On November 1, 2022, studio Ghibli officially opened its doors to a magical park that any fan of the legendary studio and otaku alike could dream of: an entire theme park dedicated to the greatness of studio Ghibli. This theme park contains the stuff of dreams that any otaku would drool over. From replicas of iconic scenes in Ghilbi, like the house of my neighbor Totoro, to the Mononoke village of Princess Mononoke, and plenty more, THIS will make ANY Ghibli and Otakus dreams come true. This is a theme park for the ages! Visited by fans, tourists and families. While purely fictional, this is the closest you can get to actually living in the world of Ghibli.
A replica of the house from Hayao Miyazaki’s 1988 movie “My Neighbor Totoro”.
“But earlier last month, two men decided to do something shockingly inappropriate with one of the replicas of Marnie, the heroine of the 2014 Ghibli film “When Marnie Was There”, and another one was Teru, the heroine of the 2006 Ghibli film “Tales of Earthsea”. One was taking an upskirt off Marnie, while the other one was groping Teru’s breasts. Both selfies were posted online.
According to reports in Japan, it sparked great media attention, and during a press conference on Thursday, Hideaki Omura, the governor of Aichi prefecture urged Ghibli’s park operating companies to stop visitors from taking lewd photos with the character statues.
When speaking to the Japanese media, Omura gave a statement. He said
“It is extremely regrettable. We will take firm action because it (Ghibli Park) is located within the prefectural park.”
“Ghibli Park is a place for adults and children to have fun while experiencing Ghibli films. I don’t want people who do things that many find offensive to come to the park.”
“It is extremely malicious, just like the inappropriate behaviour at conveyor belt sushi restaurants.”
Hideaki Omura to Manichi Shibun
Omura’s statements echo the sushi terrorism pranks perpetrated on conveyor sushi belts. Where individuals purposely tamper with foods or utensils and film themselves.
Omura has stated that the Aichi prefecture government will take legal action if the individuals are identified.
On the other hand, a Ghibli Park spokesman told the Manichi Shimbun that it will refrain from commenting on the issue.
The two men’s actions were denounced by many on social media. However, Studio Ghibli has also been criticized for their position and response to this incident.
But on March 26, the two men apologized to Aichi Governor Hideaki Omura for their actions. Omura revealed at a press conference on Friday that the men visited the prefectural office on Wednesday to apologize. According to their statements, the men feared the consequences of their actions and asked for a meeting with the Ghibli Park promotion department. The two men would give their statements.
“Taking those photos went beyond the level of a practical joke. We’ve caused a lot of distress to everyone,” they said. “We endeavor not to cause any mischief in the future.”
The Two Men expressing their apology
Omura has stated that he plans to “earnestly accept the apology.” Despite indicating earlier that he intended to take legal action against those inadvertent photos, he said, “I would like to mark the end of this matter.”
Studio Ghibli, still as of yet, has commented on this incident.
Ghibli Park originally opened on November 1, 2022. It was originally supposed to open in 2020 but was delayed due to the COVID-19 pandemic. The park started selling tickets internationally on January 10, 2023.
The park is home to iconic places from Studio Ghibli, like the Dondoko Forest, Ghibli’s Grand Warhouse, and the Hill of Youth. More areas are scheduled to open later in 2023 and early 2024, such as the Mononoke Forest and the Valley of the Witches. Ghibli Park is located in the city of Nagakute and was built by the Aichi prefectural government at a cost of 34 billion yen (roughly $366.7 million dollars). It is publicly and privately owned by the newspaper Chunichi Shimbun and studio Ghibli, according to Nikkei Asia, the world’s largest financial newspaper.
What do you guys think about this incident? Let me know in the comments!
Source: Anime News Network, straitstimes, mainichi
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