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Trio That Posted Lewd Ghibli Park Selfies Offers Public Apology

The trio of men who made worldwide news earlier this month for their lewd Ghibli Park selfies issued an apology to Aichi Governor Hideaki Ōmura last week. Photos of them touching the breasts of the female character statues and photographing the inside of their skirts had been circulating on Twitter.

Ōmura revealed at a Friday press confence that the men visited the prefectural office on Wednesday to convey their apologies. The men said that they were worried about the influence of their actions and asked for a meeting with the Ghibli Park promotion department.

"Taking those photos went beyond the level of a practical joke. We've caused a lot of distress to everyone," they said. "We endeavor not to cause any mischief in the future."

Ōmura said that he plans to "earnestly accept the apology." Although he had earlier indicated his intention to enforce legal action against those who post inappropriate photos, he said, "I would like this to mark the end of this matter."

Studio Ghibli has refrained from commenting on the issue.

The Ghibli Park opened on November 1, two years behind its original opening schedule in 2020. The park started selling tickets internationally on January 10.

The Dondoko Forest, Ghibli's Grand Warehouse, and Hill of Youth areas are all open for the public. The Mononoke Forest and Valley of Witches areas are scheduled to open in late 2023 and March 2024, respectively. The park takes up about 7.1 hectares (about 17.5 acres) of the existing 194-hectare (about 479-acre) Aichi Expo Memorial Park, where the World Expo 2005 was held..

Source: Mainichi Shimbun (Shiho Sakai) via Otakomu