Ghibli Park Complete Guide: Tickets, Tips & MUST-SEES! 🇯🇵

Ghibli Park Complete Guide: Tickets, Tips & MUST-SEES! 🇯🇵

For years, we’ve been captivated by the heartwarming stories in breathtaking animation of Studio Ghibli. Now, imagine stepping directly into those cherished worlds. Join us as we experience the magic firsthand at Jibli Park in Nagoya. Jibli Park is part of the Expo 2005 commemorative park complex. You can take the train from Nagoya station to Fijigako station and then take the Limino to the park. There are five sections to Jibli Park. Jubilee Grand Warehouse, Valley of the Witches, Mono No Village, Hill of Youth, and Dondoko Forest. Unfortunately, we didn’t have time to make our way to Dondo Forest as it is a fair way away from the rest of the park. You can catch a bus there or you can walk the almost kilometer [Music] there. We started our day at Jibli Grand Warehouse. As you need to pick an entrance time for the warehouse when you book tickets, I decided it would be a smart choice to start there at opening time. And boy, was that the right choice. For the first 30 to 45 minutes, we barely ran into anyone because most people who came into the warehouse were heading to the photo spots. We didn’t have a lot of interest in doing those and the line was already quite long when we walked past. So, we had a quick wander around before heading into Cinema Oran. If you’ve ever been to Jibli Museum in Mitaka, you’ll know that they have a cinema that shows Jibli shorts. Jibli Park does this as well. We saw Hashi or Katahi the day I bought a star which is based on a story by now Ino. There is a couple of exhibitions that are at Ghibli Park in the warehouse. One being the animating memorable meals exhibition which is about how Studio Ghibli animates food. We couldn’t film in the exhibition, but it was amazing to see how much focus is on even the minute details of a dish by animators. How many frames have to be drawn to do certain things with food, such as Mr. Yamada eating a banana in My Neighbors the Yamadas. The exhibition also includes a reproduction of the kitchen from Up on Poppy Hill. There is also a massive exhibition of promotional materials, DVDs, etc. for each Studio Ghibli film. Sprinkled throughout the exhibition is photos and art from the Studio Ghibli team from over the years. There is also a massive Torto standing at a bar, which is awesome for a photo op. It’s great to see how each individual film was promoted or what was released alongside a film’s theatrical release. We unfortunately missed seeing the Oscar that Studio Ghibli won for The Boy and the Heron, but we did spot a couple of nods to the film throughout the Grand Warehouse. [Music] [Music] [Music] You do need to pre- purchase your tickets for Jibli Park. You cannot hope to show up on the day and get in. It’s just not going to happen. Ticket reservation opens on the 10th, 2 months in advance. So, if you are planning on going to Jibli Park in August, you need to be online and ready to purchase tickets at 2:00 p.m. JST on the 10th of June. When you get to the park, you will also need to show ID when you enter. You can purchase your tickets either through Lawson or Click. We purchased the Jibli Park OPO day pass premium that gave us access to all the areas as well as entry to all the buildings. And for us, this ticket was absolutely worth it. As part of the Everything Ghibli exhibition, there is a cat bus that you can sit in and take photos with. It is absolutely adorable, and even though we were in the Grand Warehouse early in the day, it was still quite busy around it. In the Grand Warehouse, there is also an area that’s dedicated to the secret world of Ariati. It is a walkthrough area with different rooms from Ariati’s home and walking through the garden as well like you are one of the borrowers. [Music] There is a small shopping street within the Grand Warehouse called Mini Machi. And there’s three stores. Nepu Bookstore for books, Open Sky Models for Scale Model Kits, and a Penny Candy Store called Cat Princess. [Music] We headed to Siberian for possibly the most delicious piece of cake I have had in Japan. They had sadly sold out of milk and it was about 11:30 at the time, but they still had slices of Siberia sponge cake and it was brilliant. The Castella cake was soft and fluffy and the red bean paste was incredibly smooth. They do have other small drinks for sale, but the milk is a highlight because it matches well with the cake and is sourced from local [Music] producers. The only downside of visiting the Grand Warehouse early in the day is that you’ll be carrying around all the merch that you end up buying from Adventurous Flying Squad, the merch store for the Grand Warehouse. And boy, did we buy a lot. I wish I’d got footage of it. Um, completely forgot to do so. But for that short amount of quiet time that you have for being the first entry group for the day, it was absolutely worth [Music] it. Our second section of the park was the Valley of the Witches and this encompasses House Moving Castle, Kiki’s Delivery Service, and E-wig and the Witch. Valley of the Witches also contains a carousel which has vehicles from various Studio Ghibli films and plays merrygoround life from Pal’s Moving Castle. There is also a flying machine ride which is inspired by Castle in the Sky. I think a good thing to note here is if you’ve been to Jibli Museum, it is worth visiting Jibli Park. While some of the whimsy that Jibli Museum has is not at Jibli Park, there is definitely some magic here. Also, unlike other theme parks, the set dressing in places are actual items. The house of witches from E-wig and the witch smells like herbs as soon as you enter. And as you walk through, you see piles of books in some of the rooms. Once you get to Bella Yaga’s workshop and you see that the table is strewn with flowers, herbs, cooking implements, it just generally feels like you’ve stepped into a witch’s home. House Castle is very much the same, even down to the extremely messy bathroom. Unfortunately, with both buildings, you can’t film in them. Across from House Castle and the carousel, there is buildings that are themed after Kiki’s Delivery Service and House Moving Castle. There’s the bakery that is actually a functional bakery, and above it is uh the attic that’s decorated like Kiki and Gigi’s room. the Millaners, which I believe is a candy shop from memory, and a lift for people to get up to the second floor. There is also a restaurant in this area called the Flying Oven, as well as another merch store called Witches Coven 13. Before moving on, we stopped for a quick snack at Hot Tin Roof before heading to Monoke [Music] [Music] Village. As you may have figured out, there is a lot of walking at Jipley Park, so it may not be suitable for those who have mobility issues. There is stairs as well, but they’re pretty easy to avoid. So, if you’re somebody that’s using a wheelchair or pram, you should be okay. But, like I said, there’s a lot of walking. Some of the ground is uneven, so you may tire yourself out very quickly in the [Music] day. We are excited to head to Monoki village, but there isn’t a real lot to do. There is a statue of Lord Okoto that also doubles as a slide, a sculpture of the demon spirit, a tiny merch store, and a tataraba where you can learn how to make ge moche on a charcoal grill. The area does feel unfinished. And I’m hoping that they do add to it in the future as Jibli does have a lot of films that could potentially fit into the same motifs as Monarchy Village and those same sort of underlying uh stories and lessons from the film of environmentalism and stewardship of the [Music] earth. [Music] Our final stop for the day was the hill of youth that has the cataru from the cat returns and the world emporium from whisper of the heart. You can enter the world emporium but you can’t film. Jibli park is absolutely worth visiting. It does not have the same vibe as a typical theme park but it is also very different to Jibli Museum which is very much dedicated to animation as an art form and celebrating that. There are some sections to Jibli Park that do feel unfinished, such as Monoke Village, and I hope that they do get improved in the future, but that is a really nitpicking critique from me. I absolutely enjoyed my day there, and I highly recommend that you go as well. Let me know in the comments below if you’ve been to Jibli Park or if you’re planning to go to Jibli Park. And if so, what was your favorite part of the park? There is a lot of things to do in and around Nagoya. and I’ll be releasing videos about them in the next couple of weeks. If you want to get a sneak peek, you can see our 21 days in Japan video here. [Music]

Get ready to journey to a real-life wonderland! In this video, we’re diving deep into the enchanting world of Ghibli Park, the incredible theme park in Japan that brings the magic of Studio Ghibli films to life.

Join us as we explore the park’s stunning recreations of iconic locations from films like Spirited Away, My Neighbor Totoro, Howl’s Moving Castle, and more. We’ll take you through the meticulously crafted exhibits, share our insider tips for navigating the park, and give you a taste of the delicious food and unique souvenirs you can find.

Whether you’re a die-hard Ghibli fan or simply looking for a whimsical and unforgettable travel experience, this video is your ultimate guide to Ghibli Park. Prepare to be amazed by the sheer artistry and attention to detail that makes this park a true pilgrimage for animation lovers.

Don’t forget to like this video, subscribe for more travel adventures, and let us know in the comments which Ghibli film holds a special place in your heart!

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