Happy Birthday Hayao Miyazaki!

It is the birthday of Hayao Miyazaki, a master storyteller and co-founder of Studio Ghibli, Miyazaki is still crafting traditional cel animation! He was chief animator and concept artist for Horus, Prince of the Sun (1968) directed by Isao Takahata. Miyazaki co-directed with Isao Takahata Lupin The Third Part I (1971-1972), the animated series based on Monkey Punch’s gentleman thief. Then, he directed the animated series Future Boy Conan (1978). In 1982, Miyazaki wrote and drew his sci fi ecological manga Nausicaä of the Valley of the Wind. He directed The Castle of Cagliostro (1979) which starred Lupin the Third. 

Also in 1982, he wrote and drew his sci fi ecological manga Nausicaä of the Valley of the Wind.  Then, directed the film of Nausicaä of the Valley of the Wind in 1984. He started his longtime collaboration with the music of Joe Hisaishi with that film. In 1985, he founded Studio Ghibili with Toshio Suzuki, Isao Takahata, and Yasuyoshi Tokuma. He then directed Castle in the Sky (1986) and then the classic My Neighbor Totoro (1988). The stage play of My Neighbor Totoro opened at the Barbican Theatre, London in 2022. Next, was Kiki's Delivery Service (1989) and then Porco Rosso (1992). Miyazaki wrote Starting Point (1979-1996) which is insightful in his creative processes. Highly recommended for anyone interested in animation and his work. 

In 1997, he wrote and directed Princess Mononoke, its English adaptation was written by Neil Gaiman. It won the Japan Academy Prize for Picture of the Year.  Miyazaki then worked on Spirited Away (2001) which won the Academy Award for Best Animated Feature. In 2022, Spirited Away: Live on Stage debuted at the Imperial Theatre in Tokyo. The filmed version appeared in theaters in 2023 and is now on Blu Ray. Also, in 2001, the Studio Ghibli Museum opened which featured many of the Studio Ghibli creations. Next, he wrote and directed Howl’s Moving Castle (2004) based on the Diana Wynne Jones fantasy novel. Miyazaki continued his writings on animation with Turning Point: 1997-2008. Following it, there was Ponyo (2008). 

In 2009, Miyazaki wrote the manga Kaze Tachinu based on the story of Jiro Horikoshi, designer of the Mitsubishi A6M Zero fighter. This was turned into the animated film The Wind Rises (2014).  Hayao Miyazaki was awarded the Person of Cultural Merit in 2012. He has worked on short films and displays for the Studio Ghibli Museum. There was a documentary on Studio Ghibli in 2013, The Kingdom of Dreams and Madness. A documentary, Never-Ending Man: Hayao Miyazaki was released in December 2018. He was given the Academy Honorary Award in 2014 for his work in animation and cinema. In 2022, Miyazaki's manga that he drew and wrote in 1983, was published as Shuna's Journey. In November 2022, Ghibli Park opened in Nagakute, Japan. How Do You Live? is the 1937 novel by Genzaburo Yoshino. It is seen in the latest Miyazaki film, The Boy and The Heron (2023). Happy Birthday Hayao Miyazaki!    

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