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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 means of 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 evaluation, I share methods to get tickets (which promote out quick), what to anticipate in every space, methods to get there, movies to observe earlier than you go to, and whether or not it’s price it.
Contents
Ghibli Museum vs Ghibli Park
Firstly, I need 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 way bigger, with 5 areas unfold over a park. There are recreations of scenes and even complete buildings from the movies.
Each are price visiting, however we want Ghibli Park. That stated, Ghibli Museum is way simpler to entry on the common journey to Japan (most individuals go to Tokyo) and requires much less of a time dedication (a couple of hours vs a complete day).
Ghibli Park Opening Hours
Ghibli Park Japan is open from 10am to 5pm (from 9am on weekends, nationwide holidays, and through college holidays).
It’s closed on Tuesdays and occasional further days.
Ticket Choices for Ghibli Park
Ghibli Park ticket choices modified in 2024, and you’ll not purchase tickets to particular person areas. Truthfully, this makes reserving simpler, and if you’re travelling to Nagoya, you may as effectively see all of it.
Every ticket provides you an assigned entrance time for Ghibli’s Grand Warehouse, however you not get an assigned time for the opposite areas.
Word that costs are 500 yen ($3) greater on weekends and holidays. It’s finest 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 visitors at Ghibli Park:
Ghibli Park O-Sanpo Day Go Premium
Entry to all 5 areas and 5 buildings. That is one of the best move if you wish to see all the pieces (really helpful) however permit a full day.
Price: 7300 yen ($45) for adults and 3650 yen ($23) for teenagers aged 4-12.
Ghibli Park O-Sanpo Day Go
Entry to all 5 areas, however you may’t go inside 5 buildings. That is price contemplating in case you have restricted time (or price range) and need to concentrate on Ghibli’s Grand Warehouse.
Price: 3500 yen ($22) for adults and 1750 yen ($11) for teenagers aged 4-12.
Ghibli Park Tickets on Klook
If you’re unsuccessful with the reserving course of under, or you’re searching for last-minute tickets, test for Ghibli Park packages such because the Klook Ghibli Park Day Tour from Nagoya (O-Sanpo Day Go plus bus transport and bento lunch).
These will value greater than reserving your self, however they’ve late availability.
Guide Ghibli Park Tickets
You should be ready to ebook 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 prematurely. So, on 10 September, tickets are launched for the entire of November.
It is advisable be able to ebook 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 ebook. The extra gadgets, the higher!
Right here’s methods to ebook:
- Determine which date (ideally with a couple of 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 means of 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 part of earlier than 2pm), so despite the fact that Simon joined after me, he had a five-minute wait time, whereas I had a 45-minute wait time.
- Once 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 subsequent web page, choose your most well-liked time for Ghibli’s Grand Warehouse (I like to recommend 11am or 12pm) from the date on the calendar.
- Choose the variety of individuals after which your electronic mail and telephone quantity. Undergo authentication.
- Enter particulars of your group chief and create a 4-digit password for the location. Word you’ll want the passport variety of the lead particular person and your deal with in Japan (simply put your first resort in case you’re unsure).
- Enter your bank card particulars. Our Visa didn’t work, however our Mastercard did (a typical difficulty on Japanese web sites). Make sure you have backups.
- Success!
Word that the group chief should deliver their passport to Ghibli Park, and it might be checked (ours was).
You possibly can present your ticket in your telephone, however you need to have a smartphone and web connection (pre-saved PDFs aren’t allowed).
To be on the protected aspect, 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 Suggestions
- You can’t eat outdoors meals in Ghibli Park areas, however you may in the remainder areas within the park.
- Meals choices embody 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 have got one hour out of your allotted time to enter Ghibli’s Grand Warehouse. Anticipate a protracted 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 aside from Valley of Witches.
- Plan your time correctly, because it’s arduous to suit all the pieces right into a day. Our Ghibli Park information under has estimated instances for every space. Begin with the areas which are most necessary to you.
- Be ready to take your footwear off to go inside the home in Dondoko Forest.
Ghibli Park Areas, Photographs, and What to Anticipate
Ghibli Park contains 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 technique, and you should purchase tickets from merchandising machines within the park.
Hill of Youth
Time to Go to: 15 – half-hour.
Distance from Station: 300 metres.
Services: Bathrooms and water fountain on the entrance.
Photographs: 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.
Exterior the Emporium is the Cat Bureau, a bit of 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. Be sure to wait to see the present the place the sheep turns right into a fairy. You’ll admire the Emporium way more in case you’ve seen Whisper of the Coronary heart.
Downstairs you may see the violin workshop and even play the violin and piano. Each flooring have terraces with views of the park.
Hill of Youth is simple 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.
Services: Bathrooms and cafe.
Photographs: Allowed in most areas (not in meals exhibit).
Ghibli’s Grand Warehouse is the focus of Ghibli Park. The big indoor house options many displays, a cinema, playrooms, cafe, and reward store.
You’ll have to enter inside an hour of your allotted time and count on a protracted 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 pink constructing). That is the preferred space and we’re glad we went first because it was lots busier by 1pm.
You gained’t need to miss it because it options 14 scenes from Studio Ghibli movies the place you may take your picture as in case you have 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 have been shorter).
Highlights have 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 Large Flying Ship.
Backyard within the Sky, the place you may 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 a couple of benches.
Cinema Orion reveals a altering Ghibli quick movie about thrice an hour. It’s in Japanese, however we nonetheless received 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 The whole lot Ghibli exhibit, which options film posters, a room the place you may chat with Totoro at a bar, and the possibility to go inside a Cat Bus.
There’s additionally a kids’s playroom, Minami-machi the place you may store in actual tiny outlets, and way more!
It takes so lengthy to discover that except you eat earlier than you go inside, you’ll doubtless want to go to the Transcontinental Flight Café, which is outdoors (however inside the ticketed space).
The meals wasn’t nice, however we have been glad to take a break. In fact, we needed to queue for quarter-hour to order.
The counter-service menu contains sandwiches, pizza slices, and sweets. We have been grateful for vegetarian choices—we received pizza slices and a guacamole sandwich. I consider 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 doubtless 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 may have carried out with extra time.
Dondoko Forest
Time to Go to: 1 hour (together with stroll there).
Distance from Station: 1000 – 1300 metres (relying on route).
Services: Bathrooms, small memento store with drinks (each on solution to space).
Photographs: 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 means of the temple-like gate and over the hill on a forest path. It wasn’t very steep, however if you would like a flatter however longer route, you may go across the hill.
We discovered it a bit arduous to seek 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 front room, 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 picket 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 in case you make gohei-mochi)
Distance from Station: 800 metres.
Services: Small store.
Photographs: 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 realm 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 an area speciality referred to as gohei-mochi (rice desserts) on a charcoal grill (1200 yen/ $7.50 per particular person). There was a protracted wait, so we skipped that.
Valley of Witches
Time to Go to: 1 – 2 hours
Distance from Station: 800 metres.
Services: Bathrooms, cafe.
Photographs: Allowed (TBC)
Valley of Witches is the latest 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 implausible, 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 contains:
- The Okino Residence (premium wanted) and Guchokipanya Bakery (actual bread bought) 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 teenagers. It prices 500 yen ($3) for teenagers/ 1000 yen ($6) for adults.
- Flying Machine – One other paid experience for teenagers (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, reward store, play space, clock tower, fountain and extra to discover.
Get to Ghibli Park
Ghibli Park is situated outdoors Nagoya, between Tokyo and Kyoto/Osaka, however nearer to the latter.
Nagoya is on the Shinkansen line, so it’s simple to succeed in from main cities. Nevertheless, you’ll then have to take two native trains to succeed in 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 may 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 obligatory except you need to shorten your day.
It’s finest 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 means of Nagoya Station on the way in which to Ghibli Park.
Depart Nagoya Station and comply with 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 succeed in the doorway to Expo 2005 Aichi Commemorative Park.
Exterior the station, you’ll discover a Lawson comfort retailer (for snacks and a few Ghibli souvenirs), bogs, an data centre with lockers, and a restaurant.
To achieve Ghibli’s Grand Warehouse, head straight forward and go down the Elevator Tower.
There isn’t 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 permit 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 received 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 may need to ebook 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 comply with the instructions above from Nagoya to Ghibli Park.
Enable 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 solution to Kyoto or spend the night time in Nagoya.
The Shinkansen from Tokyo Station to Nagoya takes 1 hour 40 minutes then comply with the instructions above.
Ghibli Park Map
Movies To Watch Earlier than Visiting Ghibli Park
Hopefully, you’re a Studio Ghibli fan if you’re visiting Ghibli Park, however if you’re an informal viewer, I like to recommend watching as lots of the movies as you may 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 consider they’re on Max).
Listed here are the Ghibli movies I’d prioritise:
Earlier than Visiting Ghibli’s Grand Warehouse
- My Neighbour Totoro – A mild, 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 vital widespread 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 take pleasure in your go to a lot extra in case you 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 would 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 a couple of scenes within the Warehouse, although.
Is Ghibli Park Value it?
Ghibli Park is effectively price visiting if you’re a Studio Ghibli fan. The extra Ghibli movies you’ve seen, the extra you’ll get out of the expertise.
We beloved seeing scenes from the animations come to life and strolling by means of outlets and homes that had been recreated with such element.
It’s a full and tiring time out, and you could be ready for crowds and queues, nevertheless it was price it for us.
In case you have restricted time in Japan (or are on a decent price range), you may want to go to the Ghibli Museum in Tokyo as an alternative.
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