Inspiration

New Hayao Miyazaki Theme Park to Bring ‘My Neighbor Totoro’ to Life

Legendary filmmaker Hayao Miyazaki's production company Studio Ghibli has revealed plans to build a theme park recreating the world of My Neighbor Totoro—and it looks just as magical as you might expect.
MY NEIGHBOR TOTORO  1988. ©50th Street Filmscourtesy Everett Collection
Courtesy Everett Collection

Oscar-winning filmmaker Hayao Miyazaki just can't let go. After spending decades creating whimsical worlds, with animated movies such as Spirited Away, Howl's Moving Castle, Princess Mononoke, and My Neighbor Totoro, he retired from filmmaking in 2013. Rumors started swirling in 2016 that the legendary animator was coming back for a final feature film, and while that info hasn't been officially confirmed, Miyazaki fans have to wait just two and a half years for their next magical adventure: Miyazaki's production company, Studio Ghibli, recently announced plans for a My Neighbor Totoro theme park in Japan, recreating the 1988 animated movie's stories and sets.

News broke in 2015 that the Japanese director was building a 10,000-acre theme park called The Forest Where the Wind Returns. Located on the forest-filled Kume Island in Okinawa, Japan, the park was slated to include a library, sleeping quarters for 30 people, and as few man-made attractions as possible, though the park has not been constructed yet.

In the film, Totoro, the keeper of the forest, befriends two young sisters when their mother falls ill.

Courtesy Everett Collection

This My Neighbor Totoro park, however, seems much more likely, since it is being built where existing Ghibli exhibits are open in the Aichi Prefecture, near Nagoya. Currently, the 500-acre park houses Satsuki and Mei’s House, which was modeled after the home belonging to the movie's lead characters, and sees nearly 1.6 million visitors each year. Hayao Miyazaki's love for nature will be honored, and that the companies involved will plan the park without having to remove any existing trees, according to the Japan Times.

There's no news yet as to exactly how the park will be recreating the life and hope of the movie's young protagonist and furry forest spirit (we've got our fingers crossed for a Catbus shuttle) but with the park set to open in 2020, we won't judge if you want go ahead and book your airline tickets now.

This article was originally published in 2015. It has been updated with new information.