On Wednesday, the media got a sneak peek at the highly anticipated new theme park from Studio Ghibli. Ghibli Park will open its doors to visitors on November 1, though only three of the five sections of the site in central Japan's Aichi region will be accessible at first
Japanese film director Goro Miyazaki (L) and Aichi Prefectural Governor Hideaki Omura (R) pose for photographs during a press conference at the new Ghibli Park.
Image: Yuichi Yamazaki / AFP©
Beyond the gates, a whimsical world awaits, complete with a fluffy Cat Bus, the toothy grin of Totoro and a life-sized No-Face seated on a train: welcome to Ghibli Park.
On Wednesday, media got a sneak peek at the highly anticipated new theme park from Studio Ghibli, creator of beloved titles like "My Neighbour Totoro" and Oscar-winning "Spirited Away".
Ghibli Park will open its doors to visitors on November 1, though only three of the five sections of the site in central Japan's Aichi region will be accessible at first.
Spread over 7.1 hectares of the 194-hectare park where Aichi hosted the 2005 International Expo, the attraction features large open-air areas in keeping with the importance of nature and the outdoors in Ghibli works.
Unlike similar tourist draws such as Tokyo Disneyland, creators of the park have said it is designed to minimise fantasy and reflect the realism of Ghibli's works.