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Japan's Oscar-winning animation company Studio Ghibli announced in Jan. 2017 it was opening the theme park of our dreams — and now we have a release date and the first concept art.
SEE ALSO: 7 animated feature films that deserved more attention than their Oscar competitionReported by The Japan Times, the park, which will be an explorable, real-life version of the beloved worlds created Ghibli co-founder Hayao Miyazaki, will officially open near Nagoya in 2022.
The Aichi Prefecture government confirmed to the publisher that the park will open at the Expo 2005 Aichi Commemorative Park in Nagakute city.
Studio Ghibli has released a sneak peek into the park, which will feature attractions based on Miyazaki's popular films — this means the likes of Howl's Moving Castle, My Neighbor Totoro and Kiki's Delivery Service.
Early concept art was unveiled for press on Wednesday, all designed by Studio Ghibli, of course. First images were posted to Twitter by Japanese TV broadcaster Tokai, and show a teacup ride inspired by Kiki, a giant spider spirit thing and a catbus-labelled shopfront.
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Apart from the rides, the park's overall design will reportedly be dotted with aesthetic nods to Studio Ghibli's feature films. According to Japan's national public broadcasting organisation, NHK, the main gate's design will "incorporate the science-based design of the end of the 19th century seen in the movie Howl's Moving Castle."
The Timessuggested the park will be "dotted with the European-themed brick towers that appear frequently in Miyazaki’s works, as well as giant installations of spider- and boar-shaped spirits in imaginary landscapes that evoke Japan’s mythical and idyllic past."
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We're not ones to tell Studio Ghibli how to use their imaginations, but we wouldn't say no to a Spirited Awayall-you-can-eat restaurant to leave your parents at (they also have to wear pig suits), a Kiki's Delivery Servicebroomstick rollercoaster, or a Totorocatbus to ferry everyone around the park. Just suggestions.
Can't wait until 2022? Hop over to Tokyo for a visit to the Ghibli Museum — but book ahead. It is popular.
It's not all happy times for Ghibli, however. The unveiling of the park's detail comes just a few weeks after the passing of Studio Ghibli co-founder Isao Takahata, who died in Tokyo aged 82, after a career spanning more than half a century.
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