Three sections of the Ghibli theme park get extra Christmas cheer as the park also gets extra Christmas sweets to munch on.

Ghibli Park, the Studio Ghibli anime-themed theme park near Nagoya, has a unique design. Instead of a single facility, Ghibli Park is actually composed of a number of separate zones that dot Expo 2005 Aichi Commemorative Park. Strolling from one section to another (or riding the real-world Cat Bus) definitely fits with the “get out there and explore the world” mentality that’s baked into many of Ghibli’s anime movies, but it might also have you second-guessing whether winter is the best season for a visit, since you will be spending time outdoors in chilly temperatures.

But as a counterpoint, you could say that right now is, in fact, a great time to head to Ghibli Park, since they’ve just put up new Christmas decorations! Christmas trees, wreaths, and other decorations went up last Saturday in three sections of Ghibli Park: Ghibli’s Grand Warehouse (sort of a satellite version of Tokyo’s Ghibli Museum), Hill of Youth (inspired by Whisper of the Heart), and Valley of Witches (taking cues from Kiki’s Delivery Service, Howl’s Moving Castle, and Earwig and the Witch).

▼ Decorations outside Whisper of the Heart’s Chikyuya/World Emporium

▼ Christmas cake and garland inside The Cat Returns’ Cat Bureau

▼ Setting the table for a Christmas party inside the House of Witches from Earwig and the Witch, with poinsettias to add to the mood

While Ghibli Park has shared a handful of preview photos, this is only a portion of the decorations, and the park invites visitors to “come search for Christmas” throughout the areas. And if all that walking around has you building up an appetite, there are also new Christmas treats to munch on, with Kiki’s Delivery Service’s Guchokipanya Bakery baking batches of stollen, a traditional German Christmas pastry with dried fruits, nuts, spices, and powdered sugar…

…and both the Ghibli’s Grand Warehouse Transcontinental Flight Cafe and Valley of Witches’ Flying Oven whipping up Christmas cupcakes.

Ghibli Park’s Christmas decorations will be up until December 28, so they overlap with the park’s Howl’s Moving Castle Christmas light display, and also with the availability of the new The Boy and the Heron man-eating parakeet snacks.

Source, images: Ghibli Park
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