Hayao Miyazaki

Directing

Hayao Miyazaki

Born 1941-01-05 · Tokyo, Japan

Hayao Miyazaki (Miyazaki Hayao, born January 5, 1941) is a Japanese manga artist and prominent film director and animator of many popular anime feature films. Through a career that has spanned nearly five decades, Miyazaki has attained international acclaim as a maker of animated feature films and, along with Isao Takahata, co-founded Studio Ghibli, an animation studio and production company. The success of Miyazaki's films has invited comparisons with American animator Walt Disney, British animator Nick Park as well as Robert Zemeckis, who pioneered Motion Capture animation, and he has been named one of the most influential people by Time Magazine. Miyazaki began his career at Toei Animation as an in-between artist for Gulliver's Travels Beyond the Moon where he pitched his own ideas that eventually became the movie's ending. He continued to work in various roles in the animation industry over the decade until he was able to direct his first feature film Lupin III: The Castle of Cagliostro which was published in 1979. After the success of his next film, Nausicaä of the Valley of the Wind, he co-founded Studio Ghibli where he continued to produce many feature films until Princess Mononoke whereafter he temporarily retired. While Miyazaki's films have long enjoyed both commercial and critical success in Japan, he remained largely unknown to the West until Miramax released his 1997 film, Princess Mononoke. Princess Mononoke was the highest-grossing film in Japan—until it was eclipsed by another 1997 film, Titanic—and the first animated film to win Picture of the Year at the Japanese Academy Awards. Miyazaki returned to animation with Spirited Away. The film topped Titanic's sales at the Japanese box office, also won Picture of the Year at the Japanese Academy Awards and was the first anime film to win an American Academy Award. Miyazaki's films often incorporate recurrent themes, such as humanity's relationship to nature and technology, and the difficulty of maintaining a pacifist ethic. Reflecting Miyazaki's feminism, the protagonists of his films are often strong, independent girls or young women. Miyazaki is a vocal critic of capitalism and globalization. While two of his films, The Castle of Cagliostro and Castle in the Sky, involve traditional villains, his other films such as Nausicaa or Princess Mononoke present morally ambiguous antagonists with redeeming qualities.

Acting credits

Mei and the Kittenbus poster
7.2

Mei is eating a caramel on one very windy day, when suddenly a whirlwind appears and starts chasing her. The whirlwind turns out to be a baby cat bus. Mei offers the kitten a caramel and the two become friends. That night, the baby cat bus visits Mei. Letting Mei ride inside him, he leaps out into the sky. They head for the midnight forest full of ghosts. Other cat buses large and small have also gathered together.

Mei and the Kittenbus

2002

The Nippon Television Special of Spirited Away poster
10.0

View this Japanese television special to get an insider's peek into Studio Ghibli during the creation of Spirted Away.

The Nippon Television Special of Spirited Away

2001

Kurosawa's Way poster
5.8

Eleven major film makers from Europe, America and Asia talk about Akira Kurosawa and discover surprising influences on their own work.

Kurosawa's Way

2011

Hayao Miyazaki and the Heron poster
7.8

A documentary that chronicles the making of The Boy and the Heron, filmed with exclusive access to Studio Ghibli across an astonishing seven years.

Hayao Miyazaki and the Heron

2024

Miyazaki, Spirit of Nature poster
7.8

A documentary that focuses on Hayao Miyazaki’s deep connection to nature and the environmental themes expressed through his films.

Miyazaki, Spirit of Nature

2025

25th Anniversary Studio Ghibli Concert poster
9.3

Concert held on August 4, 5 and 6, 2008 at the Nippon Budōkan hall in Tokyo to commemorate both the Japanese theatrical release of Ponyo (2008) and the 25 years of musical collaboration between composer Joe Hisaishi and filmmaker Hayao Miyazaki.

25th Anniversary Studio Ghibli Concert

2008

The Kingdom of Dreams and Madness poster
7.6

Follows the behind-the-scenes work of Studio Ghibli, focusing on the notable figures Hayao Miyazaki, Isao Takahata, and Toshio Suzuki.

The Kingdom of Dreams and Madness

2013

Hayao Miyazaki Produces a CD poster
10.0

No synopsis available yet.

Hayao Miyazaki Produces a CD

2004

Miyazaki poster
6.0

No synopsis available yet.

Miyazaki

2025

Princess Mononoke in the U.S.A. poster
9.7

This short documentary follows director Hayao Miyazaki and producer Toshio Suzuki as they attend two film festivals showing the film Princess Mononoke and answer questions. Miyazaki discusses his experience in LA before founding Studio Ghibli.

Princess Mononoke in the U.S.A.

2001

Never-Ending Man: Hayao Miyazaki poster
7.5

A look at legendary Japanese animator Hayao Miyazaki following his retirement in 2013.

Never-Ending Man: Hayao Miyazaki

2017

Hayao Miyazaki and the Ghibli Museum poster
8.0

A documentary about the Ghibli Museum. It features Goro Miyazaki speaking with Isao Takahata about the "charm" of the museum and its various influences. Goro tours the viewer around the museum, explaining the intricate details that his father, Hayao Miyazaki made during its construction. The documentary highlights the strong European influences in the museum's architecture, featuring footage of the medieval mountainous city of Calcata in Italy and the historic port city of Genoa, which Miyazaki had visited in the past. These trips would go on to influencing the imagery seen in Castle in the Sky, Kiki's Delivery Service, Porco Rosso, and Spirited Away.

Hayao Miyazaki and the Ghibli Museum

2005

The Art of 'Spirited Away' poster
8.2

The people that brought the film Sen to Chihiro no kamikakushi (2001) (a.k.a. "Spirited Away") to the US explain how it was converted into English, with some minor confusion between languages, and how well it did in both Japan and America.

The Art of 'Spirited Away'

2003

Manga! poster
7.0

BBC's 1994 documentary on the manga and anime phenomenon that was just starting to hit the UK at the time, and its origins in Japan. Presented by Jonathan Ross.

Manga!

1994

The World, The Journey Of My Heart - Traveler: Animation Film Director Hayao Miyazaki poster
9.0

A documentary film starring Hayao Miyazaki as he follows in the footsteps of Antoine de Saint-Exupéry.

The World, The Journey Of My Heart - Traveler: Animation Film Director Hayao Miyazaki

1998

Giant God Warrior Appears in Tokyo poster
6.6

The short focuses on the God Warrior from Nausicaa of The Valley of The Wind (1984). Super-powered bio-weapons in ceramic armor begin attacking Tokyo, annihilating human civilization.

Giant God Warrior Appears in Tokyo

2012

The Birth of "Princess Mononoke" Part 2: Life Has Been Breathed Into It! poster
10.0

Part 2 of Mononoke Hime wa koushite umareta, also known as The Making of "Princess Mononoke", an exhaustive three-part making of documentary of Hayao Miyazaki's Princess Mononoke

The Birth of "Princess Mononoke" Part 2: Life Has Been Breathed Into It!

2001

Hideaki Anno: The Final Challenge of Evangelion poster
8.4

EVANGELION is coming to an end. NHK spent 4 years with exclusive access to director Hideaki Anno, documenting the creative process behind the final EVANGELION: 3.0+1.0 THRICE UPON A TIME. For the first time, the camera is allowed inside Anno's studio. The documentary attempts to capture why master filmmaker Hayao Miyazaki (STUDIO GHIBLI) describes him as one who sheds blood for his films.

Hideaki Anno: The Final Challenge of Evangelion

2021

Isao Takahata and His Tale of The Princess Kaguya poster
6.7

For his first film in fourteen years, animation director Isao Takahata embarked on a visually sumptuous adaptation of The Tale of the Bamboo-Cutter. A dream project for the director that would hopefully establish the recently formed Ghibli Studio 7, created to meet the demands of a new type of modern animation process. But, almost immediately, the epic production is faced with difficulties and falls dramatically behind schedule. In this compelling and insightful documentary, we follow Isao Takahata and his dedicated team of artists as they frantically strive against adversity to make their vision a reality and bring Studio Ghibli into a new era.

Isao Takahata and His Tale of The Princess Kaguya

2014

The Work of Hayao Miyazaki "The Wind Rises" Record of 1000 Days/Retirement Announcement Unknown Story poster
8.7

NHK TV Special

The Work of Hayao Miyazaki "The Wind Rises" Record of 1000 Days/Retirement Announcement Unknown Story

2014

Japanese Cinema: New Territories poster
NR

This documentary by Hubert Niogret looks at the revival of Japanese cinema during the 1990s.

Japanese Cinema: New Territories

2011

Ghibli and The Miyazaki Mystery poster
6.9

Studio Ghibli is Japan's most successful animation studio, with helmers Hayao Miyazaki ("Spirited Away," "My Neighbor Totoro") and Isao Takahata ("Grave of The Fireflies," "The Tale of Princess Kaguya") creating a bonanza for producer/prexy Toshio Suzuki. Generously adorned with clips from their films and their influences, the docu follows Ghibli's arc from a mid-'60s rebellion against working conditions at Toei Co. to its present powerhouse position, complete with public fun park. All interviews are illuminating, but Miyazaki is teasingly confined to pic's tete-a-tete finale with esteemed French comic artist Jean "Moebius" Giraud. Meeting of the wizened European, whose imprint is on films from "Blade Runner" to "The Fifth Element," and the apparently relaxed Nipponese helmer makes an interesting contrast, and will be of special interest to Francophiles. All credits are impeccable

Ghibli and The Miyazaki Mystery

2005

2399 Days with Hayao Miyazaki & Studio Ghibli poster
NR

A documentary produced by NHK following the production of "The Boy & The Heron" over 7 years.

2399 Days with Hayao Miyazaki & Studio Ghibli

2023

Lasseter-san, Thank You poster
NR

Depicts the 2002 trip by several employees of Studio Ghibli to promote the movie Sen to Chihiro no Kamikakushi (Spirited Away) in North America. It was originally made as a private thank-you gift from Ghibli to John Lasseter, the Lasseter-San of the title. The show appears similar to a home movie, or private documentary. This footage includes snippets from some of Miyazaki's films, as well as some Pixar shorts. The most striking part were clips from Porco Rosso, interchanging with images of Miyazaki flying a red double-decker.

Lasseter-san, Thank You

2003

Behind the camera

Spirited Away poster
8.5

A young girl, Chihiro, becomes trapped in a strange new world of spirits. When her parents undergo a mysterious transformation, she must call upon the courage she never knew she had to free her family.

Spirited Away

2001

Spirited Away poster
8.5

A young girl, Chihiro, becomes trapped in a strange new world of spirits. When her parents undergo a mysterious transformation, she must call upon the courage she never knew she had to free her family.

Spirited Away

2001

Howl's Moving Castle poster
8.4

Sophie, a young milliner, is turned into an elderly woman by a witch who enters her shop and curses her. She encounters a wizard named Howl and gets caught up in his resistance to fighting for the king.

Howl's Moving Castle

2004

Howl's Moving Castle poster
8.4

Sophie, a young milliner, is turned into an elderly woman by a witch who enters her shop and curses her. She encounters a wizard named Howl and gets caught up in his resistance to fighting for the king.

Howl's Moving Castle

2004

Kiki's Delivery Service poster
7.8

A young witch, on her mandatory year of independent life, finds fitting into a new community difficult while she supports herself by running an air courier service.

Kiki's Delivery Service

1989

Kiki's Delivery Service poster
7.8

A young witch, on her mandatory year of independent life, finds fitting into a new community difficult while she supports herself by running an air courier service.

Kiki's Delivery Service

1989

Kiki's Delivery Service poster
7.8

A young witch, on her mandatory year of independent life, finds fitting into a new community difficult while she supports herself by running an air courier service.

Kiki's Delivery Service

1989

Princess Mononoke poster
8.3

Ashitaka, a prince of the disappearing Emishi people, is cursed by a demonized boar god and must journey to the west to find a cure. Along the way, he encounters San, a young human woman fighting to protect the forest, and Lady Eboshi, who is trying to destroy it. Ashitaka must find a way to bring balance to this conflict.

Princess Mononoke

1997

Princess Mononoke poster
8.3

Ashitaka, a prince of the disappearing Emishi people, is cursed by a demonized boar god and must journey to the west to find a cure. Along the way, he encounters San, a young human woman fighting to protect the forest, and Lady Eboshi, who is trying to destroy it. Ashitaka must find a way to bring balance to this conflict.

Princess Mononoke

1997

The Boy and the Heron poster
7.4

While the Second World War rages, the teenage Mahito, haunted by his mother's tragic death, is relocated from Tokyo to the serene rural home of his new stepmother Natsuko, a woman who bears a striking resemblance to the boy's mother. As he tries to adjust, this strange new world grows even stranger following the appearance of a persistent gray heron, who perplexes and bedevils Mahito, dubbing him the "long-awaited one."

The Boy and the Heron

2023

The Boy and the Heron poster
7.4

While the Second World War rages, the teenage Mahito, haunted by his mother's tragic death, is relocated from Tokyo to the serene rural home of his new stepmother Natsuko, a woman who bears a striking resemblance to the boy's mother. As he tries to adjust, this strange new world grows even stranger following the appearance of a persistent gray heron, who perplexes and bedevils Mahito, dubbing him the "long-awaited one."

The Boy and the Heron

2023

Warriors of the Wind poster
7.9

After a global war, the seaside kingdom known as the Valley of the Wind remains one of the last strongholds on Earth untouched by a poisonous jungle and the powerful insects that guard it. Led by the courageous Princess Nausicaä, the people of the Valley engage in an epic struggle to restore the bond between humanity and Earth.

Warriors of the Wind

1984

Warriors of the Wind poster
7.9

After a global war, the seaside kingdom known as the Valley of the Wind remains one of the last strongholds on Earth untouched by a poisonous jungle and the powerful insects that guard it. Led by the courageous Princess Nausicaä, the people of the Valley engage in an epic struggle to restore the bond between humanity and Earth.

Warriors of the Wind

1984

My Neighbor Totoro poster
8.1

Two sisters move to the country with their father in order to be closer to their hospitalized mother, and discover the surrounding trees are inhabited by Totoros, magical spirits of the forest. When the youngest runs away from home, the older sister seeks help from the spirits to find her.

My Neighbor Totoro

1988

My Neighbor Totoro poster
8.1

Two sisters move to the country with their father in order to be closer to their hospitalized mother, and discover the surrounding trees are inhabited by Totoros, magical spirits of the forest. When the youngest runs away from home, the older sister seeks help from the spirits to find her.

My Neighbor Totoro

1988

Ponyo poster
7.8

When Sosuke, a young boy who lives on a clifftop overlooking the sea, rescues a stranded goldfish named Ponyo, he discovers more than he bargained for. Ponyo is a curious, energetic young creature who yearns to be human, but even as she causes chaos around the house, her father, a powerful sorcerer, schemes to return Ponyo to the sea.

Ponyo

2008

Ponyo poster
7.8

When Sosuke, a young boy who lives on a clifftop overlooking the sea, rescues a stranded goldfish named Ponyo, he discovers more than he bargained for. Ponyo is a curious, energetic young creature who yearns to be human, but even as she causes chaos around the house, her father, a powerful sorcerer, schemes to return Ponyo to the sea.

Ponyo

2008

Castle in the Sky poster
8.0

A young boy and a girl with a magic crystal must race against pirates and foreign agents in a search for a legendary floating castle.

Castle in the Sky

1986

Castle in the Sky poster
8.0

A young boy and a girl with a magic crystal must race against pirates and foreign agents in a search for a legendary floating castle.

Castle in the Sky

1986

From Up on Poppy Hill poster
7.5

Yokohama, 1963. Japan is picking itself up from the devastation of World War II and preparing to host the 1964 Olympics—and the mood is one of both optimism and conflict as the young generation struggles to throw off the shackles of a troubled past. Against this backdrop of hope and change, a friendship begins to blossom between high school students Umi and Shun—but a buried secret from their past emerges to cast a shadow on the future and pull them apart.

From Up on Poppy Hill

2011

Whisper of the Heart poster
7.9

Shizuku lives a simple life, dominated by her love for stories and writing. One day she notices that all the library books she has have been previously checked out by the same person: "Seiji Amasawa."

Whisper of the Heart

1995

The Secret World of Arrietty poster
7.7

14-year-old Arrietty and the rest of the Clock family live in peaceful anonymity as they make their own home from items "borrowed" from the house's human inhabitants. However, life changes for the Clocks when a human boy discovers Arrietty.

The Secret World of Arrietty

2010

The Wind Rises poster
7.8

A lifelong love of flight inspires Japanese aviation engineer Jiro Horikoshi, whose storied career includes the creation of the A-6M World War II fighter plane.

The Wind Rises

2013

The Wind Rises poster
7.8

A lifelong love of flight inspires Japanese aviation engineer Jiro Horikoshi, whose storied career includes the creation of the A-6M World War II fighter plane.

The Wind Rises

2013