Deal Review
www.parkworld-online.com
The house is a re-creation of Satsuki and Mei’s house from My Neighbor Totoro and was originally built for the 2005 World Expo, hosted by Aichi Prefecture. It was designed to look and feel like a real Japanese-style home, so it smells like tatami, and the wooden beams look natural and lived in. Drawers and cabinets can be rifled through, and down to the last nook they’re filled with actual cups, pots, papers, letters and nicknacks that visitors can touch. Nearby is a five-metre-tall open-armed
Totoro in a clearing surrounded by trees. Tucked away in nature, the house and sculpture have character and a contained narrative, in contrast to the chaotic playground constructed inside the warehouse. There is more to come from Ghibli Park too.
A second phase of construction is anticipated for the latter half of this year, introducing two new attractions: the Valley of Witches, inspired by Kiki's Delivery Service and Howl's Moving Castle; and Mononoke Village, which will feature the characters, creatures, and locations of Princess Mononoke. Notably, the Valley of Witches will feature a replica of Howl's actual Moving Castle. But the real question is: Will there be a life-size version of Howl Pendragon to go with it? The allowance of photography at the park may
seem like a minor policy change, but it reflects a shift for the studio. Against the backdrop of Hollywood’s fan service-doling habit of regurgitating the same stories over and over through franchises, cross-overs, prequels and live- action versions, Ghibli has stood alone. It has kept tight control over its copyright and licensing, and for many years its films weren’t even available in North America for legal download, or to watch on any of the major streaming platforms. Famously anti-fan service, Miyazaki has
appeared to credit the studio’s success to its refusal to provide viewers what they want. Indeed, in the
2016 documentary Never-Ending Man, he even mentions that he never expected the Studio Ghibli productions to be as popular as they have proven to be. He states: “We just made what we wanted. But that’s why we survived. I see that in hindsight. If we tried to please, we’d be long forgotten.” But with that having been said, the new Ghibli
Park is sure to be a crowd pleaser. Fans will be able to take away a piece of their beloved studio, upload it to the entire world within seconds, to be remixed and reposted without restriction. The tight grip on Ghibli’s intellectual property is slowly being loosened, and making way for a future in which the imagination of Miyazaki is no longer a fountain that can be replenished. Goro Miyazaki, whose tense relationship with his
father is well-documented, has been tasked with overseeing Ghibli Park. He designed the house from My Neighbor Totoro for the 2005 expo and was the founding director of the museum in Tokyo. He comments: “One of the reasons I decided to build the Ghibli Park was because of Hayao
Miyazaki’s announcement that he was retiring from feature films. I wanted to make something so they wouldn’t be forgotten.” True to form and never one to adhere to
expectations, Hayao Miyazaki has since started working on another feature film. But that doesn’t take away from the special role Ghibli Park can now play in bringing the studio’s stunning movies to life in a touchable, tangible form. This park might be short on thrills, but the theming in itself is enough to give guests an unforgettable experience.
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APRIL 2023
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