Studio Ghibli Theme Park Guide

If you’ve ever dreamed of walking through the mystical worlds of Spirited Away, My Neighbour Totoro, or Howl’s Moving Castle, Studio Ghibli Park is where you can make that dream a reality!

Studio Ghibli officially stepped into the theme park world with the opening of Ghibli Park in November 2022. Built on the grounds of the 2005 World Expo site in Aichi Prefecture, this isn’t your typical theme park. You won’t find roller coasters or flashy rides here. Instead, you’ll wander through immersive spaces pulled straight from Ghibli films, surrounded by nature and the studio’s signature storytelling magic.

Just a heads-up: Ghibli Park is completely separate from the Ghibli Museum in Mitaka, Tokyo. They’re two different experiences, so don’t mix them up!

Tickets & Opening Hours

Ghibli Park operates from 10:00 to 17:00 on weekdays, and opens an hour earlier at 9:00 on weekends and public holidays (the park is closed every Tuesday). Admission is tightly controlled, with a cap of around 5,000 visitors per day. All tickets are date- and time-specific, so you’ll need to book in advance. No same-day sales, and no walk-ins.

Each area of the park requires a separate reservation. Your ticket will list your entry time, but you’re free to explore at your own pace after entering.

Locaiton	Adult	Child
Ghibli’s Grand Warehouse (Weekdays)	2,000 yen	1,000 yen
Ghibli’s Grand Warehouse (Weekends & Holidays)	2,500 yen	1,250 yen
Dondoko Forest	1,000 yen	500 yen
Hill of Youth	1,000 yen	500 yen

Combo Tickets

Note: These combo tickets are only sold through the Japanese website and aren’t available in English.

Location	Adult	Child
Ghibli’s Grand Warehouse & Youth Hill (Weekdays)	3,000 yen	1,500 yen
Ghibli’s Grand Warehouse & Youth Hill (Weekends & Holidays)	3,500 yen	1,750 yen

How to Buy Tickets

The Easiest Way (Especially for Travellers)

Book a Ghibli Park Package on Klook! It includes a hotel in Nagoya, your bullet train from Tokyo, and park admission all in one. It’s simple, reliable and perfect for international visitors. Klook is a trusted third-party seller, so use them with confidence!

Buying From Overseas

You can also buy standalone tickets from the official international website.

If You’re in Japan

Tickets are available through Boo-Woo Ticket and at Lawson/Mini Stop convenience stores via Loppi machines. You can also grab a JTB travel package that includes accommodation and tickets.

New ticket sales open on the 10th of each month at 2 PM Japan time, for the following month. For example, reservations for October 2025 go on sale August 10th 2025, at 2 p.m. (Japan time)

Getting to Ghibli Park

📍Address: 1533-1 Ibaragamama Otsu, Nagakute City, Aichi Prefecture Aichi – Expo Memorial Park

Studio Ghibli Park is located in Aichi Expo Memorial Park in Nagakute City, Aichi Prefecture – about an hour east by train from Nagoya. Remember this isn’t Ghibli Museum – that’s 230km away from Nagoya!

By Train from Tokyo

A Tokyo to Nagoya Shinkansen (bullet train) will get you to the park in under 2 hours. After arriving at Nagoya Station, take the Linimo (Aichi Rapid Transit) to Ai-Chikyuhaku Kinen Koen Station. From Exit 2, the park entrance is just a short walk away. It’s pretty convenient!

By Shuttle Bus from Nagoya Station

Meitetsu runs direct shuttle buses between Nagoya Station and Expo 2005 Aichi Commemorative Park, where Ghibli Park is located.

• Weekdays: 8 shuttles (6 are non-stop)
• Weekends & Holidays: 9 shuttles (all non-stop)
• Return trips from the park: 7 shuttles on weekdays (5 non-stop), 8 on weekends (all non-stop)

For exact times and fares, check the Meitetsu Bus official website.

What Makes Ghibli Park Special?

This isn’t your typical theme park. There are no thrill rides or parades, but that’s the point. Ghibli Park is all about exploring nature, whimsical architecture, and recreated film sets you can walk through at your own pace. Studio Ghibli made a point not to cut down any trees during construction. Everything blends into the natural landscape, which ties in perfectly with the environmental messages in their films.

Exploring Ghibli Park

The park is split into five themed areas spread out across the massive grounds of Expo 2005 Aichi Commemorative Park (Moricoro Park). Let’s break them down:

Youth Hill

Youth Hill is the first area you’ll enter at Ghibli Park. The centrepiece is the steampunk-style Elevator Tower, inspired by the retro-futuristic designs from Castle in the Sky and Howl’s Moving Castle. From the top, you’ll get a great view of the park and the surrounding Expo 2005 Aichi Commemorative Park.

Nearby is the beautifully detailed World Emporium from Whisper of the Heart, complete with antique furniture, cuckoo clocks, dolls, wooden horses and violin-making tools on the lower floor. Step inside and you’ll feel like you’ve wandered into the film itself. The 1st and 2nd floors have terraces that look out over Expo 2005 Aichi Commemorative Park.

Guests will also find The Cat Bureau from The Cat Returns. The cat-sized single-story building is home to Baron and Muta from the film, who can be seen relaxing on cat-sized furniture inside.

Ghibli’s Grand Warehouse

Ghibli’s Grand Warehouse is the heart of the park and one of its most expansive areas. This massive indoor space is about four times the size of the Ghibli Museum and is packed with exhibits, screenings of rare Ghibli short films, themed food and drink, and of course, plenty of shops offering unique items.

The Warehouse is home to three major exhibitions, each highlighting a different part of Ghibli’s storytelling legacy. Becoming Characters in Memorable Ghibli Scenes lets you step right into 14 iconic scenes from 13 films. You can even sit beside No Face on the sea train from Spirited Away.

The Delicious! Animating Memorable Meals Expanded Edition digs into why food looks so tasty in Ghibli films. This updated version of the popular Ghibli Museum exhibit includes concept art, production materials, and even a life-size replica of the kitchen from From Up on Poppy Hill.

The third exhibition, Everything Ghibli!, showcases posters, music packaging, books, and other media from around the world, offering a fascinating look at how Ghibli films have been presented across cultures and decades.

Ghibli lovers should make time for a visit to Cinema Orion, a 170-seat theatre screening original short films usually only shown at the Ghibli Museum. Only one film screens at a time, rotating monthly. The Whale Hunt will screen during August, followed by Mon Mon the Water Spider in September.

Children’s Town is a mini replica of the real-life neighbourhood near Studio Ghibli’s Tokyo headquarters. It’s built at a child’s scale and recreates the nostalgic streets of Higashi-Koganei, encouraging little ones to play and discover.

Right next door is the Cat Bus Room, a dreamy soft-play area inspired by My Neighbour Totoro, complete with a fluffy full-size Cat Bus and a giant indoor tree just waiting to be explored.

Minami-machi is a nostalgic indoor shopping street filled with real shops – Neppu Bookstore for books, Open Sky Models for scale model kits, and Penny Candy Shop Cat Princess.

Shop Adventurous Flying Squadron, the park’s largest gift shop, sits here too and offers exclusive merchandise from every Ghibli film as well as park-specific souvenirs you won’t find anywhere else.

If you’re after a snack or light meal, the Transcontinental Flight Café is your go-to. The menu features sandwiches and pizzas designed for easy, one-handed eating. If you’re after something sweet, Milk Stand Siberi❆An offers local milk and nostalgic treats like “Siberia,” the sweet bean cake featured in The Wind Rises.

Dondoko Forest

Guests are invited to step into the world of My Neighbour Totoro with its lush nature and rural landscape.

The area features a recreation of Satsuki and Mei’s house from My Neighbour Totoro, which was initially built in 2005 for the 2005 World Expo. Studio Ghibli has released several beautiful photos of the house, highlighting the detail that guests expect throughout the park.

Witch Valley

Inspired by the wastelands of Howl’s Moving Castle and Kiki’s Delivery Service, guests can visit Kiki’s home from Kiki’s Delivery Service, Witch House from Earwig and the Witch, plus the castle from Howl’s Moving Castle, which will stand five stories tall. Inside the castle, guests will be able to visit Howl’s bedroom.

Princess Mononoke Village

Princess Mononoke Village will transport guests to the Muromachi period (1336-1573) where the film is set. Based on the movie’s Irontown (Tataraba) village, the area will feature giant statues of the Tatarigami spirit monster plus other creatures from the treasured film.

Do you plan to visit the Studio Ghibli Theme Park on your next trip? Let us know! Also, don’t forget to check out where to find Studio Ghibli merchandise when you’re shopping in Japan.

Featured photos and information from the Studio Ghibli Official Twitter account, Ghibli Park website and the Aichi Prefecture Policy Planning Bureau website.