Market Chipping

Market Chipping is a city featured in the film, Howl's Moving Castle.

Background
The city of Market Chipping borders the waste and mountain ranges that separate the neighboring kingdom. It is a vast industrial city filled with steam trolleys, automobiles, double-decker buses, a rail network and a lively town center. Sophie lives in her father's hat shop located in the industrial district. The popular café Cesari's can also be found in the town plaza.

Behind The Scenes
Under the advice of the Walt Disney French distributor of Spirited Away, Hayao Miyazaki discovered the town of Colmar, in Alsace, France, and was struck by its architecture. During the trip, the team notably visited the Haut-Kœnigsbourg castle and observed the work of local craftsmen such as hats and blacksmiths. Diana Wynne Jones approved of the choice of such an aesthetic bias, “I've never been to Alsace, but I've heard that there are landscapes straight out of a fairy tale." Much of Market Chipping's setting takes inspiration from this trip.

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Market Chipping