Grand Opening Date for Ghibli Museum

The Mitaka Forest Ghibli Museum at Inogashira Park in Mitaka City, Tokyo is now scheduled to hold its grand opening in October 2001. Based on information from Animage Magazine, the museum, partially designed by Hayao Miyazaki, will feature multiple exhibition halls, shops, a screening room, and a park featuring picnic tables and randomly scattered totoros. Also according to rumors from last year, the grand opening of the museum will be commemorated by the premier of the short Tonari no Totoro sequel Mei & The Cat-bus, which will be an exclusive to the museum. A foundation comprising officials of Mitaka City, Tokuma Publishing and other groups will run the museum. The start of construction missed an end-of-July deadline, but construction will begin very soon, a Mitaka City official said. The Ghibli museum, to be built at a cost of about 5 billion yen (about $50 million), is expected to draw 800,000 to 1 million visitors in its first year.

Source: Anime Colony