Hayao Miyazaki is a Japanese film director, animator, producer, screenwriter, manga artist, co-founder of Studio Ghibli, and friend of Pixar animator, John Lasseter. He is one of the most respected animators and animation directors in the world, especially in Japan's own style of animation, called anime, For instance, he is only the anime director (or traditional animation for that matter) to win Academy Awards for Best Animated Feature for Spirited Away and The Boy and the Heron.
Born in Bunkyō ward of Tokyo, Miyazaki expressed interest in manga and animation from an early age, and he joined Toei Animation in 1963 working as an in-between artist and later animator. He directed and several television shows as well as feature films, which included The Castle of Cagliostro in 1979 and Nausicaä of the Valley of the Wind.
After co-founding Studio Ghibli in 1985, he directed and wrote numerous films, such as Castle in the Sky, My Neighbor Totoro, Kiki's Delivery Service, Princess Mononoke, Spirited Away, Howl's Moving Castle, and Ponyo. Following the release of The Wind Rises, Miyazaki announced his retirement from feature films, though he returned to work on a new feature film in 2016.
Miyazaki's works are characterized by the recurrence of themes, such as humanity's relationship with nature and technology, the wholesomeness of natural and traditional patterns of living, the importance of art, and the difficulty of maintaining a pacifist ethic in a violent world. Miyazaki's works have been highly praised and awarded; he was named a Person of Cultural Merit for outstanding cultural contributions in November 2012, and received the Academy Honorary Award for his impact on animation and cinema in November 2014.
Filmography
| Year | Film | Position |
|---|---|---|
| 1984 | Nausicaa of the Valley of the Wind | Director/Writer |
| 1986 | Castle in the Sky | Director/Writer |
| 1988 | My Neighbor Totoro | Director/Writer |
| 1989 | Kiki's Delivery Service | Director/Writer/Producer |
| 1992 | Porco Rosso | Director/Writer |
| 1995 | Whisper of the Heart | Writer |
| 1997 | Princess Mononoke | Director/Writer |
| 2001 | Spirited Away | Director/Writer |
| 2004 | Howl's Moving Castle | Director/Writer |
| 2008 | Ponyo | Director/Writer |
| 2010 | The Secret World of Arrietty | Writer |
| 2013 | The Wind Rises | Director/Writer |
