Ghibli Museum

Ghibli Museum (Mitaka no Mori Jiburi Bijutsukan, Mitaka Forest Ghibli Museum) is a commercial museum featuring the Japanese anime work of Studio Ghibli. Located in Inokashira Park in Mitaka, a western suburb of Tokyo, Japan, it opened in 2001.The museum is a fine arts museum, but does not take the concept of a usual fine arts museum. With many features that are child-oriented and a sprawling and occasionally mazelike interior, the museum is a playfully created place. Centered around the motto appearing on the museum's website "Let's become lost children together" (Maigo ni narō yo, isshoni?), or 'let's lose our way together' as it is translated in the English leaflet. It has no set path or order of viewing. It seems to be primarily a Japanese tourist location, as though the museum brochure contains a variety of languages, the signs within the museum are in Japanese only.

Source:

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Ghibli_Museum

A Guide to Buying Tickets and Getting There

Get on the Nekobasu!

Buying Tickets

Since the Ghibli Museum is extremely popular with Japan residents and foreigners alike, a reservation voucher must be purchased in advance. The admission fees are listed here. You can actually buy your voucher from outside Japan, see this page for info. Within Japan, you can buy it using one of the following ways as listed on this page: (1) via the Japan Travel Bureau (JTB); (2) via Lawson convenience store's Loppi stations; and (3) via LawsonTicket.com telephone and online service.

Buying Tickets Outside Japan

Getting There

From Tokyo, Kanda or Shinjuku stations, take the JR Chuo Line to Mitaka, it's approximately 20 minutes away if you take the train from Shinjuku in Tokyo. Take the South Exit and walk along the Tamagawa Josui "Waterworks" to the museum (see map here) or make like a Totoro and take the Cat Bus (or the "Nekobasu"). The fare is 200 yen for a one-way trip and 300 yen for round-trip; half-price for children under 12 years old. Please take note that the museum does not have a parking lot.

The Museum: Outside

The first thing you'll notice when you get to the museum is that it doesn't look like any museum (or building, for that matter) that you've ever been to. There's also a sculpture garden on the rooftop featuring one of the major attractions, a gigantic cast-iron Laputa Robot Soldier.

The unusual structure was designed by Hayao Miyazaki himself and, as we saw in the official commemorative Ghibli Museum DVD (subtitled in English) we bought, the building's design was inspired by the quaint cliff-top village of Calcata, Italy where walkways are narrow and maze-like and houses don't have definite form but instead follow the natural structure of the cliff they're perched upon.

Before you enter, you have to exchange your voucher with the actual ticket - a film strip featuring three frames from a Studio Ghibli film. Cool, huh? The ticket will give you one-time access to the Saturn Theatre where you can view a museum-exclusive short film. (They have three 15-minute screenings per schedule, only one of which you can watch during the two-hour tour. My husband Arnold and I got to see a My Neighbor Totoro sequel called "Mei and the Kitten Bus" that's just as adorable and whimsical as the original.)

The Museum: Inside

The interior of the museum is as playful and unusual as the outside and once you step in, you'll want to begin identifying scenes from Ghibli films in the intricate stained glass windows and wall and ceiling murals. It's designed in such a way that there is no definite path to follow and the thrill is in losing your way around it. In fact, it's like entering Totoro's world.

The building features two floors connected through staircases as well as a metallic spiral staircase and an old-fashioned elevator. Images and tiny details from our favorite Studio Ghibli movies are scattered everywhere - on the walls, floors and ceiling, on banisters, even on the faucet knobs in the bathroom - so be careful not to miss them.

On the first floor are interactive exhibits detailing the animation process. One amazing display, the "Bouncing Totoro Zoetrope", shows how images are animated using strobe lights. This video presentation by renowned interactive media artist Toshio Iwai shows a bit of it (from minutes 1:10 to 1:30). Other stations consist of layered cell diorama studies and 3D prototypes of characters in sequential motion. The Saturn Theatre is also on this floor.

On the second floor are rooms patterned after what their art and design studios must be like: shelves upon shelves with photo albums of reference materials and art books, walls tacked with actual storyboards and real background art, bottles and bottles of paint of every Pantone color imaginable, couches, desks with ashtrays brimming with cigarette butts, etc etc etc.

The third floor houses the featured exhibit for the year, and for 2006, they're showcasing the works of Aardman Animations, particularly their work on Wallace and Gromit. Storyboards, sketches, animation studies and actual clay models and plaster molds for "A Grand Day Out", "A Close Shave", "The Wrong Trousers", and "The Curse of the Were-Rabbit" were on display. There's also a "Cat Bus Room" where kids ages 5 and below can play, and a children's reading room. "Mamma Aiuto", the museum gift shop, is also on this level.

Photography inside the museum is not allowed so here's a link to a photoessay of the museum's opening party in 2001. It has a few shots of the interiors.

Ghibli Museum Special

After The Tour

You're allotted two hours to tour the museum afterwhich the next batch of tourists will be let in. You can stay and take photos outside or on the rooftop or relax at the bright-yellow-and-red Straw Hat Cafe - a reference to "My Neighbor Totoro"'s lead character Mei-chan's headgear of choice - where they serve home-style cold and hot meals, snacks and desserts.Touring this museum is a fantastic opportunity any Studio Ghibli fan won't want to miss. For my husband Arnold and me, it's probably the closest we'll ever get to meeting the genius Hayao Miyazaki so it's an experience we'll definitely cherish forever.

Source:
http://www.squidoo.com/ghiblimuseum

Pictures:

http://www.tautoz.com/ghiblimuseum/

Topcraft : 2002-2006

2002-2006

In 2002 Studio Ghibli released NEKO NO OGANESHI, a smaller considered film as visual impact, since it has been made with a limited budget and subcontracted in a large part to the Korean DR-Movie. The direction was submitted to Hiroyuki Morita. And also for Toshio Suzuki's studio was the moment to bring on the screen a novel of the western literature. In fact HOWL NO UGOKU SHIRO is a free adaptation of the well-known book of Diana W. Jones. This was one of the best efforts made by Ghibli's staff. A masterpiece, a landmark of the animation history. A perfect screenplay by Hayao Miyazaki, a wonderful background styling by Yoji Takeshige, and a great and fluid animation by Kitaro Kosaka, Takeshi Inamura, and Akihiko Yamashita (storyboard artist and key frame supervisor on the amazing GIANT ROBOT OVA series). And we don't have to forget that a slice of the success also goes to the music performed by New Japan Philharmonic Orchestra and to composer Joe Hisaishi, who is one of the many irreplaceable collaborators of Miyazaki. It almost immediately became Japan's highest box-office ever. The main staff includes great names such as Shinji Otsuka, Makiko Futaki, Masako Shinohara and Kenichi Yamada (inbetween animator until 1996). Several studios supported the production, Madhouse, Oh! Production and Doga Kobo among others. Despite the trend of subcontracting, the animation process was fully made in Japan, with no support of Korean facilities.

As for the preceding film Toshio Suzuki got the rights of a book of a non-Japanese author, since the Japanese appreciate for a long time the animate transpositions of works coming from the western literature (remember the Nippon Animation's World Masterpiece Theatre?). With great surprise the direction of GEDO SENKI (TALES OF EARTHSEA) is submitted, and not certain to want of Miyazaki, to his son Goro to its debut in the animation. In despite of negative critics from rewievers this long-length feature was in the top ten for many days. The staff of key animators including veteran such as Megumi Kagawa, Yoshiyuki Momose and Hideaki Yoshio (Ghibli's member since 1995). For the first time even korean animators such as Kim Dong Jun and Jang Gil Yong, did some key frames. A staff of some 40 artists took care of background painting, also including personal of DR-Movie (today one of the most rated studios in Seoul). Toshiharu Mizutani, Hiromasa Ogura, Kazuo Oga, Park Jong Im, Ko Hyo Soon, are among the most famous. Main production facilities were Oh! Production, Gonzo and Gainax.

In these years, Ghibli is become effigy of quality, an undisputed institution amongst worldwide animation companies. It brought to success disparate genres. Today, its partnership with USA, started with the foundation of Topcraft Studio, is real reinforced. The sole interrogative remains: who will be the successors of Miyazaki and Takahata?

Source:

http://xoomer.alice.it/fedgrame/part8_a.htm

Topcraft : 1972-1976

From Original to 1976

Topcraft was established in February 1972 in Koenji (Tokyo) by several ex-members of Toei. Their President, Toru Hara, had already worked on the planning of Toei's TAIYO NO OJI HOLS NO DAIBOKEN directed by colleague and friend Isao Takahata: this film, thanks to innovative layout of a young Hayao Miyazaki, has now considered as the true beginning of Japanese animation (which collected only pale attempts by western schools).

After a few episodes of MAZINGER Z (sole collaboration with Toei Doga), Topcraft was called by Rankin/Bass Production (an American company well-known for stop-motion technique charged by ABC to produce a TV cell-animated-series) in order to made a pilot film named KID POWER. The definitive series counted 15 episodes, which were mainly designed by Akio Hosotani, Minoru Kibata and Katsumi Onishi. Each episode were supervised by Tsuguyuki Kubo, known to the American audience since he did opening sequence on Tatsunoko's SPEED RACER. A few some episodes were directed by rookie Katsuhisa Yamada. Despite of his young age, he was highly regarded as a strong creative force. In 1972, Topcraft made another three TV-special for Rankin/Bass: 20.000 LEAGUES UNDER THE SEA, TOM SAWYER and WILLIE MAYS AND HEY-SAY KID. Later, along with failure of Tezuka's Mushi Prouctions and Toei's momentary standstill in overseas works, Topcraft became the only production source of Rankin/Bass. Unfortunately, during 1973 and 1974, no screenplay arrived from U.S. Topcraft, which couldn't be inactive, worked on several Eiken's TV-series (check database for details). Topcraft was also very helpful in realizing some episodes of KAGAKU NINJATAI GACHTAMAN under Tatsunoko's commission. There was also a pilot film for an unaired sequel of 20.000 LEAGUES UNDER THE SEA.

Finally, in december 1974 was produced a TV special entitled TWAS' THE NIGHT BEFORE CHRISTMAS. Jerome Coopersmith did screenplay (even if it was accredited to Romeo Muller by Japanese fonts, I prefer to use official info by Rich Goldschmidt). During 1975 Topcraft made a short-lenght tv-special written by Julian P.Gardner entitled THE FIRST EASTER RABBIT. It was premiered by NBC. In 1975 was also assumed an ex-employee of bankrupted Zuiyo named Kiyoshi Sakai, who started as production assistant and then became studio's manager. Frosty, a nice snowman originally created by cartoonist Paul Coker Jr and redesigned for animation by Tsuguyuki kubo, was the main character of next TV special, titled WINTER WONDERLAND. It was animated by Hidemi Kubo, Yoshiko Sasaki and Tadakatsu Yoshida. Frosty appeared for the first time in a tv-special dated 1969, which was made in Japan (precisely by Mushi). Hidemi Kubo also did the continuity design and layouts for two of the most popular Tatsunoko's TV series, such as TIME BOKAN and PAUL NO MIRACLE DAISAKUSEN. A young man named Kazuyuki Kobayashi, took care of the continuity design on these three TV specials. He become animation supervisor after only two years (usually it need at least five years in order to fullfill such a practice).

Source:

http://xoomer.alice.it/fedgrame/part1_a.htm

Related Works : Contributive Works

Studio Ghibli has made contributions to the following anime series and movies.

Contributive Works

• Memories (1995) (cooperation in photography on Cannon Fodder sequence)
• IGPX (2005) (inbetween animation)
• Le Chevalier D'Eon (2006) (digital paint, inbetween animation)
• Neon Genesis Evangelion (1995) (animation)
• The Prince of Tennis (2001) (inbetween animation on the movie, Two Samurais, The First Game)
• Cardcaptor Sakura (1997) (special effects for both movies)

Source:
http://en.wikipedia.org/

Related Works : Distributive Works

These Western animated films have been distributed by Studio Ghibli, and now through their label, Ghibli Museum Library.

Distributive Works

• Snezhnaya koroleva (1957) (a Russian film by Lev Amatanov)
• Le Roi et l'oiseau (1980) (a French film by Paul Grimault)
• Kirikou et la sorcire (1998) (a French/Belgian film by Michel Ocelot)
• Princes et princesses (1999) (a French film by Michel Ocelot)
• Les Triplettes de Belleville (2002) (a French film by Sylvain Chomet)
• Azur et Asmar (2006) (Michel Ocelot)
• Moya Iyubov (2006) (a Russian film by Aleksandr Petrov)
• Panda kopanda (1972-1973) (two short films directed by Isao Takahata and written by Hayao Miyazaki)

In addition, Takahata, working with staff from the studio, contributed a segment to the 2004 experimental animation anthology Winter Days (Fuyu no Hi).

Source:
http://en.wikipedia.org/

Related Works : Cooperative Works

These works were not created by Studio Ghibli, but were produced by members of Topcraft that went on to create Studio Ghibli in 1985; produced by Toei Animation, Nippon Animation or other studios and featuring involvement by Hayao Miyazaki, Isao Takahata, or other Ghibli staffers; or created in cooperation with Studio Ghibli.

Cooperative Works

• The Story of Yanagawa's Canals (1987) (a documentary by Isao Takahata)
• Ozanari Dungeon (1991) (an OVA series for which Studio Ghibli did some animation work)
• Kirikou et la sorcire (1998) (a Michel Ocelot film adapted into Japanese by Isao Takahata and distributed by Studio Ghibli)
• Shiki-Jitsu (2000) (directed by Hideaki Anno and produced by Studio Kajino)
• Ghost in the Shell 2: Innocence (2004) (a film by Production I.G, co-produced by Studio Ghibli)
• The Overcoat (2008) (a film by Yuri Norstein, still in production, possibly being funded by Studio Ghibli president Toshio Suzuki)

Source:
http://en.wikipedia.org/

Related Works : Pre-Ghibli

These works were not created by Studio Ghibli, but were produced by members of Topcraft that went on to create Studio Ghibli in 1985; produced by Toei Animation, Nippon Animation or other studios and featuring involvement by Hayao Miyazaki, Isao Takahata, or other Ghibli staffers; or created in cooperation with Studio Ghibli.

Pre-Ghibli

• Sally, the Witch ( Mahtsukai Sar) (1966) (by Toei Animation; Hayao Miyazaki was a key animator on this series, based on a manga by Mitsuteru Yokoyama.)
• Hols: Prince of the Sun ( Taiy no ji: Horusu no Daibken) (1968) (Takahata's directorial debut; Hayao Miyazaki was chief animator, concept artist, and scene designer)
• The Secrets of Akko-chan ( Himitsu no Akko-chan) (1969) (by Toei Animation, directed by Hiroshi Ikeda; Miyazaki was a key animator)
• Puss'n Boots ( Nagagutsu wo Haita Neko) (1969) (Directed by Kimio Yabuki for Toei, written by Hisashi Inoue with gag supervision by Nakahara Yumihiko, key animators include Yasuo Otsuka, Yoichi Kotabe, Reiko Okuyama, Takuo Kikuchi, Akemi Ota, Hayao Miyazaki, and Akira Daikubara)
• Animal Treasure Island (1971) (Directed by Hiroshi Ikeda for Toei with idea construction by Hayao Miyazaki; Hayao Miyazaki was also scene designer and chief animator)
• Panda! Go Panda! ( Panda Kopanda) (1972) (Directed by Isao Takahata and written by Hayao Miyazaki)
• 20,000 Leagues under the Sea (1972) (by Topcraft for Rankin-Bass)
• Kid Power (1972-1973) (by Topcraft for Rankin-Bass) shown on American Broadcasting Company Saturday mornings with 17 episodes.
• Heidi, Girl of the Alps ( Arupusu no Shoujo Haiji) (1974, by Zuiyo Eizo, which later became Nippon Animation; directed by Isao Takahata)
• From the Apennines to the Andes (Haha wo Tazunete Sanzenri, From the Apennines to the Andes) (1976, by Nippon Animation; directed by Isao Takahata; Scene setting, Layout: Hayao Miyazaki)
• The Hobbit (1977) (by Topcraft for Rankin-Bass; won the Peabody Award; artists include: Hidetoshi Kaneko, Kazuko Ito and Minoru Nishida;)
• Future Boy Conan ( Mirai Shnen Konan) (1978) (by Nippon Animation; directed by Hayao Miyazaki, with one episode directed by Isao Takahata, and featured animation work by many future Ghibli staffers)
• Anne of Green Gables ( Akage no An) (1979) (by Nippon Animation; directed by Isao Takahata)
• Lupin III: Castle of Cagliostro ( Rupan Sansei: Kariosutoro no Shiro) (1979)
• The Return of the King (1980) (by Topcraft for Rankin-Bass; done by basically the same team that did The Hobbit, with the addition of Tadakatsu Yoshida)
• The Last Unicorn (1982) (by Topcraft for Rankin-Bass)
• The Flight of Dragons (1982) (by Topcraft for Rankin-Bass)
• Gorsch the Cellist ( Sero Hiki no Goushu) (1982, by OH Production, directed by Isao Takahata)
• Adventures of the Little Koala (, Koala Boy Kokki) (1984, by Topcraft for Tohoku Shinsha)
• Nausica of the Valley of the Wind ( Kaze no tani no Naushika) (1984, Topcraft)
• ThunderCats (1985) (an animated series created by Topcraft for Rankin-Bass)

Source:

http://en.wikipedia.org/

Other Works

Other Works

The works listed here consist works that don't fall into any categories. Many of these films have been released on DVD in Japan.

Sekai Waga Kokoro no Tabi (1998) (documentary following Isao Takahata to Canada to meet Frédéric Back)
Sekai Waga Kokoro no Tabi (1999) (documentary travelling with Hayao Miyazaki as he follows the footsteps of Antoine de Saint-Exupéry)
Thank You, Mr. Lasseter (Lasseter-san, Arigatou, Thank You, Mr. Lasseter?) (2003) (thank you video created for John Lasseter)
Miyazaki Hayao Produce no Ichimai no CD ha Koushite Umareta (2003) (A film about Tsunehiko Kamijo's Okaasa no Shashin CD)
Otsuka Yasuo no Ugokasu Yorokobi (2004) (A documentary about animator Yasuo Otsuka)
Miyazaki Hayao to Ghibli Bijyutsukan (2005) (A film featuring Goro Miyazaki and Isao Takahata touring the Ghibli Museum)

Source:
http://en.wikipedia.org/

Commercials

Commercials

• "Sora Iro no Tane" (The Sky-Colored Seed) (1992) (TV spot for Nippon TV))
• "Nandarou" (1992) (TV commercial for NHK)
• "Hotaru No Haku" (1996) (Kinyou Roadshow houeikokuchi spot)
• "Kinyou Roadshow" (1996) (Announcement spot for Kinyou Roadshow opening)
• "Umacha" (2001) (TV commercials)
• "Shop-One" (Online Shopping Mall Announcement Spot)
• "House Shokuhin" (House Shokuhin Campaign Commercial)
• "O-uchi de Tabeyou" (House Shokuhin Series Commercial, Summer Version)
• "O-uchi de Tabeyou" (House Shokuhin Series Commercial, Winter Version)
• "Hajimaru yo, Erai Koccha-hen" (KNB YumeDigi PR Spot)
• "Kawaraban-hen" (Corporate commercial for Yomiuri Shinbubsha)
• "Dore Dore Hikkoushi-hen" (Corporate commercial for Yomiuri Shinbubsha)
• "Risona Ginkou" (Corporate commercial)

Source:
http://en.wikipedia.org/

Music Videos

Music videos (Theatrical and TV)

• On Your Mark (1995) (a music video created for Chage & Aska)
• Portable Airport (2004) (a music video created by Studio Kajino for Capsule directed by Yoshiyuki Momose)
• Space Station No. 9 (2004) (a music video created by Studio Kajino for Capsule directed by Yoshiyuki Momose)
• A Flying City Plan (, Soratobu Toshikeikaku?) (2005) (a music video created by Studio Kajino for Capsule directed by Yoshiyuki Momose)
• Doredore no Uta (a promotional music clip for Meiko Haigou)

Source:
http://en.wikipedia.org/

Short Films

Short films
(TV, Ghibli Museum, and OVA)

• Ghiblies (2000) (TV short film)
• Imaginary Flying Machines (Kuso no Sora Tobu Kikaitachi) (2002) (Shown at the Ghibli Museum)
• The Invention of Destruction in the Imaginary Machines (Kuso no Kikaitachi no Naka no Hakai no Hatsumei) (2002) (Shown at the Ghibli Museum)
• Koro's Big Day Out (Koro no Daisanpo) (2003) (Shown at the Ghibli Museum)
• The Whale Hunt (Kujiratori) (2003)
• Mei and the Kittenbus (Mei to Konekobasu) (2003)
• Looking for a Home (Yadosagashi) (2005) (Shown at the Ghibli Museum)
• The Day I Harvested a Planet (Hoshi wo Katta Hi) (2005) (Shown at the Ghibli Museum)
• Water Spider Monmon (Mizugumo Monmon) (2005) (Shown at the Ghibli Museum)
• The Night of Taneyamagahara (Taneyamagahara no Yoru) (2006)
• Iblard Jikan (Ibarado Time) (2007)

Source:
http://en.wikipedia.org/

Films

Films
(Theatrical & TV, excluding Ghibli Museum releases)

Film	Original release date	Director
Nausicaä of the Valley of the Wind (released before the formation of Studio Ghibli)	March 4, 1984	Hayao Miyazaki
Laputa: Castle in the Sky	August 2, 1986	Hayao Miyazaki
Grave of the Fireflies (shown alongside My Neighbor Totoro)	April 16, 1988	Isao Takahata
My Neighbor Totoro (shown alongside Grave of the Fireflies)	April 16, 1988	Hayao Miyazaki
Kiki's Delivery Service	July 29, 1989	Hayao Miyazaki
Only Yesterday	July 20, 1991	Isao Takahata
Porco Rosso	July 18, 1992	Hayao Miyazaki
Ocean Waves	May 5, 1993	Tomomi Mochizuki
Pom Poko	July 16, 1994	Isao Takahata
Whisper of the Heart	July 15, 1995	Yoshifumi Kondo
Princess Mononoke	July 12, 1997	Hayao Miyazaki
My Neighbors the Yamadas	July 17, 1999	Isao Takahata
Ritual (live-action film produced by Studio Ghibli's live-action offshoot, Studio Kajino)	December 7, 2000	Hideaki Anno
Spirited Away	July 27, 2001	Hayao Miyazaki
Ghiblies Episode 2 (shown alongside The Cat Returns)	July 20, 2002	Yoshiyuki Momose
The Cat Returns (shown alongside Ghiblies Episode 2)	July 20, 2002	Hiroyuki Morita
Ghost in the Shell 2: Innocence (co-production between Studio Ghibli and Production I.G)	March 6, 2004	Mamoru Oshii
Howl's Moving Castle	November 20, 2004	Hayao Miyazaki
Tales from Earthsea	July 29, 2006	Gorō Miyazaki
Ponyo on the Cliff by the Sea	July 19, 2008	Hayao Miyazaki
Unnamed Isao Takahata Film	2009 or 2010	Isao Takahata
Unnamed Gorō Miyazaki film	TBA	Gorō Miyazaki

Source:
http://en.wikipedia.org/

Isao Takahata Interview

A PERSONAL CONVERSATION* WITH STUDIO GHIBLI DIRECTOR ISAO TAKAHATA

Last February a special visit was made to the Anima 2006 in Brussels, Belgium. Of course this could have been to watch the beautiful animation movies they were showing of for example Youri Norstein, the Russian animation director who Hayao Miyazaki greatly admires. Or perhaps to see the short animated features which took part at the Palmares International Competition. However, this time the visit had a better reason. The 25th edition of the Anima had a special guest this year: master animation director and co-founder of Studio Ghibli Isao Takahata. As guest of honour a retrospective of his movies took place, most of them never released in Belgium or even Europe, as well as a 2-hour conference by Takahata-san about Japanese animation. In addition I had the chance to meet the director in person himself and ask him my questions during a personal interview at the 5* Metropole Hotel.

One of the unique things about your movies is the fact that they are all completely different. Not only story wise, but most notably stylistically. You have once said that you originally planned Hotaru No Haka (Grave of the Fireflies) to look really different but had to go for a more regular look because of the time limit of the production. Can you tell me something about your original ideas for the film and how would it have looked like?

“Well, that is not completely true. I originally wanted to research it more thoroughly, but around that time it was to be released March next year so unfortunately there was little time. So yes, I did wanted to do more research to look for more ideas for the film, but style wise I wasn’t planning to make it look completely different. Even though I couldn’t explore my directions completely, I am still very glad with result and I thank Hayao Miyazaki for this! During the pre-production stage of the film he was the one who advised me to make it, because this would probably be my only chance and otherwise it would have never been made.”

(note: again Takahata shows his gratitude towards Miyazaki in relation to the making of Grave of the Fireflies, something he has done in other interviews as well)

Linking back to the first question, about your films all having different styles, is there a particular reason for this?

“Well, I do not fit in this logic of where I should change collaborators each time. I don’t know if this is normal in Japan, but animators do not let them be pushed into a corner of having only one clean animation style. They‘d rather have the capacity to adapt, like for example manga, which must have a graphic personality.

Except for the uniqueness of your films being all completely different style wise, they also one particular similarity. You could say that you have a preoccupation with realism with a oeuvre of films that all flirt with documentary.

“I am unaware of my films being perceived like that in Europe, but there is indeed a documentary part in them. For My Neighbors the Yamadas, which was inspired by a manga, the heart is described in such a manner that one can see a documentary aspect there. I want to avoid inserting something completely unreal in the middle of a scene. This is a process which I refuse.”

Sometimes this preoccupation with realism leads to propose harder scenes or images…

“It is my intention to build a film with the aim of causing some particular emotion”, corrects Takahata. “I absolutely do not want to manipulate the reaction of the viewer. But the choice of using hard images is necessary: like it was necessary for Grave of the Fireflies to tell the story about how life was in a bombarded city.”

Could you say that Grave of the Fireflies has an anti-war message?

“I can understand people think it has, but I did not deliberately put an anti-war message in it.”

Some current manga seem to portray the opposite and justify Japans part in World War II in terms of not having had a choice. What do you think about that?

“I am not aware of this as I don’t read many manga, but if there would be such a trend in current Japanese manga I am fiercely against this. Also I completely disagree with that Japanese people that claim that Japan had no other option than to go to war. It was no reaction to something that happened, but Japan’s own choice to attack the other Asian countries and also the war with America was a result of this wrong choice.”

With the exception of the short feature you made for Fuyu no hi we (Winter days) we haven't heared a lot from you after My Neighbors the Yamadas was released. A contact from the French Buta-Connection informed me about your visit in France of yesterday where you told them something about three future animation projects. What have you been doing lately and could you tell something about this possible next Takahata-features?

“This is true, I have been working on several projects. The first project is a traditional epic story about the large war between clan lords during the 12th century. I have also been busy with a project about the Ainu, a ethnic minority who live in the northern part of Japan (Hokkaido) from who it is said the Japanese people originated from. They have their own culture and left an oral literature. They also have remarkable lyric poetry and I would very much like to adapt one of these poetries. Then the final project I’ve been working on. Perhaps you know that Gauche the Cellist is an adaptation of one of the works by Kenji Miyazawa. Another project I’ve been working on is another adaptation on one of his works. I wrote many texts and I would very much like to adapt one of these projects, but they’re all still in their research stage. Unfortunately, they don’t advance much and I cannot tell you when they will be finished or even if they will actually be made.”

Pompoko is your only film which is not an adaptation of a novel or a manga. Why?

“I really do not regard it as a personal work. Anyway, not more than my other works. However, I had often wondered about the tanuki. They are part of the Japanese ecosystem, but one does not know them anymore in their true biological surroundings. Only the folklore remained. According to traditional Japanese tales tanuki are able to transform into humans. These stories stimulated my imagination. In Japan, a lot of tanuki get killed by cars when passing roads. It was difficult to explain that when they are able to take human form. The easy way was to justify it by a loss of their ability and their knowledge. Like us, they forgot their instincts. Another reason is that the tanuki always lived close to men near the forests, which made it possible for me to approach another topic as well: the relationship between men, nature and his environment. By destroying the forests, the tanuki disappeared, just like what happened with the extension of Tokyo.”

Some people link Pompoko with eco terrorism. What do you think about that?

Takahata-san laughs. “I did not know about this point of view. They consider the tanuki to be terrorists? But they are the victims. The film depicts a drama; it is the end of a world, the end of the tanuki world. I wanted the viewer to look from the point of view of the animals and try to make us perceive how our world appears to us seen from the outside. However, the terrorist label does not disturb me. Today, terrorists are public enemy number 1. But historically, terrorism was sometimes a mean of asking attention of the established society. This state of mind existed until in the seventies. Terrorism sometimes had the capacity to make the world or people reflect on their condition.”

Your works are often anchored in realism. When something imaginary does happen, it is never related to any of the often used anime subjects like fantasy or science-fiction. Why is this?

“I cannot speak for other countries, but in Japan there is indeed a domination of what I consider as "fanatasy", in cinema or in manga. For these types of art, there are of course often interesting works. However, it’s because of its monopoly that the young people tend to consume only these types of works and only live in these chimerical universes. All of the video games or the films water the young spectators of these universes. Another element which strikes me is that aesthetically speaking, these works tend towards ultra-realism, either using real photos which are manipulated using a computer or using 3D often blurring the border between the real world and the "fantasy" world. The problem with this is that when the young people find themselves in reality, they find it dull and depressing and only dream of living in a factitious universe. I think this is a shame and consider it as dangerous. This is why I do not appreciate "fantasy" in general.”

What is your opinion regarding people who say your work (Grave of the Fireflies and Pompoko) appear to have one constant: humans are not having it’s best day. They claim your films to be a little pessimistic.

“Indeed, I have been told sometimes that my films tend to be pessimistic, but I do not agree / understand how one can come to this conclusion, even if this manner of perceiving them interests me.” Takahata-san looks at his characters and their story differently: “The end of Pompoko is completely clear. In the end it’s not all good, but if one chooses to live, it is necessary to have hope. It is the only way of living. That is my message, and I hope that my films contribute to that message!”

*PERSONAL CONVERSATION of

Peter van der Lugt

Founder Editor-in-Chief

GhibliWorld.com

Hayao Miyazaki Profile

Known as the "Japanese Walt Disney," Hayao Miyazaki is one of his country's outstanding directors of animation. His internationally admired animated adventures include the epic Princess Mononoke (1997), a tale of a mythic battle between humans and forest animal gods that at one time was the highest-grossing film in Japan's history. It was later surpassed by an even bigger boxoffice hit, Miyazaki's Spirited Away (2001), in which a young girl stumbles into a mysterious spirit world.

In the month of Miyazaki's 65th birthday, we proudly present the TCM premieres of many of his works, including both English-dubbed versions and Japanese originals with English subtitles. Along with the exquisite artwork, his films are celebrated for their captivating characters, involving stories and ecological and humane concerns.

Born in Tokyo, Miyazaki began as an animator in 1963 and worked on many early classics of Japanese animation. After extensive experience in television, he began directing features in 1979 and scored a particular success with Nausicaä of the Valley of the Wind (1984), the tale of a peace-seeking warrior princess that was based on a comic he had created two years earlier.

Miyazaki's films often have a fairy-tale spirit, with winsome young protagonists and magical settings. In Castle in the Sky (1986), a boy and girl travel to a floating castle. My Neighbor Totoro (1988) concerns two girls who find magical creatures in a mystical forest. Porco Rosso (1992) tells of a World War I flying ace who happens to be a pig. And Whisper of the Heart (1995), written by Miyazaki and directed by his protege Yoshifumi Kondo, is a simple tale of a bookish girl who falls in love.

In addition to writing, producing and directing many of his own films, Miyazaki has produced a number of movies made by other animators including his longtime collaborator Isao Takahata, for whom he served as executive producer on Only Yesterday (1991) and Pom Poko (1994).

By Roger Fristoe
http://www.tcm.com/thismonth/article/?cid=114160

About Studio Ghibli Inc.

Profile

Name

The name Ghibli derives from the nickname the Italians used for their Saharan scouting planes in the Second World War (and later for the AMX International AMX), which is derived from the Libyan word for hot wind blowing through the Sahara Desert (also known as sirocco).

Though the Italian word is pronounced with hard /g/, the Japanese pronunciation of the studio's name is IPA: [dʑíbɯɺi] listen (help·info). The theory behind the name was that the studio was blowing a new wind into the Japanese anime industry.

History

Founded in 1985, it is headed by the acclaimed director Hayao Miyazaki along with his colleague and mentor Isao Takahata, as well as the studio's executive managing director and long-time producer Toshio Suzuki. Its origins date back to 1983, with the film Nausicaä of the Valley of Wind, which was popularized as a serialized manga in a publication of Tokuma Shoten's Animage magazine after the original screenplay was rejected. The film was eventually produced by Topcraft and the film's success spurred the formation of Ghibli. Much of Ghibli's works are distributed in Japan by the noted film distributor Toho. Tokuma is the parent company of Studio Ghibli, and it has provided the Walt Disney Company with the video rights to all of Ghibli's output that did not have previous international distribution, including the global, non-Japan distribution rights to Princess Mononoke and Spirited Away. Miyazaki's latest film, Howl's Moving Castle, was based on a book by British author Diana Wynne Jones, published in several countries including Canada and the United States. Composer Joe Hisaishi has provided the soundtrack for all of Miyazaki's Studio Ghibli films.

The most famous and lauded film from the studio that was not directed by Miyazaki is Grave of the Fireflies, directed by Isao Takahata, a sad film focusing on the lives of two war orphans towards the end of Second World War in Japan. This and Only Yesterday are the only films which Disney has declined to distribute.

Over the years, there has been a close relationship between Studio Ghibli and the magazine Animage, which regularly runs exclusive articles about the studio and its members in a section titled "Ghibli Notes." Artwork from Ghibli's films and other works frequently graces the cover of the magazine.

The company is well-known for its strict "no-edits" policy in licensing their films abroad. This has stemmed from the disastrous dubbing of Miyazaki's Nausicaä of the Valley of Wind when the film was released in the United States as Warriors of the Wind. The film was heavily edited and Americanized, with significant portions cut and the plot rewritten.

The "no cuts" policy was highlighted when Miramax co-chairman Harvey Weinstein suggested editing Princess Mononoke to make it more marketable. In response, a Studio Ghibli producer sent an authentic katana with a simple message: "No cuts".

Miyazaki is currently working on a new film, Gake no ue no Ponyo, literally "Ponyo on a Cliff."

On February 1, 2008, Toshi Suzuki stepped down from the position of Studio Ghibli president which he held since 2005, and Koji Hoshino (former president of Walt Disney Japan) took over.

Suzuki said he wanted to improve films with his own hands as a producer, rather than demanding this from his employees. He has revealed that Takahata and Goro Miyazaki (director of Tales from Earthsea and Hayao's son) are developing projects for release after Hayao Miyazaki's Gake no ue no Ponyo. Suzuki decided to hand over the presidency to Hoshino because Hoshino has helped Studio Ghibli sell its videos since 1996, as well as helped to release the Princess Mononoke film in the United States.

Source:

http://en.wikipedia.org/