Princess Mononoke Comes to Life in Ghibli Park's New Area

On November 1 of this year, Japan's Ghibli Park opened a new area, one based on Hayao Miyazaki's award-winning classic Princess Mononoke. Anime News Network was able to drop by and check it out firsthand.

The attraction, aptly named "Mononoke Village," is one of several located at Ghibli Park. But rather than being a typical theme park, Ghibli Park is a series of small, cordoned-off areas located across the Expo 2005 Aichi Commemorative Park (a massive public park that anyone can enter free of charge). Instead of rides, the Ghibli Park attractions are immersive experiences—like visiting a fully furnished version of Mei and Satsuki's house from My Neighbor Totoro in the "Dondoko Forest" area or the World Emporium antique shop from Whisper of the Heart at the "Hill of Youth" area.

Built with the style of Emishi Village seen at the start of Princess Mononoke, Mononoke Village is surrounded by the Commemorative Park's large forest on one side and the fields of the Aichi Satlab farm school on the other—making for exactly the kind of environment we see in the film.

To enter the area, you must first go through the village's replica gate, where Ghibli Park staff scan your ticket before allowing you in.

Off to the right is a path leading up to the village's watch tower, similar to the one destroyed by the raging Demon Spirit at the beginning of the film.

Speaking of the Demon Spirit, a life-size statue of it sits at the base of the small hill the watchtower has been built upon.

Next to the Demon Spirit is a life-size statue of the boar god, Lord Okkoto. This sculpture also contains a slide hidden within its back for children to play on.

At the center of the village is the Tatara-ba, but to get there, you must first cross a small moat and go underneath a gate guard post.

Based on the grass-roofed buildings of Ashitaka's village, the Tatara-ba is the location of a hands-on experience where you can be taught to make the local specialty, Gohei-mochi (rice cakes), on a charcoal grill for a small fee of 1200 yen (approx. $8.10).

Aside from that, the last remaining location is a small gift shop and rest area near the fields.

While Mononoke Village is no doubt a must-visit location for die-hard fans of Princess Mononoke, I must admit that I felt a bit let down by it—especially when comparing it to the insane amount of detail seen at Ghibli Park's similar attractions (i.e., Mei and Satsuki's House and the World Emporium antique shop) that I visited earlier in the day. However, the ticket for visiting this area also comes bundled with a ticket to the amazing Ghibli's Grand Warehouse—a massive interactive museum full of photo spots for all of Ghibli's films—which makes Mononoke Village feel well worth the overall ticket price.

If you find yourself in Japan and plan on taking a trip to Ghibli Park (which I highly recommend), be sure to buy your tickets ASAP via the official Ghibli Park website. You can't purchase tickets on the day of your visit to the park, and tickets often sell out up to two months in advance due to the popularity of the attractions.