Controversy at Ghibli Park after Guests Post Inappropriate Pictures

Controversy has erupted in online Japanese spaces over photographs of visitors to the newly-opened Ghibli Park simulating assault on underage film characters.

By Noah Oskow

(Content Warning: Discussion and imagery of simulated sexual assault)

Japanese online spaces are once again abuzz today with rancor over guests’ inappropriate behavior at Ghibli Park, a space meant to stoke the imagination and provide an escape to a world apart. The uproar began late last month; Ghibli Park, the sole theme park of animation legend Studio Ghibli, features numerous life-size dioramas of characters and scenes from Ghibli films with which visitors can take selfies. When a group of male visitors posted images of themselves perverting the purpose of these dioramas by engaging in the mock sexual assault of statues of young female Ghibli characters, the resulting anger online was palpable.

Ghibli is the animation studio behind numerous of Japan’s most beloved films on both a domestic and international scale; Spirited Away, Princess Mononoke, My Neighbor Totoro, and Whisper of the Heart are just a few examples of multi-generational hits for the company. Despite Ghibli’s…