Ghibli Park is a park that represents the world of Studio Ghibli. With close consultation with the surrounding forest, it is being built on and within the grounds of Expo 2005 Aichi Commemorative Park (Moricoro Park).
There are no big attractions or rides in Ghibli Park.
Take a stroll, feel the wind, and discover the wonders.
The first phase of construction (opening on November 1, 2022) includes "Ghibli's Grand Warehouse," "Hill of Youth," and "Dondoko Forest." Ghibli's Grand Warehouse is an indoor facility that stores all of the studio's secrets, from large to small artifacts and exhibits from past Studio Ghibli movies. You will find from fantasy-filled exhibitions such as Robot Soldier, Cat Bus, and kid-sized film studio exhibitions, to materials and resources that reveal the secrets of Studio Ghibli films.
On the Hill of Youth, there stands World Emporium, the antique shop from Whisper of the Heart.
In Dondoko Forest, "Dondoko-do" awaits you at the top of the forest hill that sits behind Satsuki and Mei's House.
Text source: https://ghibli-park.jp/en/about/
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How to get tickets?
For foreign residents living in Japan, you can book through Boo-Woo Ticket.
They release the set of tickets in advance. For example, tickets for May 2023 will be released on February 10, 2023 (at 14:00).
More info here:
- General ticket information: https://ghibli-park.jp/en/ticket/
- International Tickets: https://ghibli-park.jp/en/ticket/ticketb.html
Ticket FAQS:
Advanced reservations specific to date and time of entry are required with no exceptions. Reservations are required for each area.
Ticket price for adults:
- Hill of Youth: 1,000 JPY
- Grand Warehouse: 2,000 JPY (weekdays) / 2,500 JPY (weekend & holidays)
- Dondoko Forest: 1,000 JPY
Operating hours:
- Weekdays : 10AM - 5PM
- During public-school breaks (Weekdays): 9AM - 5PM
- Weekends and Holidays: 9AM - 5PM
Closed every Tuesdays. When Tuesday is a national holiday, the park is open and will be closed the following weekday.)
NOTE: During public-school breaks, the park is open on Tuesdays. The park is subject to closures over the new year and for scheduled maintenance.
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How I got tickets (easiest way):
The easiest way to get tickets is to book a hotel in Aichi prefecture that has a Ghibli Park plan included. We chose Daiwa Roynet Hotel Nagoya Shikansenguchi & booked via JTB travel agency.
Caution: We are not sure if non-residents (foreign tourists) can avail of this kind of special package (domestic package tour). It is best to contact JTB directly and inquire about this. After we booked, they sent an envelope to our mailing address after. More info here (please use Google translate).
Our hotel information:
- Daiwa Roynet Hotel Nagoya Shikansenguchi (ダイワロイネットホテル 名古屋新幹線口)
- January 8 - 9 (Sunday & Monday)
- 1:00 check-in / 12PM check-out
Note: We reserved a week before our trip (December 27, 2022).
Our hotel plan.
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Ghibli Park 2-day trip computation (hotel + bullet train from Tokyo):
- Price per person: 21,100 JPY (2 people = 42,200 JPY)
- Tokyo Sta. - Nagoya Sta. Shinkansen (bullet train):
- 22,180 JPY (2 people / D & E seats / 10AM departure, 1PM arrival)
- Nagoya Sta. - Tokyo Sta. Shinkansen:
- 22,180 JPY (2 people / 7PM departure, 10PM arrival)
Total: 86,560 JPY
I highly recommend to also explore other places in Aichi prefecture (or even Gifu / Mie prefectures) since you're already there. Here's an itinerary idea on how to spend 1 day in Nagoya (Aichi-ken).
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Entrance (entry time) schedule per area:
- 10:00-10:30 - Hill of Youth
- 11:30-12:00 - Dondoko Forest / Mei & Satsuki’s House
- 1:00-14:00 - Ghibli’s Grand Warehouse
Terms and Conditions:
- You may only enter the park at your assigned entry time, but may stay as long as you wish until closing. Please enter Ghibli's Grand Warehouse from one hour of your reservation time. Enter Satsuki and Mei's House and Hill of Youth from 30 minutes of your reservation time. No re-entry is allowed in any of the three areas. You can't enter the park early or once your assigned window of time has passed. Entry times may change without notification.
Our custom Ghibli Park Itinerary:
- 8:00-9:00 - Nagoya Station -> Fujigaoka (Subway Higashiyama Line) -> Ai-Chikyuhaku Kinen Koen (Linimo Line)
- 9:00-10:00 - Walk around the FREE areas of the park / check the official Ghibli merch at the nearby Lawson convenience store
- 10:00-10:30 entry - Hill of Youth
- 11:30-12:00 entry - Dondoko Forest (used the slope car)
- Mei & Satsuki’s House (went inside the house at 11:30AM)
- 1:00-14:00 entry- Ghibli’s Grand Warehouse
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Ghibli Park photos:
At Nagoya station, you can see these Ghibli Park promotional banners. Remember to visit Donguri Republic (official Ghibli shop) at JR Gate Tower (1F).
Ghibli Park map (can be found at the Linimo line platform at Fujigaoka Station.
Elevator Tower, Ghibli Park guide book (Lawson convenience store), & special "sign" near the entrance.
Hill of Youth (antique shop) & a "Whisper of The Heart" scene.
Vintage-style postbox & preview of the actual postmark you can receive if you drop a postcard here.
"The Cat Bureau" & the antique shop. You can borrow Seiji's jacket for a photo here as well.
Path to Dondoko Forest~
Slope car & Dondoko-do wooden statue
Another angle of Dondoko-do + Dondoko-do omikuji figure.
Satsuki & Mei's House (you can touch most items inside the house freely here!)
Preview of Ghibli's Grand Warehouse
Cinema Orion & Siberi*An milk stand drink & cakes.
The Central Stairs & the special Cat Bus mosaic tile design.
Minami-machi, The Little People's Garden, & cute Kodamas (in front of the Central Stairs)
Grand Warehouse Shop finds: Sailor x Spirited Away fountain pen + special art jacket
The House Below (world of Arrietty) & the Director's Room (Yubaba's Office)
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What to prepare:
- Have a good sleep / rest the night before because traveling from one area at the park to another can be so tiring (or it's just me & I don't have the stamina for it lol~)
- Buy some easy-to-eat konbini snacks (like onigiri) & drinks. The available sandwiches at the cafe inside Ghibli's Grand Warehouse are not yummy & too expensive in my opinion. The line could get crowded as well. The last thing you'd like to experience is to be hangry because of the long queues.
- Plan your itinerary before you start exploring the park if you want to cover a lot of things. They close at 5:00PM (time can get pretty fast here!).
- If you don't want to pay for the shop paper bags (I think it costs 100-200 yen, depending on the size).. do bring your own shopping bag.
You should definitely...
- Buy the Ghibli Park Guidebook (in Japanese) that can be bought at the nearby Lawson convenience store. There are many places in the park where you can't take photos, so it's nice to have this guide book instead (only 1,200 JPY). It has a lot of information / maps included! I can't show what's inside, but I want to really recommend it.
- Drop a regular-sized postcard at the postbox in the Hill of Youth (63 yen for local postcards, 70 yen for international postcards sent via arimail). They sent it back with a special Ghibli Park postmark. I received my postcard after 1 week of visiting (a bit later than usual). Also, I brought my own postal stamp for this activity. Click here for the Japan Post website.
- Shop at Dondoko's Forest souvenir stand (recommendations: omikuji figure & the omamori)
- Visit all the 3 exhibitions at the Grand Warehouse!
- Find the Cat Bus mosaic tile design at the Central Stairs
- Spot the special Ghibli Park manhole inside the Grand Warehouse
- Watch the current animated film at Cinema Orion
- Take a break & buy snacks from the Milk Stand: Siberi❆An. The cake with sweet beans + milk combination = perfection!
Watch my Ghibli Park YouTube video series:
- *NEW* Ghibli Park Tour 2023 🌳 | The Ultimate Guide For ALL 3 Areas
- Traveling to Aichi for the Ghibli Park! (1-Day Itinerary in Nagoya)
- Ghibli Park’s Grand Warehouse Tour (First Visit)
- Ghibli Park Haul (Japanese Stationery & More!)
- Ghibli Park Journal With Me
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Note: I will upload & add more information here later on so please check back from time to time.
Last Updated: January 25, 2023
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