Finally opened! The ultimate guide to Ghibli Park
Lucky members of our editorial team visited Ghibli Park on its opening day! Read on to find out more about the park’s attractions, as well as some tips on how to get the most out of your visit here.
#1 Arrive at least 15 minutes before entry
Our entry time was at 11am so we arrived around 10:45am and entered the park at 11:20am. Although it is a reservation system with a designated admission time, we recommend that you arrive with plenty of time to spare.
#2 ‘Ghibli’s Grand Warehouse’ is a 3-5 hour course
The three areas that opened on the first day were ‘Ghibli’s Grand Warehouse,’ ‘Hill of Youth’ and ‘Dondoko Forest.’ Among them, the most popular one is ‘Ghibli’s Grand Warehouse’. Among them, the most popular is ‘Ghibli’s Grand Warehouse’, a massive building that draws you into the magical world of Ghibli through video exhibition rooms, special exhibitions, shops and cafés.
It’s a popular spot where you can enter a famous Ghibli movie scene and snap some pictures with your favourite characters. The waiting time varies depending on the scene, so if you’re running short on time, try to head to the scenes with the shortest queues.
In the scene from ‘Arrietty’ you can stand alongside the small characters on a huge set.
#3 Get your souvenirs early in the morning!
There are only a limited number of places where you can buy souvenirs, and most of them can only be purchased at Ghibli’s Great Warehouse. If you plan to buy souvenirs after midday, be prepared to wait 30 minutes to an hour to reach the cash register. Once you enter Ghibli Park, you can stay until closing time unless you leave the area. As the afternoon progresses, the number of people will increase, the number of souvenirs will decrease and the line for the tills grows longer. If possible, we recommend that you enter ‘Ghibli’s Grand Warehouse’ early in the morning and purchase souvenirs then.
#4 ‘Hill of Youth’ takes 1 hour. Watch out for the karakuri clock!
If you walk for about 5 minutes from ‘Ghibli’s Grand Warehouse,’ you will see the ‘Earth Shop’ that appeared in ‘Whisper of the Heart.’ In front of the entrance, there is a figure of The Baron with bright eyes waiting for you, and the staff will shine a light on your eyes. There’s also a violin workshop downstairs on the 1st floor where you can actually touch the violin and piano. You can enjoy the whole area in just a short amount of time but I recommend you to be in the area either on the hour or at half past when the mechanical clock starts to work. Please note that the clock runs 10 minutes behind the actual time, so if you want to see it strike at 2pm, aim to be there for 1:50pm instead.
#5 Take the free bus to ‘Dondoko Forest’!
‘Dondoko Forest’ where you can enjoy the world of ‘My Neighbor Totoro’ is a 20-30 minute walk from other areas. Ghibli Park has a limited entry time, so remember to keep an eye on the time and not wander around for too long! It’s nice to take a walk, but I recommend using the free bus that goes around the park. The bus is located about 5 minutes from ‘Ghibli’s Grand Warehouse’ and ‘Hill of Youth.’
If you keep the above points in mind, you can make the most of your time at Ghibli Park! There are too many highlights to list them all here, so please come and see for yourself!
