'Spirited Away': Ghibli theme park prepares for visitors

Beyond the gates, a whimsical world awaits, complete with a fluffy Cat Bus, the toothy grin of Totoro and a life-sized No-Face seated on a train: welcome to Ghibli Park.

The highly anticipated new theme park from Studio Ghibli, creator of beloved titles like "My Neighbour Totoro" and Oscar-winning "Spirited Away".

Ghibli Park will open its doors to visitors on November 1, though only three of the five sections of the site in central Japan's Aichi region will be accessible at first.

Spread over 7.1 hectares of the 194-hectare park where Aichi hosted the 2005 International Expo, the attraction features large open-air areas in keeping with the importance of nature and the outdoors in Ghibli works.

Unlike similar tourist draws such as Tokyo Disneyland, creators of the park have said it is designed to minimise fantasy and reflect the realism of Ghibli's works.

Among the three areas is the "Hill of Youth", the gateway to the park and featuring an elevator tower inspired by several Ghibli films including "Castle in the Sky" and "Howl's Moving Castle".

A major draw will be the Ghibli's Grand Warehouse, the hangar-like indoor portion of the park with various attractions, including 14 sets from 13 Ghibli classics.

Built at a cost of $232 million, the park is expected to become a major tourist draw for Aichi.