'I Absolutely Want to Go': Ghibli Park's 'Autumn Dondoko Festival' to Feature Tokiko Kato Live, Totoro Plush-Making Workshop, and Outdoor Screening

Ghibli Park has announced that its regular event, the "Autumn Dondoko Festival," will run from Friday, October 30 to Sunday, November 22, sparking excited reactions on social media such as "Looking forward to it again this year" and "I absolutely want to go."

The highlight is an "Outdoor Screening & Concert" to be held on Sunday, November 1 — Ghibli Park's opening anniversary — at the Large Lawn Plaza Stage in Expo 2005 Aichi Commemorative Park (Moricoro Park). The event will screen Porco Rosso (1992), written and directed by Hayao Miyazaki, followed by a concert by Tokiko Kato, who performed the theme song and voiced Madame Gina in the film. Admission is free, with advance applications (by lottery) accepted via the official website starting at 10:00 a.m. on Sunday, September 20.

On Friday, October 30, ZIP-FM will broadcast live from a special radio DJ booth (with navigator Reina Nagata), and twilight operating hours will begin in both Valley of Witches and Mononoke Village. Valley of Witches will also launch its first-ever winter illumination display, with both areas open until 7:00 p.m. so visitors can enjoy the nighttime atmosphere.

Additionally, on Saturday, October 31, a first-ever "Kids-Only 'Night' Movie Screening in Valley of Witches" will be held for elementary school children, showing the original short film A Night in the Valley of Witches, which began screening in July.

There's more: on Saturday, November 7 and Sunday, November 8, a "How to Paint Background Art" session led by anime art directors Yoji Takeshige, Yoichi Nishikawa, and Youichi Watanabe will be held, and on Sunday, November 8, the local Kego Festival's matchlock gun corps from Nagakute City will give a demonstration. Additional hands-on workshops are also planned, including "Making a Café Tray with Tiles" with craftsman Amane Shiraishi on Saturday, November 14 and Sunday, November 15, and "Make Your Own One-of-a-Kind Totoro Plush" on Saturday, November 21 and Sunday, November 22.

Anticipation is already building on social media, with comments such as "I'm curious about Valley of Witches at night" and "I want to make a Totoro plush."

(C)1992 Hayao Miyazaki/Studio Ghibli, NN
(C)2026 Goro Miyazaki, Akihiko Yamashita/Studio Ghibli