According to a recent report by NME, the acclaimed Japanese animation studio, Studio Ghibli, will soon be opening a theme park featuring attractions based on several films by legendary animator, Hayao Miyazaki. The theme park is set to open in Nagoya, Japan and begin operations in 2020.
The park, which as of yet has no official name, will feature attractions based on such iconic Ghibli films as Spirited Away (2001), Kiki’s Delivery Service (1989), and The Wind Rises (2013).
Chief among the attractions however, will be replica of the animated village seen in 1988’s My Neighbor Totoro, which is set to serve as the first phase of the coming park. In fact, a life-sized replica of Satsuki and Mei’s animated house already sits on the site of the future park, as it was built for the 2005 World Expo in Nagoya.
This “Totoro Land” (we’ll call it) will be developed with assistance from the Aichi Prefectural government, which has stated it will be on the lookout for additional private partners in order to help expand the park to incorporate as many popular Ghibli films as possible and create the best overall experience for future visitors.
Studio Ghibli has been considered one of the greatest animation studios of our time. Working closely with production companies like Disney, which handles the international distribution of many Ghibli films, Miyazaki’s famous film studio is considered to be highly prestigious and responsible for some of the most well-made films of all time.
For example, of the 21 feature films released under the Studio Ghibli banner over the course of the studio’s 30 year history, only three have received a score of less than 80% on Rotten Tomatoes. Of the remaining 18 films, 11 have scored higher than 90% positive reviews. In fact two Ghibli films, Only Yesterday (1991) and The Tale of the Princess Kaguya (2013), even received the elusive “100% Certified Fresh” rating on the popular film critic site.
As for the upcoming Studio Ghibli theme park, it shouldn’t have much trouble attracting fans of its internationally successful empire. We look forward to its official opening.