Totoro time: Japan's Ghibli theme park opens to visitors

A member of the media films an exhibit of Ghibli character 'Totoro' at Dondoko Forest during a tour of the new Ghibli Park in Nagakute, Aichi prefecture. Photo: AFP

A huge grinning Totoro and other whimsical exhibits welcomed visitors to Japan's new Ghibli theme park as three of its five sections opened to the public on Tuesday.

The attraction in central Japan has been long awaited by fans of Studio Ghibli's beloved animations, from Howl's Moving Castle to the Oscar-winning Spirited Away.