10 Real-Life Locations That Inspired Your Favorite Animated Films

World-renowned animation studio Studio Ghibli has a significant fan base around the world. The studio, known for its long-form animations directed by the master Hayao Miyazaki, continues to release works steadily. Many of Studio Ghibli’s masterpieces are set in real-life locations. Let’s take a tour of some of these actual sites featured in Studio Ghibli’s works.

Nausicaä of the Valley of the Wind – Plitvice Lakes National Park, Croatia

Plitvice National Park is the most beautiful place among national parks in Croatia, an Eastern European country. Sixteen lakes that connect to waterfalls are famous, and you can enjoy the scenery of primeval forests through dense forests of various trees. Nausica in the Wind Valley depicts the world of water-flowing fungi, which are referred to when drawing them, and the reference is passed down to Plitvice National Park in Croatia.

Castle in the Sky – Cardiff Castle, Wales, United Kingdom

Cardiff Castle is the capital city of Wales in England. Cardiff Castle, which can be seen here, is a medieval fortress and a Victorian Gothic mansion with a 2,000-year history. The tunnel used as an air raid shelter during World War II, and a museum about war are located here. Cardiff Castle was the motif of the Steampunk world’s St. Laputa in the Sky, which is said to have various references to the magnificent castle.

My Neighbor Totoro – Fuchi no Mori in Tokorozawa City, Saitama Prefecture, Japan

My Neighbor Totoro, a film that symbolizes the childhood of Japanese people, is set in Saitama Prefecture, the hometown of director Hayao Miyazaki. The small hill, Fuchi no Mori, in Tokorozawa City in Saitama Prefecture, is said to have been used extensively in the film. This place was designated as a residential development area in 1996. At that time, director Hayao Miyazaki and a civic group established the Fuchi no Mori Preservation Association and raised funds to preserve the forest.

Kiki’s Delivery Service – Visby on Gotland Island, Sweden

Visby is the capital of Gotland County in Sweden and a well-preserved medieval city designated as a World Heritage Site. The city has a population of around 22,000, and it is particularly famous for its 2.1-mile stone wall known as Ringmuren. The village of Visby is the setting for Kiki’s Delivery Service, which tells the story of a young witch becoming independent. The town is filled with Nordic-style buildings, providing a satisfying view for visitors.

Only Yesterday – Yamagata Prefecture, Japan

Studio Ghibli’s 1991 feature-length animation Only Yesterday, based on a manga, depicts an adult reflecting on her childhood through a journey. The typical rural village shown in the film is set in Yamagata Prefecture in Japan. The region is known for its rice and sake, and in winter, it receives heavy snowfall, making it a popular destination for skiing. It is also famous as a hot spring tourist spot.

Porco Rosso – Kov, Stiniva, Croatia

European landscapes are often featured in Hayao Miyazaki’s animations. Porco Rosso is another work set in Europe, with Italy in 1929 as the main setting. The landscape depicted in the film is Stiniva Cove in Croatia, a tourist spot known only to those in the know, even among Europeans. It’s not optimized for tourism due to its lack of visitors, but it’s an excellent place to enjoy the beautiful sea.

Whisper of the Heart – Sakuragaoka, Seiseki, Japan

Studio Ghibli’s Whisper of the Heart, released in 1995, was produced when director Hayao Miyazaki was considering retirement. As a result, although Miyazaki was responsible for most of the planning, the late Yoshifumi Kondo handled the actual direction. The setting for this film is Seiseki Sakuragaoka. Even today, the song Country Roads, which appears as the theme song in the movie, plays at the subway station there.

Princess Mononoke – Yakushima, Kagoshima Prefecture, Japan

Princess Mononoke, directed and written by Hayao Miyazaki, was released in Japan in 1997 and set record-breaking box office numbers. The primary setting for this film, which features nature as its backdrop, is Yakushima in Kagoshima Prefecture. Yakushima is an island two hours away from Kagoshima Prefecture by boat, located at the southernmost tip of Kyushu. It was the first place in Japan to be registered as a UNESCO World Natural Heritage site. The island was formed by an underwater volcanic explosion that resulted in a massive granite mass.

The Secret World of Arrietty – Seibien, Aomori, Japan

Studio Ghibli’s 2010 film The Secret World of Arrietty won the Excellent Animation of the Year award at the Japan Academy Prize. Like Ponyo, this film also has an original work, and it attracted over one million viewers in Korea. The primary setting for this film is Seibien in Aomori. Seibien is divided into a Japanese garden, a place for garden viewing, and Gohouden, which houses Buddha statues.