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Hayao Miyazaki

Hayao Miyazaki was born in 1941 in Tokyo. After graduating from the Gakushuin University in 1963 with a Political Science and Economics degree, he joined Toei Animation Company. As in the case of his mentor Isao Takahata, this was seen as an unusual choice of careers for someone with his academic credentials. Miyazaki became deeply interested in children's literature. He is also a superb draftsman.

As an animator, Miyazaki was involved in the creation of many TV series and feature films at Toei Animation and after he joined other studios; series included Panda! Go Panda! (1972). Miyazaki also directed a TV series The Future Boy Conan in 1978 and feature films such as The Castle of Cagliostro in 1979. In the early 1980s, Miyazaki spent time in Los Angeles and had the opportunity to participate in a lecture given by Frank Thomas and Ollie Johnston, two of Walt Disney Studios' famous core animators known as the Nine Old Men. One of his friends from those days was John Lasseter, currently the chief creative officer of Walt Disney and Pixar Animation Studios and the director of Toy Story, A Bug's Life, Toy Story 2 and Cars. During this period, Miyazaki started to write and illustrate a critically acclaimed epic, the serial graphic novel NausicaƤ of the Valley of the Wind.

Miyazaki co-founded Studio Ghibli in 1985 with Takahata, and has directed eight feature films since. His film Spirited Away has broken every box-office record in Japan, and garnered a very long list of awards and prizes, including the Golden Bear at the 2002 Berlin Film Festival and the Oscar for Best Animated Feature Film at the 2003 U.S. Academy Awards. His feature film Howl's Moving Castle, based on the book of the same name by British author Diana Wynne Jones, received the Osella award at the 2004 Venice Film Festival.

Miyazaki was awarded with the Golden Lion Lifetime Achievement Award at the 2005 Venice Film Festival.

He has also published several books of his poems, essays and drawings, and designed several highly praised and unique buildings, including the Ghibli Museum, Mitaka in Tokyo's Inokashira Park.


Note: This profile was written in or before 2009.
Read earlier biographies on this page.

Hayao Miyazaki Facts

OccupationDirector, Animator, Screenwriter
BirthdayJanuary 5, 1941 (83)
SignCapricorn
BirthplaceTokyo, Japan

Selected Filmography

Ponyo
Howl's Moving Castle
Miyazaki's Spirited Away
Princess Mononoke
Spirited Away
My Neighbor Totoro
NausicaƤ of the Valley of the Wind
Kiki's Delivery Service
Castle in the Sky
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