As Studio Ghibli turns 40, we visit the forests, springs and villages that inspired its most beloved films, and meet those preserving their magic.

From moss-draped cedar forests to steamy bathhouses and suburban woodlands, the animated worlds of Studio Ghibli often feel fantastical yet familiar. Across 23 feature films, the Japanese studio's vividly drawn landscapes – where kurosuke (soot sprites) scuttle and giant cat-buses roam – have transported generations of viewers into realms where nature and fantasy blur.

But many of these beloved settings weren't born from pure imagination. They were inspired by real places across Japan – some sacred, others endangered but all profoundly cherished.

As Studio Ghibli celebrates its 40th anniversary this year, we're exploring the real-world places behind some of its most iconic films.

In the opening scenes of the 1997 masterpiece Princess Mononoke, a boar charges through a misty, primeval forest filled with towering trees and ancient spirits. This world is widely believed to be based on Yakushima, a Unesco-listed island off southern Kyushu that's revered for its spiritual significance.

In Yakushima, 1,000-year-old cedars rise from carpets of moss, and rainfall nourishes a dense, dreamlike forest said to house kodama (tree spirits). "Every direction – up, down, front and back – was completely enveloped in green," recalls Yumi Takahashi, a Tokyo-based office worker who recently visited the island. "It felt like being deep underwater, surrounded by forest instead of water. It was mystical."

Taro Watanabe, the head of Guide Office Sangaku Taro, which leads mountain excursions on the island, says the Studio Ghibli connection still draws visitors from around the world. "Even now, many people come to Yakushima because of Princess Mononoke," he explains. "But in recent years, tourism has actually quietened down. I hope more people will come and experience the island's nature for themselves."

Yakushima's forests are considered ecologically unique: its varied subtropical coastlines and alpine peaks boast endemic plant species found nowhere else in the world. But these fragile habitats face mounting threats from overgrazing deer and climate change, which is raising temperatures and triggering disruptive landslides. Conservationists and local guides are working alongside Unesco and government agencies to limit visitor impact, protect........

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