“Is someone different at age 18 or 60? I believe one stays the same.”

Born January 5th, 1941, Miyazaki is considered one of the greatest animators and directors in Japan. 

He began is career in 1963, where he was an animator at the Studio Toei Douga. Miyazaki was involved in many early classics of Japanese animation. Miyazaki has an incredible ability to draw, and proposed many movie ideas.

1971 saw him move to A Pro with other Japanese animator, Isao Takahata, then to Nippon Animation in 1973, where he got heavily involved in a Televised animation series for five years.

1978 saw Miyazaki direct his first televised animated series, Conan, the boy in future, then in 1979 moved to Tokyo Movie Shinsha where he directed his first feature-length animation, Lupin III: The Castle of Cagliostro.

In 1984, Miyazaki released the classic Nausicaa of the Valley of the Wind, which is based on the manga he had been producing for the last two years. The success that followed the film led to Miyazaki finding what is probably one of the most important and most loved animation companies in Japan, and somewhat the world- Studio Ghibli. Miyazaki has since directed, written and produced many other films with his partner, Takahata. 

Princess Mononoke was probably the first most successful, winning best film from Japan Academy and was the highest grossing film in Japan’s history, until Spirited Away. This was when Miyazaki and Studio Ghibli got real recognition. 

Spirited Away won the Oscar for best Animated Feature Film at the 75th Annual Academy Awards, 2001 and also a handful of other awards too. Since these two releases, Studio Ghibli has become partners with the Walt Disney company, which helps produce the films in Western countries, as well as dubbing them in English and a variety of different languages too to help now, and future generations to enjoy the magic that is Hayao Miyazaki’s work.