Japanese manga and anime artist Hayao Miyazaki's whimsical world has fascinated many as his animated films have attracted worldwide attention making his name comparable to Walt Disney, Steven Spielberg and Orson Welles.
Also listed as one of the world's most influential people in Time magazine, he spent over 50 years in animation and is the founder of Studio Ghibli with his colleague Isao Takahata. To make his legacy immortal now, Studio Ghibli is set to open a new theme park in Japan in November, taking people into the fantastical worlds dreamed up by director Hayao Miyazaki and his colleagues.
Ghibli Park will open its doors to visitors on Nov. 1, though only three of the five sections of the site in central Japan's Aichi region will be initially accessible. Spread over 7.1 hectares of the 194-hectare park where Aichi hosted the 2005 International Expo, the attraction features large open-air areas in keeping with the importance of nature and the outdoors in Ghibli works. However, unlike similar tourist draws such as Tokyo Disneyland, the creators of the park have said it is designed to minimize fantasy and reflect the realism of Ghibli's works.
Here are five most-watched Miyazaki animations that will also be featured in Ghibli Park.
The first animated feature from Studio Ghibli, founded in 1985 by Miyazaki and fellow director Isao Takahata, remains one of its most popular.
Following two orphans in a quest to reach a mythical castle in the clouds, the adventure is laced with danger, with air pirates and the military on their tail, but it also serves as a deeper meditation on the influence of technology in our lives.
Shades of "Alice in Wonderland" are found in this tale of two sisters who go to live with their father in the countryside and discover an enchanting world of strange happenings and oddball creatures, including the lovable woodland spirit Totoro.
An instant classic, delighting audiences in Japan and abroad, Totoro has since become the Studio Ghibli mascot.
The park features "Dondoko Forest," which evokes the retro peace of "My Neighbour Totoro," with bucolic walking paths, playground equipment, and an enormous Totoro figure.
In this film, a box-office smash in Japan, Miyazaki explores the destruction of nature through industrialization.
The tale of a young prince and a girl raised by a wolf goddess in a forest where fearsome clashes play out between gods and humans boosted Miyazaki's global profile thanks to a distribution deal with Disney.
Scooping the 2003 Oscar for the Best-Animated feature film, "Spirited Away" follows a 10-year-old girl, Chihiro, whose family moves to the suburbs.
She accidentally wanders into a world of spirits and finds her parents turned into pigs - forcing the young heroine to combat the spirit world with the courage she never knew she possessed.
"I wanted to make a movie especially for the daughters of my friends," Miyazaki once said.
Visitors at Ghibli Park will be able to stroll along an alley designed to look like the opening scene of "Spirited Away" or perch on the red velvet-covered train seat in a carriage next to the movie's instantly recognizable "No-Face" character.
This film's young protagonist, who brought Miyazaki a second Oscar nomination – he later earned a third in 2014 with "The Wind Rises" – is transformed into an old lady under a witch's spell.
A less-than-majestic wizard and his troupe living in a walking castle are her only hope for breaking the spell, but she does not give up on an enchanting defense of world peace.
Beyond the gates, a fascinating world awaits, complete with a fluffy Cat Bus, the toothy grin of Totoro and a life-sized No-Face seated on a train. On Wednesday, the media got a sneak peek at the highly anticipated new theme park from Studio Ghibli, creator of beloved titles like "My Neighbour Totoro" and Oscar-winning "Spirited Away."
Among the three areas that will open next month is the "Hill of Youth," the gateway to the park and an elevator tower inspired by several Ghibli films, including "Castle in the Sky" and "Howl's Moving Castle."
A major draw will be Ghibli's Grand Warehouse, the hangar-like indoor portion of the park with various attractions, including 14 sets from 13 Ghibli classics.
Built at a cost of $232 million, the park is expected to become a major tourist attraction for Aichi. The region forecasts an influx of 1.8 million visitors a year once all five areas of the park are open, from next year, with an annual economic impact of an estimated 48 billion yen ($326.8 million).
Governor Hideaki Omura said Wednesday said it had taken "five years and five months" to complete it, praising Studio Ghibli as "the summit" of Japanese culture.
Studio Ghibli was founded in 1985 by animators Isao Takahata and Hayao Miyazaki and has captivated fans around the world with works blending nostalgia, courage, greed and interaction with the natural world. Miyazaki's son Goro told reporters Wednesday that the park was originally conceived as a way to leave Studio Ghibli's works to future generations in anticipation of his father's expected retirement. "We didn't want people to forget Ghibli's works," he said.
"But we were betrayed again," he added with a laugh. "He's making a feature film now!"
He said the theme park had been designed to have "minimal impact" on surrounding nature, with instructions that "trees shouldn't be cut down or changes made to the environment." Tickets will be available through reservation only, costing between 1,000 to 2,500 yen per area for adults.
Studio Ghibli already operates the hugely popular Ghibli Museum on the outskirts of Tokyo, which offers tickets only at the beginning of each month, regularly selling out within hours.
Japan is home to several major theme parks, including Tokyo Disneyland and Universal Studios in Osaka.
