Located within the Expo 2005 Aichi Commemorative Park near Nagoya, the highly anticipated world’s first Ghibli Park is set to open in a few months’ time. All five themed areas are modelled after Studio Ghibli’s most famous films, three of which – Hill of Youth, Dondoko Forest and Ghibli’s Large Warehouse – will open first on November 1.
While the Dondoko Forest area is based on ‘My Neighbor Totoro’, complete with a recreation of Satsuki and Mei’s house and a wooden Totoro-shaped statue, the film’s iconic Catbus, on the other hand, will appear at a play area inside Ghibli’s Large Warehouse.
「ジブリの大倉庫」のネコバスルームには新たなネコバスの姿が……。写真は制作過程の模型です。子どもたちは中に入ったり、よじ登って遊べます（コッソリ）。 https://t.co/gJU72R76qD pic.twitter.com/G80EFZKMvT
— スタジオジブリ STUDIO GHIBLI (@JP_GHIBLI) June 17, 2022
Just recently, Studio Ghibli revealed a sneak peek of the iconic cat vehicle on Twitter. While this image only shows a small-scale prototype, the actual Catbus will be a life-size version which kids can climb and step into. Compared to the one at Ghibli Museum, the new Catbus at Ghibli Park will have a slightly more cartoonish look. It resembles a patchwork soft toy with button eyes and colourful patterns.
We can’t wait to see how this turns out in real life. In the meantime, keep up to date with all things Ghibli Park with our guide.
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