New details about Ghibli Park‘s eco-friendly Catbus electric vehicles have been released before they go into service next month.
The real-life My Neighbor Totoro-inspired Catbus vehicles, officially called APM Catbus, are designed to look and feel like the Catbus from the film, with a rounded appearance and furry seats.
The low-speed electric vehicles developed by Toyota, originally for the Tokyo Olympics, are based on the manufacturer’s APM (Accessible People Mover).
Six Catbus vehicles, operated by software company Monet Technologies, will carry six passengers at a time across the Studio Ghibli theme park.
Per a press release from Monet Technologies, the APM Catbus will offer 10-minute trips between the Mononoke Village and Dondoko Forest areas through an inaccessible forest.
The new buses are 3.9-metres-long, 1.6-metres wide, and 2-metres-high. They will travel at a top speed of 19 km/h.
They can seat six people including the driver. They include the driver’s seat in the front row, three seats in the second row, and two seats in the third row.
Catbuses are scheduled to run from 9.30am until 5.30pm on weekdays and 8.30am until 5.30pm on weekends and public holidays.
My Neighbor Totoro-inspired Catbus vehicles
Guests can buy tickets for a ride on a Catbus at special vending machines. Only one-way tickets can be purchased, as opposed to round-trip tickets. These cost 1,000 yen ($6) for adults and 500 yen ($3) for children.
Ghibli Park’s APM Catbus will go into service on 16 March, the same date the new Valley of Witches area opens to visitors.
The park’s fifth and final area is inspired by anime films such as Kiki’s Delivery Service and Howl’s Moving Castle.
Valley of Witches will join Ghibli Park’s existing areas – Ghibli’s Grand Warehouse, Hill of Youth, Dondoko Forest, and Mononoke Village.
Images courtesy of Studio Ghibli
