Hayao Miyazaki Contemporary Japanese director and animator Date of Birth: 05.01.1941 Country: Japan

1. Biography of Hayao Miyazaki
2. Early Years
3. Beginning of Career
4. Later Works
5. Further Career
6. Family
7. Awards and Recognition

Biography of Hayao Miyazaki

Hayao Miyazaki is a contemporary Japanese director and artist-animator. He was born into a family that owned an aviation factory, and from an early age, he was interested in drawing manga and animation. In 1964, he met Isao Takahata, with whom he later co-founded the animation studio Studio Ghibli. For a long time, they worked together on numerous artistic projects.

Early Years

Hayao Miyazaki was born in the Akebono-tē district of Bunkyō, one of the 23 special wards of Tokyo. He was the second of four brothers. His father, Katsuzi Miyazaki, was the director of Miyazaki Airplane, a factory that manufactured parts for A6M Zero aircraft. Thanks to his father's business, the Miyazaki family lived in prosperity. Hayao developed a love for flying devices from an early age, which would later significantly influence his creativity.

Beginning of Career

In April 1963, Hayao Miyazaki started working as an in-betweener at Toei Animation, and the first film he worked on in this position was Wan Wan Chuushingura. He also participated in the production of the first series by Toei titled Okami Shonen Ken. After working on the film Gulliver's Travels Beyond the Moon, the studio management noticed Miyazaki's talent in animation and started assigning him more responsible tasks. Miyazaki was eventually promoted to animator. During his time at Toei, Miyazaki met Isao Takahata, and they became friends. Together, they created a union of young animators, with Miyazaki serving as its chairman. The union aimed to improve the salary and social benefits for animators, which caused many problems for Miyazaki and Takahata.

Later Works

In 1971, Miyazaki left Toei and, together with Takahata and Yoichi Kotabe, they founded their own studio called A Pro. At this studio, Miyazaki and Takahata worked on the 23-episode anime Lupin the Third Part I. They also planned to create an animated film based on Astrid Lindgren's book "Pippi Longstocking," but the idea had to be abandoned due to the inability to obtain filming rights. From 1972 to 1973, Miyazaki created animation for two films in the "Panda and the Magic Serpent" series, directed by Takahata. After joining Zuiyo Eizo in June 1973, Miyazaki and Takahata participated in the World Masterpiece Theater series, working on anime such as Heidi, Girl of the Alps and Rascal the Raccoon.

Further Career

In 1984, Miyazaki directed the film "Nausicaä of the Valley of the Wind," which became one of his most significant works and solidified his reputation as an animator. This success led him to establish his own studio, Nibariki, in 1985. Miyazaki continued to create numerous acclaimed anime films, including "My Neighbor Totoro," "Princess Mononoke," "Spirited Away," and "Howl's Moving Castle." He received numerous awards and nominations for his work, including an honorary Oscar in 2014 for his significant influence on the world of animation.

Family

In October 1965, Miyazaki married his colleague Akemi Ota. They have two sons, Goro and Keisuke. Goro Miyazaki has also ventured into the animation industry as a director, working on films such as "Tales from Earthsea" and "From Up on Poppy Hill." Keisuke, on the other hand, is a woodcarver.

Awards and Recognition

Throughout his career, Hayao Miyazaki has received numerous awards and recognition for his contributions to animation. He has been honored with the Noburo Ofuji Award and the Mainichi Film Award multiple times. His film "Spirited Away" won the Academy Award for Best Animated Feature in 2003. In 2012, he was awarded the Person of Cultural Merit title by the Japanese government for his significant cultural contributions.