Some of the studio’s most magical characters step into the spotlight.

Ghibli fans are currently counting down the days until 16 March, as this is the day when the highly anticipated final area of Ghibli Park will be opened to the public.

While all eyes will be on Valley of Witches, the final area to open, fans will want to make a stop at the park’s Grand Warehouse as well, because on the very same day, there’ll be five new exhibits to view inside.

Located in five different spots, there are four characters making their debut: the heron, the pelican and the parrot, from The Boy and the Heron, Ghibli’s latest animated feature, which recently won a Golden Globe, and Oshira-sama, the radish spirit from the studio’s 2001 film, Spirited Away.

▼ The fifth new exhibit is called “Wings of Creation“, and is located beside the central staircase.

As for the characters, they’re waiting to be discovered in their new homes:

▼ The heron stands tall on a rooftop in the Central Exhibition Room, looking down on visitors below.

▼ On a different roof nearby are a pod of pelicans.

▼ The parakeet is hiding beside the central staircase.

As for Oshira-sama, it’s waiting to greet visitors near the elevator, which is fitting, seeing as this is where Chihiro meets the giant radish spirit in the movie.

▼ Oshira-sama is getting a lot of love from the studio lately, even appearing as a new Bobble Body figure.

▼ The new exhibits can be seen in this video below:

Tickets for 16 March will go on sale online at 5:00 p.m. (JST) on 9 March, and with so many new things to see, do and eat from that day onwards, the entry fee will be more than worth it.

The standard O-Sanpo Pass is priced at 3,500 yen (US$24.07) for adults on weekdays and 4,000 yen for weekends (children aged 4-12 pay half price and children 0-4 enter for free), and gets you entry into all the areas, while the Premium O-Sanpo Pass (priced at 7,300 yen for adults on weekdays and 7,800 yen on weekends) comes with the extra benefit of being able to enter the following five buildings:

  • World Emporium (Hill of Youth)
  • Satsuki and Mei’s House (Dondoko Forest)
  • The Okino Residence, Howl’s Castle, The House of Witches (Valley of Witches)

And to top it all off, in addition to the new exhibits and opening of Valley of Witches, the new Catbuses will be in operation from 16 March, making the park a great day out for Ghibli fans of all ages!

Source, images: PR Times
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