In Japan, a place will be built where fantasy and reality join forces. A space full of magical characters and incredible buildings. It's the Studio Ghibli theme park, which, if all goes well, will open its doors in 2022. The only problem is that we haven't seen many official details, but that changed thanks to a new round of concept art.
Everything began in 2005 when Goro Miyazaki designed and supervised the installation of a full-size replica of Satsuki and Mei's house from Tonari no Totoro, for that year's World Expo held in Nagoya. Visits are limited to 45 minutes, and as far as we can tell, there are photography rules, but participants can manipulate every piece and element in the house during that time. Since then, rumors about a theme park multiplied, and it was in the middle of last year that the first reports of its construction emerged. Instead of reproducing the style of a traditional amusement park, Ghibli Park is being planned as a place where visitors can enjoy nature, something definitely in line with what the master Hayao has given us and his team so far.
The park was supposed to be inaugurated in 2020 (same year as the Olympics), but it's already confirmed that the wait will extend to at least the year 2022. Ghibli Park will occupy about 200 hectares of the land used in the World Expo, and will include a replica of the antique shop from Mimi o Sumaseba, in addition to other constructions inspired by the architecture of Hauru no Ugoku Shiro. The concept art also reveals the village of Mononoke-hime, and the Witch's Valley, with attractions based on the content of Hauru no Ugoku Shiro and Majo no Takkyūbin.
Finally, visitors will be able to access the Dondoko Forest, a name derived from the dance that Mei and Satsuki do with Totoro in the film, and where the house already stands. Four years to go, but if the attention to detail for which Studio Ghibli is known is poured into the whole park, it will be worth the wait.
