Japanese anime theme park opens its doors to non-ticket holders with a special application system.

In March last year, Ghibli Park, the Studio Ghibli anime-themed theme park near Nagoya, in Aichi Prefecture, opened its final area to the public. Called Valley of Witches, this area contains some amazing landmarks dedicated to Ghibli’s animated witches, including Howl’s Moving Castle (above) and Hatter Hat Store (below).

To celebrate this one-year anniversary, the park is holding a special “Haru Matsuri” (“Spring Festival“) with a series of exciting weekly events throughout March and April. On 16 March, the date when Valley of Witches officially opened its doors last year, the celebrations will begin with a performance by Nagoya City’s Toho High School Marching Band, whose members will be playing familiar tunes from the movies Kiki’s Delivery Service, Howl’s Moving Castle, and Earwig and the Witch.

On 21-23 March, earphones will be distributed so visitors can listen to music and sound effects linked to scenes in front of them, both within Ghibli Park and the wider Expo 2005 Aichi Commemorative Park surrounding it. Called “Ghibli Park’s Acoustic World“, this experience previously wowed visitors for a limited time last autumn, with many people praising its immersive powers, which help to transport you into the animated world of Studio Ghibli.

On 29-30 March, Mononoke Village will be the location for a special “Ceramics Experience” held in collaboration with Seto City’s Aichi Ceramics Museum. At this workshop, children and adults can make their own pottery, in honour of the Seto ware pottery tradition, for which the surrounding area is well known.

▼ Mononoke Village is inspired by Princess Mononoke.

On 5-6 April, Valley of Witches will be holding a “Mini Broom-making Experience“, designed for elementary school children and their parents, who can go home with a broom like Kiki’s from Kiki’s Delivery Service, albeit on a smaller scale.

▼ The event will be held at the Okino Residence in Valley of Witches.

On 13 April, there’ll be a “Wind Music Festival“, where various singers and instrumentalists will be performing at various sites, including the West Exit Information Centre, the Main Entrance Gate, the entrance to Hill of Youth, and at Valley of Witches.

▼ The Earth Shop, in Ghibli Park’s Hill of Youth, is inspired by the store in Whisper of the Heart.

In addition to the above events, a stamp rally will be held from 16 March-25 April, both within Ghibli Park and the wider Expo 2005 Aichi Commemorative Park. While visitors to Ghibli Park usually have to purchase a pre-paid ticket, many of the special anniversary events can be enjoyed for free without having to purchase a ticket. However, the park says there will be a special application method for these events, with details provided on the official website at the end of February or early March, when a more detailed performance schedule will also be made available.

Related: Ghibli Park
Source, images: PR Times
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