Miyazaki: I Would Like to Make Film to Tell Children It's Good to Be Alive

Hayao Miyazaki was born in Bunkyo, Tokyo on January 5, 1941. His father was director of Miyazaki Airplane, which made parts for warplanes during World War II. Miyazaki attended the prestigious Gakushin University and was a member of the university’s "Children’s Literature Research Club". He graduated from Gakushin in 1963, with degrees in political science and economics.

Miyazaki began his animation career in 1963, when he began working for Toei Animation. The first film he directed, "Lupin III: The Castle of Cagliostro", was released in 1979.

After the success of "Nausicaä of the Valley of the Wind" (1984), Miyazaki co-founded Studio Ghibli, an animation and film studio. Eight of Studio Ghibli’s films are among the 15 highest-grossing anime films ever made in Japan.

While Miyazaki’s films have long gained commercial and critical success in Japan, he remained largely unknown to the West, until Miramax Films released "Princess Mononoke" (1997). It was briefly the highest-grossing film in Japan and became the first animated film to win Picture of the Year at the Japanese Academy Awards.

Miyazaki’s films contain recurrent themes, including people’s relationship with nature and technology, humanism, feminism and pacifism. His works also reflects his fascination with aircraft and flight. Miyazaki’s animation style is well-known for realism and scrupulousness. His stories are not focused on Japanese culture, so they attract both a domestic and international audience.

In October 1965, Miyazaki married fellow animator Akemi Ota, with whom he had two sons, Goro and Keisuke. Miyazaki’s dedication to his work has reportedly had a negative effect on his relations with Goro. While the director has expressed he does not wish to establish a dynasty of animators, Goro has directed two films.

"Spirited Away" (2001) topped "Titanic’s" sales at the Japanese box office, won Picture of the Year at the Japanese Academy Awards, and was the first anime film to win an Oscar (2003). However, Miyazaki refused to attend the 75th Academy Awards in Hollywood in the protest of the US involvement in the Iraq War.

Miyazaki has expressed his political opinion several times in the past, including disapproval of the revision of the Japanese constitution and Prime Minister Shinzo Abe’s denial of Japanese World War II crimes.

Miyazaki’s newest film "The Wind Rises" was released on July 20, 2013 and was screened internationally in February 2014. In November 2014, it was announced Miyazaki would receive an Honorary Oscar.

In September 2013, at the 70th Venice Film Festival, Miyazaki said he would quit business with "The Wind Rises" set to be his final feature-length film.