A Tribute to the Master: Visiting the Filming Locations of Studio Ghibli Animations

International Center / Comprehensive Report

At the press conference for *The Wind Rises* during the 70th Venice Film Festival, Hayao Miyazaki’s retirement was officially announced by Toshio Suzuki, Studio Ghibli’s chairman and spokesperson — a piece of news that shattered fans’ hearts.

Fans of Studio Ghibli animations are often moved by their heartwarming, childlike charm and the grand yet intricately detailed scenes. Aside from the Tokyo-based Ghibli Museum Mitaka, which boasts a wealth of exhibits, where else can you step into the fairy-tale worlds of Ghibli? Join us on this tribute journey as we explore the real-life filming locations behind these beloved animated films.

▲ *Howl’s Moving Castle* filming location: Colmar, France
This town, known as the “Little Venice,” enchants with its fairytale-like ambiance and picturesque canals. Historically ruled multiple times by Germany, it has been deeply influenced by German culture, featuring vibrantly colored half-timbered houses with geometric wooden facades that evoke the charm of the 16th century. (Photo / hemis / 东方IC)

▲ *Howl’s Moving Castle* filming location: Alsace, France (Photo / agefotostock / 东方IC)

▲ *Howl’s Moving Castle* filming location: Heidelberg, Germany (Photo / REX/The Travel Library / 东方IC)

▲ *Porco Rosso* filming location: Dubrovnik, Croatia – Adriatic Sea
The aerial combat scenes over the Adriatic Sea in the animation are particularly memorable, as the city depicted is modeled after Dubrovnik.
Miyazaki seems to have been deeply captivated by this beautiful ancient city. In his 1989 film *Kiki’s Delivery Service*, elements of Dubrovnik were also incorporated; it is said that the place where the witch Kiki trained is here. (Photo / agefotostock / 东方IC)

▲ *Porco Rosso* filming location: Dubrovnik, Croatia – Adriatic Sea (Photo / robertharding / 东方IC)

▲ *Kiki’s Delivery Service* filming location: Visby, Sweden
The town in Miyazaki’s *Kiki’s Delivery Service* is based on Visby on the west coast of Gotland Island in Sweden and Stockholm. Miyazaki and his assistants visited these locations for inspiration. (Photo / agefotostock / 东方IC)

▲ *Kiki’s Delivery Service* filming location: Stockholm, Sweden (Photo / agefotostock / 东方IC)

▲ *Princess Mononoke* filming location: Yakushima
Yakushima, the southernmost island of Japan’s Kyushu region, is known as the “Alps of the Sea” and was Japan’s first UNESCO World Heritage site. Nearly circular in shape, resembling a cross-section of a cedar tree, 20% of the island is designated as a World Natural Heritage area. It is covered with thousand-year-old cedars shrouded in mountain mist, creating an air of mystery. Perhaps inspired by local legends, Miyazaki depicted magical creatures such as the Forest Spirit in *Princess Mononoke*, all residing within this enchanted forest. (Photo / amana / 东方IC)

▲ *Spirited Away* filming location: Dogo Onsen, Japan
With one-tenth of the world’s volcanoes, Japan is dotted with natural hot springs. The famous Dogo Onsen, said to have been established around 3,000 years ago, is reputed to be Japan’s oldest hot spring and a renowned hot spring resort in Shikoku. The main setting of the globally acclaimed Studio Ghibli film *Spirited Away*, the bathhouse “Aburaya” (run by the witch Yubaba), was filmed here. However, note that the lavish feasts shown in the movie’s main building are not actually served in real life. (Photo / agefotostock / 东方IC)

▲ *Spirited Away* filming location: Jiufen, Taiwan
The streets in the 2001 animated film *Spirited Away* are modeled after Jiufen. When night falls, red lanterns light up along the winding alleys, flanked by various food stalls bustling with hungry visitors — a scene that closely resembles the night market street in the movie. (Photo / 李林 / 东方IC)

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