No Studio Ghibli fan’s trip to Japan is complete without visiting the newly opened Ghibli Park in Aichi, near Nagoya. This immersive, interactive park is made up of five distinct regions, scattered throughout a public park, and based on iconic Miyazaki films. Visiting Ghibli Park allows visitors to transport themselves into the world of Studio Ghibli.
This ultimate guide to visiting Ghibli Park is based on my own experiences visiting Ghibli Park in Nagoya, as a super Ghibli fan myself! I list here what to expect on a visit, Ghibli Park logistics, and tips and tricks to make sure you get the most out of your day exploring Ghibli Park in Nagoya.
If you’re planning on visiting the Ghibli Museum in Mitaka, Tokyo as well, be sure to check out my posts comparing Ghibli Park vs Ghibli Museum, and my post on Ghibli things to do in Tokyo.
Ghibli Park Hours and Directions
First let’s start with the Ghibli Park logistics.
Ghibli Park location: Ghibli Park is located near Nagoya city within a larger public park, the Aichi Commemorative Park. The five different ticketed zones of Ghibli Park are scattered throughout this park.
How to get to Ghibli Park: Ghibli Park is reachable within 50 minutes from Nagoya Station by train on the Higashiyama metro line and Linimo unmanned Monorail. A Meitetsu Bus is also available from Nagoya Station, but it’s infrequent, still takes 50 minutes, and only arrives as early as 9:30, so I don’t recommend it. Visitors can also drive their personal cars there and park in one of the many spacious parking areas nearby.
Ghibli Park opening hours: 9am to 5pm. Based on personal experience, you’ll need the entire day to explore Ghibli Park! Some attractions will close early if items become sold out, such as Kiki’s Bakery and the Mononoke Village gohei-mochi making experience, so it’s important to time your visit accordingly.
Tip: The Aichi Commemorative Park opens at 8am, so you can actually arrive earlier than 9am to the Ghibli Park area. You just won’t be able to enter any of the ticketed Ghibli park sections before 9am.
Ghibli Park Tickets
Ghibli Park tickets go on sale one month at a time, at 2:00pm (Japan time) on the 10th of day of the month, two months prior to the month of visit. So tickets for the whole month of June open at 2pm on April 10th, tickets for all of March open at 2pm on January 10th, and so on.
Two tiers of tickets are available, the O-sanpo Day Pass and the O-sampo Day Premium Pass. The main difference between the passes is the Premium Pass allows entry into all Ghibli buildings within Ghibli Park, including Satsuki and Mei’s house from My Neighbor Totoro, Howl’s Castle, and the House of Witches. Without the premium pass, you can only see the buildings from the outside and not interact with the rooms inside.
How much do Ghibli Park tickets cost?
The O-sanpo day pass starts at 3,500 yen for adults (~$22 USD) and 1,750 yen for children aged 4-12. The Premium Pass costs double, starting at 7,300 yen for adults (~$65 USD) and 3,650 yen for children.
At the time of writing, the only timed entry selection required is entry to the Ghibli Grand Warehouse. Times are available every hour between 9:00am and 3:00pm.
See the full ticket price chart and find links to purchase tickets on the official Studio Ghibli Park website here. Tickets can be purchased in-person at the Loppi ticket machines inside Lawson, or online.
Is it worth buying the Ghibli Park Premium entry tickets?
In my opinion, it’s definitely worth purchasing the Premium Pass to Ghibli Park. The Premium pass allows guests to explore the inside of Ghibli-famous buildings, instead of just admiring them from the outside. That’s right, go inside of Howl’s moving castle, Satsuki and Mei’s house from Totoro, and Kiki the witch’s childhood home.
Not only do you get to go inside the buildings, visitors are encouraged to open drawers, peek inside backpacks and books, to get a glimpse of these characters lives beyond what was shown in the movies. It’s a side of Ghibli that you won’t experience anywhere else, and it’s well worth the extra cost for the Ghibli premium pass ticket.
Ghibli Park Map
One aspect of Ghibli Park that I was confused about upon arrival was the lack of any official front entrance or ticket gate. That’s because Ghibli Park is located within a publicly accessible park, and the five main ticketed areas are scattered throughout the park.
You’ll need to show your park ticket multiple times to enter each of the following areas: The Ghibli Grand Warehouse, the Valley of Witches, Mononoke Village, Dondoko Forest, and the Hill of Youth.
Find a full (adorable, hand-drawn) map of Ghibli Park on the home page of their official website.
The image of the Ghibli Park map below I found at the Linimo train station upon disembarking from the monorail. Ghibli Park maps are also found on billboards scattered throughout the park, and pamphlet maps are also available from Ghibli Park workers.
Visitor Rules at Ghibli Park
Studio Ghibli Park has a number of rules (and some lack of rules) that are great to know ahead of visiting. These are some of the things I wish I knew before visiting Ghibli Park:
- Food and drinks are allowed within Aichi Commemorative Park, but not within each ticketed Ghibli Park entry area. There’s even a Lawson convenience store at the park entrance!
- Photography is allowed outside of buildings and points of interest, but not inside Ghibli buildings (with the exception of the Ghibli Grand Warehouse).
- Pets are allowed within Aichi Commemorative Park, but not within each ticketed Ghibli Park entry area.
- Coin lockers are available on-site for bulky items, at the Aichi Park information center between the Linimo Station and the Ghibli Park elevator entrance.
- Most attractions and buildings have ramps and elevators, making them wheelchair-accessible and accessible for people with mobility-impairments.
- Some Ghibli Park attractions are free to visit as part of Aichi Commemorative Park, including a cat bus-themed playground a Spirited Away-themed archway, and various statues around the park.
Eating and Dining Options at Ghibli Park
Ghibli Park has a decent selection of cafes, restaurants, and themed snacks and bakeries that visitors can enjoy.
During my visit, I ate a sandwich meal at the Transcontinental Flight Cafe, part of the Ghibli Grand Warehouse and themed after the movie Porco Rosso. The Ghibli Grand Warehouse also has a milk and sweet bean sponge cake stand (themed after The Wind Rises).
The other Ghibli-themed restaurant on-site is in the Valley of Witches, which is a full-service, European-style restaurant. In the Valley of Witches is also a cute hot dog stand, and of course, Kiki’s bakery. Find Ghibli Park’s full food options on their website here.
Because Ghibli Park is part of the broader Aichi Commemorative Park, if you visit on the weekend you’re likely to run in to food trucks in the central park area.
Like I mentioned before, you’re also able to bring your own food into the park, so you can have your own picnic on the Aichi Commemorative Park grounds too!
Highlights of Studio Ghibli Park
It’s difficult to narrow down the main highlights of Ghibli Park, the whole park is one big highlight! Based on Studio Ghibli’s most popular movies, here are some unmissable Ghibli icons that you can take photos of and interact with during a visit to Ghibli Park. Remember, Ghibli Park is not just about Instagrammable photos, but also about fully immersing yourself in different Ghibli buildings and settings.
- Go inside Howl’s Moving Castle and explore rooms like the entrance and living/dining area, Howl’s eclectic bedroom, and a potion-and dye-covered bathroom.
- Visit and buy bread from Kiki’s Bakery
- Explore Mei and Satsuki’s rural, Showa-era Japanese home
- Watch a Ghibli short movie, screened exclusively in the Ghibli Museum in Tokyo and now Ghibli Park too.
- Ride the Ghibli-themed carousel with carousel animals including Yakul or the white wolves from Princess Mononoke. Other carousel mounts include a carriage fit for Howl’s nemesis the Witch of the Waste, or of course ride on Kiki’s broomstick!
Souvenir Shopping at Ghibli Park
Each of the five sections that make up Ghibli Park has some sort of souvenir shop within it. This can range from a small kiosk in Totoro’s Dondoko forest, to a bookstore on top of Kiki’s Bakery, to a Ghibli witches-themed standalone shop at the Ghibli Valley of Witches.
Each souvenir shop provides shopping bags with a different design on them, making it very tempting to collect them all.
The five sections also have their own collectible items, and with souvenirs unique to each section, you should definitely purchase what you like as you go.
Having visited the Ghibli stores located around Tokyo many, many times, I can confirm that there are a lot of souvenirs at Ghibli Park that are unique to the park. Avoid disappointment later by making your souvenir purchase then and there!
Visiting Studio Ghibli Park with Kids
Ghibli Park can be enjoyed by kids and adults alike, and you’ll see many of both during your visit. Because Ghibli Park is located within a larger public park, there is plenty of open space for kids to run around and explore, making it a great place to spend an entire day.
Ghibli Park also has a number of Ghibli-themed playgrounds especially for kids. The playground below for example, is inspired by the Cat King’s castle from The Cat Returns.
Other kid-focused and interactive activities here include making Gohei-mochi, a roasted rice cake, at the Mononoke village, and riding a motorized cat bus, which runs from Mononoke Village to the edge of Totoro’s Dondoko forest. You’re guaranteed a special day out with the family when visiting Ghibli Park with kids.
Ghibli Park Easter Eggs and Hidden Treasures
One reason to keep coming back to Ghibli Park in Nagoya is the number of Easter eggs, or hidden treasures that you can collect during your trip. One of these is the special hand-drawn maps that were created for each section of the park. Ask a park attendant for a copy of one at the entrance to each Ghibli Park section!
A number of benches around the park also have a hidden element to them – the “forgotten items” series features small props from the movies. Examples include Mei’s hat and corn from My Neighbor Totoro, and Sousuke’s toy boat and bucket from the movie Ponyo. A full list with photos is found on this blog – don’t look if you don’t want to ruin the surprise!
That’s a wrap for my ultimate guide to visiting Ghibli Park! Be sure to also read through my guide comparing Ghibli Park vs Ghibli Museum to see which you might like best on your next trip to Japan.
Make sure to make the most of your time in Nagoya by also reviewing my Nagoya itinerary. From castles to museums and shopping streets, there’s a lot to do in this big city besides just visiting Ghibli Park.
Are You Prepared For Your Trip To Japan?
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- Book Your Flights – To find the cheapest flights, flexibility is key. I use both Google Flights for their low fare calendar, and Skiplagged, which uses airfare loopholes to get the lowest prices. For a trip to Japan, check flights to both Tokyo airports (Haneda, Narita) and to Osaka (Kansai).
- Getting Around Japan: Prepare your JR Pass and Suica transit card before you depart.
- Book Your Accommodation – Check out Booking.com for the largest selection of accommodation in Japan. Consider having a bit of fun at one of these Weirdest Hotels in Japan too 🙂
- Book Local Excursions – Don’t miss out on world-class experiences, like Teamlab Planets or Tokyo Disneyland, by booking tickets online now. Check GetYourGuide and Klook for fun experiences all around Japan.
- Stay Connected: Order a pocket WiFi for airport pickup if you’re traveling with family or with a large group. Solo traveling to Japan? Order a SIM card just for you.
- Buy Travel Insurance – It’s better to protect yourself from mishaps when traveling. Get a quote from World Nomads to see how much it’ll cost to get you covered!
- Pack Your Essentials – Check out my posts about Long Term Travel Gear, and Carry-On Luggage Packing Essentials.
- Read more on my Travel Resources page!
