The site, which is due to open its doors to the public on November 1 in the department of Aichi, about 300 km west of Tokyo, will cover seven hectares within the huge park that hosted the World Expo. from 2005.

Contrary to other major Japanese tourist attractions such as Tokyo Disneyland, the place emphasizes wide open spaces and respect for nature, omnipresent in Ghibli's work, explain its creators.

It will consist of five areas, three of which will be open to the public from November 1.

The new Ghibli Park in Nagakute, Japan, presented to the media on October 12, 2022 Yuichi YAMAZAKI AFP

One of them, called "Hill of Youth", will take up elements from the worlds of the films "The Castle in the Sky", "The Kingdom of the Cats" or "Howl's Moving Castle", with life-size reproductions of emblematic buildings of these works.

The "Dondoko Forest" will invite visitors into the bucolic countryside of "My Neighbor Totoro", with walking paths and a playground.

In the "Great Ghibli Warehouse", it will be possible to visit the sets of 13 of the studio's best-known works, such as the train spinning on the waves of "Spirited Away".

Minimal impact on nature

This park, whose construction took more than five years and cost 34 billion yen (240 million euros), should become a major tourist attraction for Aichi, which plans to welcome 1.8 million visitors a year when the five zones will be open next year.

Its annual economic benefits are estimated at 48 billion yen (339 million euros).

Aichi Governor Hideaki Omura said Wednesday he sees the park as a "symbol" and "ambassador" of Japanese culture.

Studio Ghibli was co-founded by Hayao Miyazaki, director of many of the studio's cult feature films, including "Nausicaä of the Valley of the Wind" (1984) or "Spirited Away", which won the Oscar for best animated film in 2002.

The character of Totoro features prominently in the new Ghibli Park in Nagakute, Japan, presented to the media on October 12, 2022 Yuichi YAMAZAKI AFP

His son Goro Miyazaki, also a director of several feature films, said the park was originally conceived as a way to pass on the Ghibli heritage to future generations, in anticipation of his father's much-delayed retirement.

He also explained Wednesday that Ghibli Park had been designed to have minimal impact on the surrounding nature.

“If trees were on the places of construction of buildings, we transplanted them”, he specified.

"I was looking forward to visiting this park," said AFP Yuiko Asai, 34, who was able to go there in preview thanks to a draw.

She called herself a "Studio Ghibli fan" because her films are "deep, even for adults" and claims to know the dialogues by heart.

Japan already has several major amusement parks, including two Disney parks in Tokyo and Universal Studios in Osaka.

Fans of the universe of the creator of Totoro can also visit the very popular Ghibli Museum in Tokyo.

In the new Ghibli park in Nagakute, Japan, presented to the media on October 12, 2022 Yuichi YAMAZAKI AFP

Japan's reopening to foreign tourists on Tuesday, after two and a half years of severe border restrictions, is expected to attract large flows of visitors to all tourist spots in the country.

© 2022 AFP