Opening on March 16, the Valley of Witches is the fifth and final instalment, rounding off the grand opening of Ghibli Park in Aichi. This section celebrates the beloved witches and sorcerers from Studio Ghibli films, including ‘Kiki's Delivery Service’ (1989), ‘Howl's Moving Castle’ (2004) and the more recent ‘Earwig and the Witch’ (2020).
This new section brings the magical worlds of Ghibli animations to reality, allowing you to step into iconic settings like the Hatter's Millinery and Kiki's childhood home.
The most exciting new addition to the park, however, is undoubtedly the 20-metre model of Howl's Castle. Though the castle’s legs don’t move like they do in the movie, the chimney cheerily puffs smoke a few times every hour, giving the impression that it well and truly is ‘alive’.
If you have the Premium pass, you’ll also get to explore inside the castle, where you’ll find the cluttered living room and kitchen with Calcifer’s furnace as well as Howl’s bedroom.
Feeling peckish? Swing by the Guchokipanya Bakery, where Kiki launched her broomstick delivery service, for some delicious baked treats and a glimpse into the attic where she lived with her cat, Jiji. Near the entrance to the Valley of Witches, you'll find the Flying Oven restaurant dishing out hearty favourites like quiches, meat pies and shepherd’s pie as well as the special Valley of Witches Beer.
And while most of us don’t have Howl's magic to soar through the skies, kids can get a taste of flying on the carousel. Prefer keeping your feet on the ground? Check out the merry-go-round, where traditional horses are swapped out for beloved Studio Ghibli characters and vehicles including the Catbus from 'My Neighbor Totoro' (1988).
Don’t miss the real-life Catbus from ‘My Neighbor Totoro’ (1988). It will be introduced to the park for the first time on March 16 and serve as a shuttle between Dondoko Forest and Mononoke Village.
Annoyingly, all of these rides will require separate tickets on top of the general admission pass. The flying carousel costs ¥500 per ride (adults can ride for the same price if they are accompanying a child), while the merry-go-round and Catbus cost ¥500 for children and ¥1,000 for adults per ride.
Access for the general Valley of Witches area is included in the Ghibli Park O-Sanpo Day Pass, which also grants access to the other four areas in the theme park: Ghibli’s Grand Warehouse, Hills of Youth, Dondoke Forest and Mononoke Village. Weekday prices are ¥3,500 for adults and ¥1,750 for kids (ages 4 to 12), while weekends and public holidays cost ¥4,000 and ¥2,000 respectively. Infants and toddlers enter free of charge.
If you want to enter buildings like Satsuki and Mei’s House from ‘My Neighbor Totoro’ and Howl’s Castle, you will need the Ghibli Park O-Sanpo Day Pass Premium, which includes general access to all five of the park’s sections plus a few extra attractions within those sections. On weekdays, it's ¥7,300 for adults and ¥3,650 for children. Weekend rates are ¥7,800 for adults and ¥3,900 for children.
Unsurprisingly, tickets for March have all been snapped up by zealous fans who couldn’t wait to see the new area. Timed entry tickets for April, however, are now available for booking online. Tickets for May 2024 will go on sale March 10 at 2pm JST.
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