Miyazaki, Hayao 1941-

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MIYAZAKI, Hayao 1941-

PERSONAL: Born January 5, 1941, in Tokyo, Japan; son of Katsuji Miyazaki (an aeronautical engineer); married Akemi Ota (an animator), 1965; children: Keisuke, one other son. Education: Attended Gakushuin University.

ADDRESSES: Offıce—Studio Ghibli, 1-4-25 Kajinocho, Koganei-shi 184, Japan.

CAREER: Animator, director, and screenwriter. Animator of films, including Gariba no uchu ryokou (also known as Gulliver's Space Travels), 1965; Taiyo no ouji Horus no daibouken (also known as Little Norse Prince Valiant and Prince of the Sun: The Great Adventure of Horus), American International Pictures, 1968; Nagagutsu wo haita neko (also known as Puss in Boots), Toei Doga, 1969; Sora tobu yuureisen (also known as The Flying Ghost Ship), Toei Doga, 1969; Doubutsu takarajima (also known as Animal Treasure Island), Toei Doga, 1971; Panda kopanda (also known as Panda, Kid Panda), 1972; and (and art director) Panda kopanda: Amefuri sakasu no maki, 1973.

Director of films, including Rupan sansei: Kariosutoro no shiro (also known as Arsene Lupin and the Castle of Cagliostro, The Castle of Cagliostro, and Lupin III: Castle of Cagliostro), Streamline Pictures, 1979; Kaze no tani no Naushika (also known as Kaze no tani no Nausicaa, Nausicaa, Nausicaa of the Valley of the Wind, and Warriors of the Wind), Toei Kabushiki Kaisha, 1984; Meitantei Holmes (also known as Sherlock Hound, the Detective), 1984; (and editor) Tenku no shiro Rapyuta (also known as Castle in the Sky and Laputa: Castle in the Sky), Buena Vista, 1986; Tonari no Totoro (also known as My Neighbor Totoro), 50th Street Films, 1988; (and producer) Majo no takkyubin (also known as Kiki's Delivery Service), Buena Vista Home Video, 1989; (and editor) Kurenai no buta (also known as Crimson Pig), 1992; On Your Mark (music film), 1995; (and animator and editor) Mononoke Hime (also known as Princess Mononoke), Miramax/Dimension, 1997; Sen to Chihiro no kamikakushi (also known as The Spiriting Away of Sen and Chihiro), Buena Vista International, 2001.

Producer of films, including Yanagawa horiwari monogatari (documentary), 1987; and Mimi wo sumaseba (also known as If You Listen Closely and Whisper of the Heart), Toho Company, 1995. Executive producer of films, including Omohide poro poro (also known as Memories of Teardrops, Memories of Yesterday, and Only Yesterday), 1991; and Heisei tanuki gassen pompoko (also known as Pom Poko and The Raccoon War), 1994.

Worked on television series, including (as scene designer and layout artist) Arupusu no shoujo Haiji (also known as Heidi: Girl of the Alps), 1974; (as scene designer and layout artist) Haha wo tazunete sanzenri (also known as 3,000 Leagues in Search of Mother), 1976; and (as director) Mirai Shonen Conan (also known as Future Boy Conan), 1978; also worked on series Watchdog Bow Wow and Wolf Boy Ken. Director of television shorts Sora iro no tane and Nandaro, both 1992. Appeared in television special Masters of Fantasy: The Anime Filmmakers, Sci-Fi Channel, 1998. Photographer, Totoro no sumu le (also known as Houses Where Totoro Lives), Asahi Shinbunsha, 1991; creator of a serial for Animage, 1980; also creator of Appleseed and Ghost in the Shell.

AWARDS, HONORS: Golden Bear, Berlin Film Festival, best animated film award, New York Film Critics' Circle, and Cinekid Film Award, all 2002, Annie Awards for best feature film, best direction, and best writing, International Animated Film Association Hollywood, and Oscar for best animated film, Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences, both 2003, and best animated film awards, Los Angeles Film Critics Association and Broadcast Film Critics Association, all for Spirited Away.

WRITINGS:

screenplays

Gariba no uchu ryokou (also known as Gulliver's Space Travels), 1965.

Taiyo no ouji Horus no daibouken (also known as Little Norse Prince Valiant and Prince of the Sun: The Great Adventure of Horus), American International Pictures, 1968.

Panda kopanda (also known as Panda, Kid Panda), 1972.

Panda kopanda: Amefuri sakasu no maki, 1973.

Rupan sansei: Kariosutoro no shiro (also known as Arsene Lupin and the Castle of Cagliostro, The Castle of Cagliostro, and Lupin III: Castle of Cagliostro), Streamline Pictures, 1979.

Kaze no tani no Naushika (also known as Kaze no tani no Nausicaa, Nausicaa, Nausicaa of the Valley of the Wind, and Warriors of the Wind), Toei Kabushiki Kaisha, 1984.

Tenku no shiro Rapyuta (also known as Castle in the Sky and Laputa: Castle in the Sky), Buena Vista, 1986.

Tonari no Totoro (also known as My Neighbor Totoro), 50th Street Films, 1988.

Majo no takkyubin (also known as Kiki's Delivery Service), Buena Vista Home Video, 1989.

Kurenai no buta (also known as Crimson Pig), 1992.

On Your Mark (music film), 1995.

Mimi-wo sumaseba (also known as If You Listen Closely and Whisper of the Heart), Toho Company, 1995.

(And lyricist for songs including theme song and "Tatara Women's Song") Mononoke Hime (also known as Princess Mononoke; based on a story by Miyazaki), Miramax/Dimension, 1997.

Sen to Chihiro no kamikakushi (also known as The Spiriting away of Sen and Chihiro and Spirited Away), Buena Vista International, 2001.

graphic novels/manga

Sabaku no tami (also known as People of the Desert), 1969-70.

Imouto he (poem; also known as To My Sister), 1982.

Kaze no tani no Naushika (also known as Nausicaa of the Valley of the Wind), 1982-94.

Shuna no tabi (also known as The Journey of Shuna), 1983.

Tree, Tokuma Shoten, 1989.

Hikoutei jidai (also known as The Age of the Flying Boat), in Model Graphix, 1990.

Zassou nouto (also known as Daydream Data Notes), in Model Graphix, 1992.

A, Totoro no mori da! (also known as Look, It's Totoro's Forest), Tokuma Shoten, 1992.

(With Tokiko Kato) Toki ni ha mukashi no hanashi wo (also known as Once in a While, Talk of the Old Days), Tokuma Shoten, 1992.

Hansu no kikan (also known as The Return of Hans), in Model Graphix, 1994.

Kuuchuu de oshokuji (also known as Dining in the Air), 1994.

Shuppatsuten,1979-1996 (also known as Starting Point, 1979-1996), Tokuma Shoten, 1996.

Doromamire no tora (also known as Tigers Covered with Mud), 1998-99.

SIDELIGHTS: Hayao Miyazaki is one of the premiere creators of anime: Japanese animation films, comic books or "manga", and television series. Although Miyazaki's tales are told through animation, that does not mean that they are just for children: he "ponders timeless themes from Asian folklore and mythology, delves into the psyche of his characters, and occasionally inserts blood-spattered samurai scenes and realistic depictions of everyday life in medieval Japan," a contributor to Authors and Artists for Young Adults explained. Plus, not only does Miyazaki create and direct his films, he also draws many of the tens of thousands of frames that comprise them himself.

One of Miyazaki's first major films, Castle of Cagliostro, takes characters created by the well-known manga creator Monkey Punch in Lupin III and puts them into a feature film filled with action, adventure, and comedy. Lupin is a charismatic thief who is constantly getting into trouble with his friends Jigan, Geoman, and the beautiful Fujiko. The plot of Castle of Cagliostro revolves around Lupin and his friends solving a centuries-old, historical counterfeiting scheme. The ruthless count of Cagliostro is hoping to find the treasure hidden in the old family castle. He wants to marry the beautiful Clarisse, and by doing so find the treasure and continue the family counterfeiting business, but Lupin stumbles upon this plot by accident and manages to save Clarrise from the marriage and find the treasure—a perfectly preserved Roman village.

The title of Miyazaki's next film, Nausicaa, originates from the movie's heroine, the princess and eventual leader of a village that is protected from a nearby poisonous forest by the winds that continually blow through the valley. In this grim vision of the future, the earth's forests have become a noxious force slowly taking over the earth. Nausicaa must convince two warring nations and her own people that the only way to repair the earth is to let nature purify what past generations of humans have poisoned. Both nations want to cure the world of the blight, but each nation believes their way of violence and destruction is the only way to accomplish this. Nausicaa is able to avert the crisis by understanding and accepting her enemies, making them see the error of their ways without brute force.

My Neighbor Totoro is a "tender, slowly realized story of love, friendship and familial affection," wrote Nancy Churnin of Knight Ridder/Tribune News Service. Sisters Mei and Sastuki have just moved to a small country town with their father and nanny while their mother is sick in the hospital. The girls, scared of their new environment at first, soon learn to love life in the rural community with the help of the "forest king" (as named by their father), Totoro. The film comes to a dramatic climax when Mei, who is only four years old, attempts to visit her mother on her own. When the human neighbors can't find Mei, Satstuki turns to her other neighbor, Totoro, to find her sister. Totoro has become an iconic character for Miyazaki, and an outline of him is part of the logo for his Studio Ghibli.

Based on a popular children's book by Eiko Kadono, Kiki's Delivery Service follows a young witch about to embark on a journey of self-discovery. Viewers first meet Kiki as a slightly shallow and unsure girl who is still being cared for by her parents. Then Kiki sets out with her talking black cat, Jiji, to find a town and start a business based on the magic skills she has learned thus far in life. She finds a small but bustling town and stumbles upon a job delivering bread for a bakery. Her ability to fly on a broom makes her an ideal delivery girl, as the town is very hilly. But Kiki goes through many trials of self-doubt, which cause her to lose the ability to fly and to talk to Jiji. She puts all her self-doubt aside, however, when she sees her friend in trouble and she has to grab a broom to go rescue him.

Princess Mononoke was the first of Miyazaki's films to have a large theatrical release in the United States, and it also became the highest grossing film in Japan. Princess Mononoke is set in Irontown, a community built by Lady Eboshi with the help of women she rescued from brothels and lepers whom she saved from being outcasts. However, the forest gods, giant intelligent animals, are fighting back for their forest home. The wolf clan, with San, their adopted human daughter, has been staging attacks on Irontown. Caught in the middle is Ashitaka, a cursed outsider who believes that violence is not the way to solve the problem. The conflict between Irontown and the forest gods is intensified when Lady Eboshi goes after the head of the Forest Spirit. San and Ashitaka put aside their differences to return the head to the Forest Spirit before all is destroyed. Princess Mononoke is "a highly original tale" with "the soul of a romantic epic," Leonard Klady wrote in Variety.

Princess Mononoke was to be Miyazaki's last film, but Miyazaki changed his mind when he met the ten-yearold daughter of a friend. He decided that he wanted to make one more movie "for all the ten-year-olds. And for anyone whoever was or will be ten years old." The resulting movie, Spirited Away, is "a ravishing, wildly imaginative animated tale," Jane Horowitz wrote in the Buffalo News. Spirited Away puts its very normal ten-year-old heroine, Chihiro, into very abnormal situations. When Chihiro's parents wander into a strange place and are turned into pigs because of their gluttony, Chihiro must rescue them from the witch Yubaba, who runs a bathhouse for the gods. Chihiro is able to get a job in the bathhouse, and with the help of a mysterious young boy she gains back her name—the price Yubaba made her pay for the job. With the knowledge of her name and the help of friends she made along the way, Chihiro sets right what had been made wrong and is returned with her parents back to their world. Spirited Away received the Academy Award for best animated feature film in 2002, shattered box office records in Japan, and was widely praised by American critics. "The animation is gorgeous [and] the story is engrossing," declared critic George Meyer in the Sarasota Herald Tribune.

BIOGRAPHICAL AND CRITICAL SOURCES:

books

Authors and Artists for Young Adults, Volume 37, Gale (Detroit, MI), 2000.

Contemporary Theatre, Film, and Television, Volume 35, Gale (Detroit, MI), 2001.

McCarthy, Helen, Hayao Miyazaki Master of Japanese Animation: Films, Themes, Artistry, Stone Bridge Press (Berkeley, CA), 1999.

periodicals

Albuquerque Journal (Albuquerque, NM), October 22, 2002, Simon McCormack, review of Spirited Away, p. B1.

American Prospect, October 21, 2002, Noy Thrupkaew, review of Spirited Away, pp. 32-33.

Arizona Republic (Phoenix, AZ), October 4, 2002, Bill Muller, review of Spirited Away, p. P4.

Atlanta Journal-Constitution, October 4, 2002, Eleanor Ringel Gillespie, review of Spirited Away, p. P9.

Boston Herald, September 20, 2002, Paul Sherman, review of Spirited Away, p. 20.

Buffalo News (Buffalo, NY), November 28, 2002, Jane Horowitz, review of Spirited Away, p. C4; November 29, 2002, Toni Ruberto, review of Spirited Away, p. G5.

Business Week, July 8, 2002, profile of Miyazaki, p. 74.

Christian Century, October 9, 2002, Steve Vineberg, review of Spirited Away, p. 64.

Christian Science Monitor, August 9, 2002, Marjorie Coeyman, "A Japanese Animator with a Timeless Style," p. 20; September 20, 2002, David Sterritt, review of Spirited Away, p. 15.

Courier-Mail (Brisbane, Queensland, Australia), September 21, 2002, Des Partridge, review of Spirited Away, p. M14; December 12, 2002, Angela Dawson, profile of Miyazaki, p. 8.

Daily News (Los Angeles, CA), September 2, 1998, David Bloom, "Disney's Asian Secret," p. L3; September 20, 2002, Bob Strauss, review of Spirited Away, p. U15; February 4, 2003, "Japanese Film Wins Top Animation Honors," p. U10; April 15, 2003, Rob Lowman, review of Spirited Away, p. U3.

Daily Variety, April 12, 2002, Cathy Dukley, "Miyazaki Pic's Rights 'Spirited' by Disney," p. 39; September 23, 2002, Derek Elley, review of Spirited Away, pp. 8-9; October 23, 2002, Marlene Edmunds, "Spirited Away, Bird Tie for Kid Kudo," p. 6.

Dayton Daily News (Dayton, OH), November 15, 2002, Dave Larsen, review of Spirited Away, p. 10.

Denver Post, October 4, 2002, Roger Ebert, review of Spirited Away, p. F06.

Economist (U.S.), February 23, 2002, review of Spirited Away.

Entertainment Weekly, November 5, 1999, Ty Burr, review of Princess Mononoke, p. 50; September 27, 2002, Lisa Schwarzbaum, review of Spirited Away, p. 57; April 18, 2003, Steve Daly, review of Spirited Away, Castle in the Sky, and Kiki's Delivery Service, p. 53.

Film Comment, November, 1998, David Chute, "Organic Machine: The World of Hayao Miyazaki," p. 62.

Film Journal International, October, 2002, Ethan Alter, review of Spirited Away, pp. 79-80.

Financial Times, October 18, 2001, Nigel Andrews, review of Princess Mononoke, p. 20; February 25, 2002, Nigel Andrews, profile of Miyazaki, p. 16; February 23, 2002, David Pilling, "Japan's Cartoon Hero," p. 13.

Fresno Bee (Fresno, CA), December 11, 1999, Donald Munro, review of Princess Mononoke, p. E8; August 31, 2000, Donald Munro and Rick Bentley, review of Princess Mononoke, p. E1.

Houston Chronicle, November 4, 1999, Terry Lawson, "Animator's Creations Stand on Brink of U.S. Breakout," p. 1.

Independent (London, England), October 12, 2001, profile of Miyazaki, p. 11; October 19, 2001, Anthony Quinn, review of Princess Mononoke, p. 10.

International Herald Tribune, September 12, 1997, review of Princess Mononoke, p. 24; August 10, 2001, Donald Ritchie, review of Spirited Away, p. 8.

Japan Quarterly, January-March, 1997, Mark Schilling, "Miyazaki Hayao and Studio Ghibli, the Animation Hit Factory," pp. 30-38.

Journal News (Westchester, NY), September 12, 2002, interview with Miyazaki, p. 6G; September 19, 2002, Marshall Fine, review of Spirited Away, p. 9G.

Knight Ridder/Tribune News Service, December 25, 2000, Nancy Churnin, review of Princess Mononoke, p. K491; October 12, 2001, Jay Boyar, review of Kiki's Delivery Service, p. K7147; September 20, 2002, Randy Myers, review of Spirited Away, p. K5288, Steven Rea, review of Spirited Away, p. K5320, Chris Hewitt, review of Spirited Away, p. K6079; October 4, 2002, Terry Lawson, review of Spirited Away, p. K6046; January 21, 2003, Nancy Churnin, review of My Neighbor Totoro, p. K5695.

Look Japan, December, 2001, review of Ghibli Museum, p. 5.

Los Angeles Times, July 24, 1996, Sonni Efron, "Disney Dives into Japanese Film Business," p. 4; September 17, 1998, Lynne Heffley, review of Kiki's Delivery Service, p. 6; September 26, 1999, Charles Solomon, "Japan's Studio Ghibli Lets Its Artists Go beyond Traditional Limits, and the Wisdom of That Shows at a UCLA Retrospective"; September 8, 2002, Charles Solomon, "Entering Strange Realms: Hayao Miyazaki's Style Is a Hit in Japan and mong Animators. Will U.S. Audiences Finally Catch On?" p. F16; September 20, 2002, Kenneth Turan, review of Spirited Away, p. F1; February 3, 2003, Patricia Ward Beiderman, "Spirited Away Big Winner at Animation Awards," p. E2; March 24, 2003, Charles Solomon, "The 75th Annual Academy Awards: A 'Spirited' Victory for Anime," p. E8; April 17, 2003, Susan King, review of Spirited Away, Kiki's Delivery Service, and Castle in the Sky, p. E25.

New York, October 7, 2002, Peter Rainer, review of Spirited Away, p. 52.

New York Post, September 20, 2002, review of Spirited Away, p. 44.

New York Times, August 18, 1989, Caryn James, review of Laputa: Castle in the Sky, pp. B3, C18; July 3, 1992, Janet Maslin, review of The Castle of Cagliostro, p. C10; July 4, 1992, Janet Maslin, review of The Castle of Cagliostro, p. 13; May 14, 1992, Stephen Holden, review of My Neighbor Totoro, p. C14; July 24, 1996, Andrew Pollack, "Disney in Alliance for Films of Top Animator in Japan," pp. C3, D1; September 12, 1999, Ken Tucker, review of Princess Mononoke, p. AR46; October 21, 1999, Rick Lyman, interview with Miyazaki, pp. B1, E1; August 25, 2000, review of Princess Mononoke, pp. B24, E26; September 20, 2002, Dave Kehr, review of Spirited Away, p. E6, Elvis Mitchell, review of Spirited Away, p. E11; September 27, 2002, Peter M. Nichosl, review of Spirited Away, p. E5; December 29, 2002, Dave Kehr, review of Spirited Away, p. 28; January 3, 2002, James Brook, profile of Miyazaki, p. A4.

Palm Beach Post (West Palm Beach, FL), October 25, 2002, Hap Erstein, review of Spirited Away, p. 16; March 28, 2003, Hap Erstein, review of Spirited Away, p. 19.

People, November 8, 1999, Tom Gliatto, review of Princess Mononoke, p. 41.

Plain Dealer (Cleveland, OH), October 13, 2002, John Petkovic, review of Spirited Away, p. J2; October 18, 2002, Joanna Connors, review of Spirited Away, p. 44.

Premiere, October, 2000, Christopher Kelly, review of Princess Mononoke, p. 90.

Record (Bergen County, NJ), October 6, 1998, J. D. Considine, profile of Miyazaki, p. Y2; October 9, 1998, review of Kiki's Delivery Service, p. 34; September 20, 2002, Roger Ebert, review of Spirited Away, p. 3; February 5, 2003, "Spirited Away Earns Top Animation-Industry Awards," p. F08; April 18, 2003, review of Spirited Away, Castle in the Sky, and Kiki's Delivery Service, p. 45.

San Francisco Chronicle, September 20, 2002, C. W. Nevius, review of Spirited Away, p. D5; September 22, 2002, Peter Hartlaub, "Pixar Executive Aids Japan's Top Filmmaker," p. 35.

Sarasota Herald Tribune, November 29, 2002, George Meyer, review of Spirited Away, p. 28; March 28, 2003, George Meyer, review of Spirited Away, p. 23.

Scotsman (Edinburgh, Scotland), January 5, 2002, Julian Ryall, "Japan's Fairytales Beat Hollywood Titans," p. 10.

Seattle Post-Intelligencer, September 20, 2002, William Arnold, review of Spirited Away, p. 26.

Seattle Times, May 23, 1998, review of Kiki's Delivery Service, p. D3; September 3, 1998, "Disney Will Distribute Animated Japanese Movie," p. D6; August 31, 2000, review of Princess Mononoke, p. E3; September 21, 2002, Randy Myers, review of Spirited Away, p. E8.

Star Tribune (Minneapolis, MN), August 10, 2001, Colin Covert, review of Princess Mononoke, p. 40; September 22, 2002, Jeff Strickler, "'Spirited' Japanese Director Fears Anime Has Lost Its Edge," p. 12F.

Sunday Times (London, England), October 21, 2001, Cosmo Landesman, review of Princess Mononoke, p. 10.

Time, September 30, 2002, Richard Corliss, review of Spirited Away, p. 88.

Time International, October 22, 2001, profile of Miyazaki, p. 54; October 7, 2002, Richard Corliss, review of Spirited Away, p. 78.

U.S. News & World Report, October 25, 1999, Holly J. Morris, review of Princess Mononoke, p. 70.

Variety, February 2, 1998, Leonard Klady, review of Princess Mononoke, p. 28; November 1, 1999, review of Princess Mononoke, p. 88; February 25, 2002, Derek Elley, review of Spirited Away, pp. 72-73.

Wall Street Journal, September 20, 2002, Joe Morgenstern, review of Spirited Away, p. W1.

Whole Earth, winter, 2000, review of Nausicaa of the Valley of Wind, p. 63.