Exciting news awaits Studio Ghibli fans as the animation studio recently dropped a Howl’s Moving Castle-themed advertisement. The 15-second-long video is a celebratory remark for Ghibli Park’s new Valley of Witches region.
The Ghibli Park was established on November 1, 2022. As the name suggests, it shows the magical world of Hayao Miyazaki’s Studio Ghibli. This park is situated in Nagakute, Aichi, in the Japanese archipelago. With the upcoming inauguration of the park’s Valley of Witches on March 16, 2024, the recently unraveled commercial, encompassing a moving castle, incites excitement within the fandom.
Watch the advertisement below:
Studio Ghibli celebrates Valley of Witches opening at Ghibli Park
Some renowned names came together to craft the commercial. Though Hayao Miyazaki’s involvement as the sequential illustrator was a given, two individuals from Howl’s Moving Castle’s original production joined the celebration.
These include the film’s character designer, Akihiko Yamashita, and its art director, Noboru Yoshida. While the former served as the commercial’s director, the latter continued with his responsibility as the art director.
Toshio Suzuki, producer at Studio Ghibli, claims that Goro Miyazaki, who happens to be Hayao Miyazaki’s son, had an important role in this commercial. That is to say, Goro requested his father to work on the advertisement.
The beautiful Ghibli Park is open to the public all around the world, with online tickets for the park available online since January 2023. The park is situated within the 479-acre Aichi Expo Memorial Park. Moreover, the Ghibli Park covers approximately 17.5 acres of the total land.
People can access some of Ghibli Park’s areas, including Dondoko Forest, Grand Warehouse, and Hill of Youth. However, visitors need to buy specific tickets to get access to some specific areas of the park.
This collaboration between Studio Ghibli and Ghibli Park is an event of joy and perhaps a sign to watch your favorite Ghibli movies again.
