Studio Ghibli to build ‘Totoro’ theme park
Famed anime production house Studio Ghibli is to get its own theme park in Japan.
The park is earmarked for a 2020 opening on the former site of the 2005 World Expo, near Nagoya.
The park will be themed around one of Ghibli’s most celebrated films ‘My Neighbor Totoro’ which was released to worldwide acclaim in 1988.
The site already has a life-size replica of the house from the film.
Co-founder of Studio Ghibli Toshio Suzuki said it will be ‘set in the world of Totoro’ but without any park rides.
"Construction will be planned around existing clearings to avoid felling trees," said Aichi Prefecture governor Hideaki Omura at a press conference.
The house will be expanded to ‘re-stage situations and landscapes’ but there is no word yet whether there will be attractions showcasing Studio Ghibli’s other popular anime classics including Princess Mononoke, Spirited Away and Howl’s Moving Castle.
There is already a Studio Ghibli museum in Tokyo that features a host of interactive exhibits based on the movies.
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Editor for TravelMole North America and Asia pacific regions. Ray is a highly experienced (15+ years) skilled journalist and editor predominantly in travel, hospitality and lifestyle working with a huge number of major market-leading brands. He has also cover in-depth news, interviews and features in general business, finance, tech and geopolitical issues for a select few major news outlets and publishers.
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