Ghibli Park Valley of Witches

Location: Aichi Prefecture, Japan

Design Team: Studio Ghibli + NIHON SEKKEI

Area: 2.9 ha

Completion: 2024

Photography: J-LIGHTS / Koichiro Itamura, Kawasumi・Kobayashi Kenji Photograph Office

Feature:

Project - Studio Ghibli and NIHON SEKKEI have collaboratively created the "Valley of Witches" in Ghibli Park, Aichi Prefecture, as the final area to open among the park's five zones. This project inherits the philosophy of the 2005 Aichi Expo, aiming to "learn from the mechanism of nature, solve global issues, and create a sustainable society." The design team departed from conventional theme park approaches, instead adopting a method that fuses European architectural styles with fantastical elements to transform iconic scenes from "Kiki's Delivery Service," "Howl's Moving Castle," and "Earwig and the Witch" into three-dimensional spatial experiences.

The entire design is founded on three concepts: Learning from Time, Thinking of People, and Nurturing Environmental Sustainability. The project integrates traditional construction techniques with modern technology, employing historical building methods such as hollow-core brick masonry, dry-stone construction, half-timber framing, and cruck truss structures. Materials including stone, brick, wood, iron, copper, plaster, and tiles were meticulously selected to create spaces that stimulate visitors' imagination and engage all sensory faculties.

At the center of the Valley stands an awe-inspiring 20-meter-tall replica of Howl's Moving Castle, which periodically emits white smoke and features rotating structural elements. The castle interior faithfully recreates scenes from the film, including the living room, Calcifer's hearth, and Howl's bedroom. The area also introduces Ghibli Park's first electric attractions—a carousel and flying ride—while maintaining harmony with the surrounding natural environment.

The landscape design thoughtfully integrates with the existing topography, preserving the natural setting while enhancing the immersive quality of the experience. The entire area is structured as a cohesive townscape featuring Sophie's hat shop, Kiki's bakery, and Earwig's witch residence, along with distinctive structures such as the Flying Oven and the Tower of Aviators. This design, which deliberately blurs the boundaries between reality and fantasy, creates a dreamlike environment allowing visitors to step freely between Ghibli's world and reality.

For its innovative achievements in architecture and expansion of public interest in the field, the Ghibli Park "Valley of Witches" was awarded a Special Prize in the "2025 Japan Architecture Award."

Design Team - Founded on June 15, 1985, by directors Hayao Miyazaki, Isao Takahata, producer Toshio Suzuki, and Yasuyoshi Tokuma, Studio Ghibli has evolved over nearly four decades from an animation studio into a creative force with profound influence on spatial narrative and architectural imagination. Based in Koganei, Tokyo, the studio maintains a strong presence in the animation industry while expanding its portfolio across various media formats.

Under the current leadership of Honorary Chairman Hayao Miyazaki, Chairman Toshio Suzuki, President Hiroyuki Fukuda, and Director Gorō Miyazaki, Studio Ghibli continues to blur the boundaries between fantasy and built environment. The "Valley of Witches" project was supervised by Gorō Miyazaki, director of several Studio Ghibli films and leader of this project. Throughout the design process, his sketches combined with designers' proposals underwent meticulous review and continuous feedback to ensure faithful realization of the envisioned world. Discussions throughout the development centered around questions such as "Why can't it be done?" and "How can we make it possible?"—ongoing dialogues that represented some of the project's greatest challenges.

As an institution focused on creating spaces that foster imagination and social connection, Studio Ghibli has demonstrated exceptional skill in preserving narrative integrity while creating functional, buildable spaces through the Ghibli Museum in Mitaka (2001) and the comprehensive Ghibli Park development (2022-2024), presenting animated fantasy worlds to audiences in physical, architectural form.