Emperor and Empress Delight the Internet with Playful Visit to Ghibli Park's Catbus

In September 2026, the Imperial Household Agency released photographs of Emperor Naruhito and Empress Masako during their visit to Ghibli Park in Aichi Prefecture. The images show Their Majesties smiling brightly as they board the "Catbus," a beloved vehicle from Studio Ghibli's iconic animated film My Neighbor Totoro, sparking a wave of surprise and delight across social media platforms.

According to reports, the Emperor and Empress visited the prefecture to attend the opening ceremony of the Asian Games in Aichi-Nagoya, taking the opportunity to stop by Ghibli Park as part of their itinerary. The released photos capture them posing alongside famous characters such as No-Face and the Catbus, including a shot taken by the Emperor himself using his own smartphone. Humorous and warm reactions flooded online platforms, with users posting comments like "The Emperor riding the Catbus" and "That's a truly royal bus."

The Catbus exhibit in the "Ghibli's Grand Warehouse" area is designed to allow adults to step inside. The rare glimpse of Their Majesties in such a relaxed, approachable, and heartwarming atmosphere—so different from their usual formal public duties—drew overwhelmingly positive responses, such as "There is so much going on in these photos, but it's just too wonderful" and "Their Majesties' smiles are so healing."

The context

Ghibli Park is a popular theme park located in Aichi Commemorative Park (Moricoro Park) in Nagakute, Aichi Prefecture, which recreates the worlds of Studio Ghibli films directed by Hayao Miyazaki and others. In Japan, members of the Imperial Family occasionally visit cultural and recreational facilities during regional official duties. Such rare, casual moments captured on camera often generate significant public interest and warm engagement on social media.

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