A Delightful Promo for Studio Ghibli’s Theme Park

Yesterday, Studio Ghibli announced that their theme park will open in Japan’s Aichi prefecture on November 1, 2022. As part of the announcement, the studio and Aichi’s tourism bureau released a joint promo video titled “Play Along with the Wind” that highlights some of the theme park’s attractions (like the Kusakabe house from My Neighbor Totoro) as well as Aichi’s natural beauty.

As you might expect, the video is delightful; its sweeping aerial footage and evocative score feels very Ghibli-esque. As for Aichi’s natural beauty, it’s shown off in all of its pastoral glory. I find it hard to imagine a place better-suited to serve as a real world analog for Studio Ghibli’s beloved settings.

Back in 2009, our family spent several weeks in Japan, during which we visited the Ghibli Museum in Tokyo. It was a wonderful experience, but if this promo is any indication, the theme park could be even more so. We’ve been wanting to return to Japan for years now, and if we ever do, Studio Ghibli’s theme park will be at the top of our “must see” list.

Via Crunchyroll, which has more details on the park’s construction and attractions.