Ghibli Park is not where many first-time visitors assume. It sits in Nagakute, on the eastern edge of the Nagoya conurbation in Aichi Prefecture — not near Tokyo, and not near Kyoto. Here is how to reach it from each major hub.
From Nagoya — about an hour
Take the Higashiyama subway line east to its terminus at Fujigaoka, then transfer to the Linimo, a magnetic-levitation line, and ride to the Expo park stations. Both legs accept ordinary IC cards, so no special ticket is needed.
The Linimo is driverless — stand at the very front for an unobstructed view down the track. It is one of the few commercial maglev lines in the world and a small attraction in itself.
From Kyoto or Osaka
Kyoto to Nagoya is around 35 minutes by Shinkansen; Osaka roughly 50. Add the hour of local transit and Ghibli Park is a comfortable day trip from either — the pairing most travellers underuse.
From Tokyo
The Shinkansen to Nagoya takes about 100 minutes, then the hour of local transit. A same-day return is possible but long; if the park is a priority, an overnight in Nagoya makes for a far better trip.
Timing and luggage
Aim to arrive about an hour before your timed entry — the Linimo is busiest near opening, and walks from the stations can be longer than expected. Leave large bags in Nagoya Station lockers rather than carrying them onto the Linimo.
Next: how tickets work and a full day in Nagakute.