Jeju's Studio Ghibli Cafe: Koriko & Dotori Forest Guide
On this page
- Studio Ghibli Cafe Jeju Island: What Koriko Cafe and Dotori Forest Actually Are
- Step 1: Plan Transport Before You Go
- Step 2: Time Your Visit Around the 10–19 Window
- Step 3: Walk Through Dotori Forest First
- Step 4: Order the Jeju-Limited Menu at Koriko Cafe
- Mistakes First-Time Visitors Make
- Frequently Asked Questions
The Studio Ghibli cafe on Jeju Island is Koriko Cafe — the island’s only officially licensed Ghibli space — paired with the Dotori Forest goods shop under one roof in Songdang, Gujwa-eup, on the eastern side of the island. Both open daily 10
–19 with last order at 18, admission to Dotori Forest is free, and the complex sits about 1.5 hours by car from Jeju International Airport as of 2026. Koriko Cafe is a near-exact rebuild of the Gütiokipänjä bakery where Kiki works in Kiki’s Delivery Service, while Dotori Forest greets you with a stained-glass Totoro, a life-size Catbus, and a row of umbrella-holding Totoro figures under a mocked-up Jeju bus stop sign.Quick answers
- Koriko Cafe and Dotori Forest share one building in Songdang’s “Donghwa Maeul” (fairytale village) complex in Gujwa-eup, eastern Jeju.
- Dotori Forest, the Ghibli character goods shop, has free admission; Koriko Cafe charges only for what you order.
- Both are open daily 10–19 with last order at 18, and the complex sits roughly 1.5 hours by car from Jeju International Airport.
Studio Ghibli Cafe Jeju Island: What Koriko Cafe and Dotori Forest Actually Are
Daewon Media, which holds Studio Ghibli’s Korean licensing rights, opened both spaces in early March 2024 as the brand’s first official Jeju outpost. Dotori Forest is the retail half — a goods shop built around My Neighbor Totoro, with the stained-glass Totoro, Catbus, and umbrella figures as its signature photo spots. Koriko Cafe, named after the fictional coastal town in Kiki’s Delivery Service, recreates the Gütiokipänjä bakery from the film rather than just slapping character mugs on a generic menu. You’ll notice regulars treat it less like a themed photo op and more like an actual bakery-cafe that happens to be Ghibli-branded — the reproduction is detailed enough to earn that.
Step 1: Plan Transport Before You Go
Rent a car if you can — the complex sits in Songdang-ri, Gujwa-eup, near the Daecheon-dong intersection, about 1.5 hours by car from Jeju International Airport as of 2026, and public transit out here runs infrequently. If you’re not driving, budget for a taxi from Jeju City or combine the trip with other eastern Jeju stops like Bijarim Forest, which sits on the same road.
Step 2: Time Your Visit Around the 10–19 Window
Both Dotori Forest and Koriko Cafe run the same hours daily — 10
to 19, with last order at the cafe at 18 as of 2026 — so there’s no split schedule to juggle. Arrive close to opening on weekends; the stained-glass Totoro entrance is the most-photographed spot in the complex, and mid-afternoon crowds mean waiting your turn for a clean shot.Step 3: Walk Through Dotori Forest First
Enter through Dotori Forest rather than heading straight for the cafe — it’s free to walk through, and the layout is built as a mini-narrative: the stained-glass Totoro at the door, the Catbus and umbrella-holding Totoro figures further in, and a Jeju-style bus stop replica that ties the Totoro theme to the island itself. Browsing here first also means you’re not carrying a tray of pastries around the goods shelves.
Step 4: Order the Jeju-Limited Menu at Koriko Cafe
Koriko Cafe’s menu leans on local ingredients rather than generic character merchandise — mini pound cakes and cream lattes built around Udo peanuts, Sehwa-style roasted barley tea (bori-gaeyeok), and Seongeup matcha, among more than ten Jeju-limited items. What surprises most first-time visitors is that the food holds up on its own; you’d still order the peanut pound cake even without the Kiki’s Delivery Service branding around it.
Mistakes First-Time Visitors Make
The second common mistake is treating it as a quick 20-minute photo stop. Between browsing Dotori Forest and actually sitting down at Koriko Cafe, most visitors spend closer to an hour here — rushing means skipping the bakery’s Jeju-limited menu entirely.
Frequently Asked Questions
Q: Is the Jeju Ghibli cafe officially licensed by Studio Ghibli?
Yes. Koriko Cafe and Dotori Forest are operated by Daewon Media under an official Studio Ghibli license, not a fan-made or unofficial theme cafe.
Q: Do I need a reservation for Koriko Cafe on Jeju?
No reservation system is in place as of 2026 — it’s walk-in seating, though arriving near the 10
opening on weekends helps you avoid the midday queue.Q: How far is Koriko Cafe from Jeju International Airport?
About 1.5 hours by car, since the complex sits in Songdang-ri, Gujwa-eup, on the eastern side of the island rather than near Jeju City.
Q: Is Dotori Forest the same as Studio Ghibli Park in Japan?
No — Dotori Forest is a Korea-only, Totoro-themed goods shop with free admission, sharing a building with Koriko Cafe. Studio Ghibli Park in Aichi is a separate, much larger theme park unrelated to this Jeju location.
Q: What should I order at Koriko Cafe?
Start with a Jeju-limited item — the Udo peanut or Seongeup matcha pound cake pairs well with a cream latte, and both showcase local ingredients rather than generic cafe fare.
Between the Totoro goods shop and Kiki’s rebuilt bakery, this is one of the few spots on Jeju where the Ghibli branding earns its keep instead of just decorating a standard cafe menu.
