Ghibli Wiki

Warning: the wiki content may contain spoilers!

READ MORE

Ghibli Wiki
Ghibli Wiki
Advertisement

Porthaven is a harbor town seen in the film, Howl's Moving Castle. Howl runs a magic shop, calling himself Jenkins.

Background[]

Porthaven is a major port for the military of Ingary. The Porthaven Marshes and the garden at the edge of the waste are merged into Howl's Secret Garden.

Porthaven Marshes[]

The Porthaven Marshes is the location Howl caught a falling star as a child, and where Sophie and Michael later attempted to catch a falling star with the aid of the Seven-League Boots.

History[]

A young girl named Madge comes by Howl's magic store and requests a luck spell for her father's boat to protect him from rough seas. After a major naval defeat, several ruined ships return to port while several of the enemy's ships fill Porthaven's sky with propaganda flyers. When Suliman demands Howl be captured, his magic shop is raided by the military. Unfortunately, the find nothing inside the building.

Behind The Scenes[]

Art director Yôji Takeshige explains his process in designing the town, "The concept art for Porthaven was supervised by Noboru Yoshida, but I drew Jenkins' house. I tried to convey the quaintness of a harbor town, but the colors were too dull, making it incongruous with the characters so this drawing was rejected."[1]

References[]

  1. "The Art of Howl's Moving Castle", p.85

Navigation[]

Advertisement