Listing the real-life locations featured in famous Ghibli animated films.

Sayama Hill – Film "My Neighbor Totoro" (1988)

Located about an hour's drive from Tokyo, the lush green landscape of Sayama has become the inspiration for one of Hayao Miyazaki's most beloved films. Sayama Hill is a forest park in Saitama Prefecture, serving as the setting for the idyllic scenes in "My Neighbor Totoro."

Sayama Hill is a natural hill with plenty of arable land. The area is at risk of destruction, so the Totoro Homeland Association has called for forest conservation funds and public environmental protection actions to demonstrate the relationship between humans and nature. This is the message Ghibli Studio always tries to convey in their films.

The idyllic rural scenery in the film accurately reflects real life, with a dedicated nature trail for visitors called Totoro Forest. Visit Sayama Hill to admire the scenery of the Japanese countryside, enjoy Japanese tea, and experience the hospitality of the local people.

Gotland Island, Sweden – The film "Kiki the Teenage Witch" (1989)

"Kiki the Teenage Witch" is a particularly important film for Studio Ghibli in general and director Miyazaki in particular, as it temporarily deviates from familiar traditional Japanese cultural motifs to depict a modern European lifestyle.

Audiences will remember the charming bakeries and the many vibrant, bustling streets. The architecture was created after director Hayao Miyazaki and his collaborators visited Stockholm and Visby on the island of Gotland in Sweden. This also aimed to maintain the elements of the original novel Kiki by Eiko Kadono, which is set in a fictional city in Northern Europe.

Gotland, Sweden's largest and most beautiful island, is located in the heart of the Baltic Sea, and therefore played a crucial role in the Nordic trade network during the Middle Ages. The ancient city of Visby, Gotland's thousand-year-old capital, with its stunning natural scenery, is often described as a pristine, unspoiled Nordic wonderland.

Yakushima Island – Film "Princess Mononoke" (1997)

This is a famous Japanese animated film, one of Ghibli's representative works, depicting the struggle between humanity and majestic nature. The film's setting is said to be inspired by the vast forests of Yakushima Island.

Yakushima is a subtropical monsoon archipelago located off the southernmost coast of Japan. The cedar trees scattered throughout the island are considered a symbol of Yakushima. Walking beneath these ancient trees gives you the feeling of stepping into a magical forest.

Dogo Onsen – Film "Land of Spirits" (2001)

Public baths are a long-standing Japanese tradition. The bathing area serving particularly important guests in the "Land of Spirits" is inspired by Dogo Onsen, an ancient building in Matsuyama dating back to the 19th century.

Located east of Matsuyama, Dogo Onsen is one of Japan's oldest and most famous hot spring resorts. The exquisite and impressive interior and exterior architecture of Dogo Onsen is featured in the episode. Stepping inside, you'll find a labyrinth of long, tatami-covered verandas, numerous staircases, and various pathways. This three-story wooden bathhouse is frequently mentioned in legends and myths.

Phuong Mai is a reporter for Travellive Magazine in Hanoi.

Phuong Mai