Ghibli Park: Construction Has Begun on the Studio Ghibli Theme Park Due to Open in 2022!

Chubu Entertainment Ghibli

2020.07.30

Image Source: Natalie

When news of a new Studio Ghibli theme park opening in Japan's Aichi Prefecture was announced in early summer 2019, fans around the world (and on the Japankuru team) rejoiced. The much-beloved anime studio is a favorite of many travelers visiting Japan, and tickets to Tokyo's Ghibli Museum (soon reopening after closing for COVID-19) sell out within minutes every month. So the prospect of an entire theme park themed around the many worlds created by Studio Ghibli is almost too much to handle―especially after seeing the gorgeous concept art for the new facility, full of intricate detail and color.

But after the 2019 announcement, not very much had been specifically announced to the public regarding the park's development, and with the outbreak of coronavirus putting many plans on hold in Japan, some of us weren't sure where the Ghibli Park stood in terms of delays.

Image Source: Aichi Prefectural Government

All of this background is what makes this new announcement all the more exciting. On July 28, 2020, a collection of important Aichi political figures and Studio Ghibli higher-ups gathered in Aichi Earth Expo Memorial Park to take the next step towards Ghibli Park's partial opening in 2022, and full opening in 2023.

2️⃣今回起工するのは、全5エリアのうち、2022年秋に開業予定の「青春の丘エリア」「ジブリの大倉庫エリア」「どんどこ森エリア」の本体工事。
ジブリ作品の世界観を表現した唯一無二のジブリパークが、世界中の皆様に愛され笑顔をお届けできるように❗さあ、鍬入れです。 pic.twitter.com/u86t5zTtMO
— 大村秀章 (@ohmura_hideaki) July 28, 2020

After speeches from Aichi's Governer Hideaki Omura and Studio Ghibli's president, Kiyofumi Nakajima, where they called the park "not just a dream, but a dream come true," regional government officials and Ghibli staff came together to finally break ground at the new park's location, so that construction could begin in earnest.

We can't wait to see more concept art of the park-to-be, and we're even more excited to visit the park in 2022! For more updates and information from Japan, be sure to follow Japankuru on twitter, instagram, and facebook!