Station, exit and switch to Linimo, a Magazine-Lev (magnetically levitated) prepare. Take it to Aichikyūhaku-kinen-kōen (Expo Memorial Park) Station. This takes about quarter-hour.
Take Exit 2 to achieve the doorway to Expo 2005 Aichi Commemorative Park.
Outdoors the station, you’ll discover a Lawson comfort retailer (for snacks and a few Ghibli souvenirs), bathrooms, an data centre with lockers, and a restaurant.
To succeed in Ghibli’s Grand Warehouse, head straight forward and go down the Elevator Tower.
There is no such thing as a official entrance to Ghibli Park, and also you solely have to point out your ticket to get into every of the 5 areas.
We arrived at Nagoya Station at 9.15am and reached Ghibli Park at 10.15am, so enable round an hour.
We used our Suica playing cards (we had the Apple Pockets model) to faucet in for native transport in Nagoya.
Kyoto to Ghibli Park
We visited Ghibli Park as a day journey from Kyoto, which took about 1.5 hours from Kyoto Station.
We acquired the 8.45am Nozomi Shinkansen from Kyoto Station, which solely takes half-hour to get to Nagoya (it’s dear, although), then adopted the instructions above.
We left Ghibli Park at 4pm and arrived on the Shinkansen tracks at Nagoya Station at 5.10pm. The prepare again to Kyoto was very crowded (we needed to sit aside), so that you would possibly wish to e book seats for a small payment.
Osaka to Ghibli Park
To get from Osaka to Ghibli Park, take the Shinkansen from Shin-Osaka Station to Nagoya, which takes 50 minutes.
Then observe the instructions above from Nagoya to Ghibli Park.
Permit round two hours from Osaka to Ghibli Park.
Tokyo to Ghibli Park
Travelling from Tokyo to Ghibli Park takes longer, so I don’t advocate it as a day journey. It makes extra sense to cease there in your option to Kyoto or spend the evening in Nagoya.
The Shinkansen from Tokyo Station to Nagoya takes 1 hour 40 minutes then observe the instructions above.
Ghibli Park Map
Movies To Watch Earlier than Visiting Ghibli Park
Hopefully, you’re a Studio Ghibli fan in case you are visiting Ghibli Park, however in case you are an informal viewer, I like to recommend watching as most of the movies as you possibly can to get essentially the most out of the expertise. You’ll admire the park particulars a lot extra.
Studio Ghibli movies can be found on Netflix outdoors the US/Canada (the place I imagine they’re on Max).
Listed below are the Ghibli movies I’d prioritise:
Earlier than Visiting Ghibli’s Grand Warehouse
- My Neighbour Totoro – A delicate, iconic Ghibli movie. You possibly can meet Totoro and see the Cat Bus within the Warehouse and go inside a reproduction of the women’ home in Dondoko Forest. A must-see.
- Spirited Away – Within the Warehouse there’s a photograph op with No Face and you’ll see inside Yubaba’s workplace. One of the crucial standard Ghibli movies.
- Fortress within the Sky – The Warehouse contains a robotic soldier, airship, and a few cool scenes within the Central Exhibit Room.
You’ll additionally discover scenes from The Secret World of Arrietty, Porco Rosso, From Up on Poppy Hill, and extra.
Earlier than Visiting Valley of Witches
Valley of Witches options buildings from all three of those movies.
- Kiki’s Supply Service
- Howl’s Transferring Fortress
- Earwig and the Witch
Earlier than Visiting Hill of Youth
- Whisper of the Coronary heart – You possibly can go contained in the Emporium vintage store that options on this candy teen love story set in Tokyo. You’ll get pleasure from your go to a lot extra if you happen to watch this primary.
- The Cat Returns – A spin-off of Whisper of the Coronary heart that includes Baron the cat. You possibly can peek contained in the Cat Bureau in Hill of Youth. Much less necessary than watching Whisper.
You may additionally watch the darkish and epic Princess Mononoke earlier than visiting Mononoke Village, nevertheless it felt like much less of a connection than the opposite areas. There are just a few scenes within the Warehouse, although.
Is Ghibli Park Value it?
Ghibli Park is nicely value visiting in case you are a Studio Ghibli fan. The extra Ghibli movies you’ve seen, the extra you’ll get out of the expertise.
We liked seeing scenes from the animations come to life and strolling by outlets and homes that had been recreated with such element.
It’s a full and tiring day trip, and it is advisable be ready for crowds and queues, nevertheless it was value it for us.
If in case you have restricted time in Japan (or are on a good finances), you would possibly choose to go to the Ghibli Museum in Tokyo as an alternative.
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