'Ni no Kuni': Two worlds but little life to be found
Two things about "Ni no Kuni." 1) It features a protagonist who uses a wheelchair, an admirable display of diversity and inclusion in a medium that rarely features characters with disabilities. 2) There isn't much else to like about the film. "Ni no Kuni" hit ...
Cinematically big in Japan: Where film crews lead, fans soon follow
A visit to a film location can add some movie magic to your Japan travels.
Starry-eyed and lost to the forests of Yakushima
The forests are what draw people to Yakushima, famous for inspiring the scenery of Studio Ghibli's 1997 film, "Princess Mononoke."
Hayao Miyazaki: Universally acclaimed weaver of unforgettable anime worlds
Animators and live-action filmmakers around the world acknowledge his influence. His talents have even been described by fans as “godlike.”
Studio Ghibli fans flock to rural Australian bakery that may have inspired 'Kiki's Delivery Service'
A bakery in a tiny, rural town in northeast Tasmania has become an unlikely pilgrimage site for Japanese tourists and Studio Ghibli animation fans alike. No one is quite sure how or when the Ross Village Bakery became a cult tourist destination, but it's believed ...
Animator Hayao Miyazaki's 'Nausicaa of the Valley of the Wind' to be adapted into kabuki production
Oscar-winning Japanese director Hayao Miyazaki's animated movie "Nausicaa of the Valley of the Wind" will be adapted into a kabuki production next year in a first for one of his films. Kabuki actor Kikunosuke Onoe V, who came up with the idea to do the ...
Studio Ghibli classic 'My Neighbor Totoro' to be screened in China for first time
Koji Hoshino, chairman of animation house Studio Ghibli, is hoping "My Neighbor Totoro" will be worth the wait for Chinese fans when it finally starts screening at cinemas in the mainland from Friday. A digitally remastered version of the film about two young sisters who ...
Los Angeles film museum to debut with exhibit showcasing work of Studio Ghibli's Hayao Miyazaki
The Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences, which hands out the Oscars, said on Tuesday that its planned Los Angeles museum will open in late 2019 with an inaugural exhibit showcasing the work of Japanese filmmaker Hayao Miyazaki. The Academy Museum of Motion Pictures' ...
Defining the Heisei Era: When anime and manga went global
The Heisei Era commenced after two gods fell in rapid succession. The first, Emperor Hirohito, was no longer officially a god, having repudiated his quasi-divine status under the terms of Japan's surrender in World War II, but he remained god-like in stature. His January ...
'Mixing Work with Pleasure': a candid reflection of a life at Studio Ghibli
Toshio Suzuki, co-founder of Studio Ghibli, recounts his collaborative partnerships and lifelong bonds with Hayao Miyazaki and Isao Takahata, the third of Ghibli's founders.
Isao Takahata's gentle spirit enriched the world of Japanese animation
Isao Takahata, who died on Thursday at age 82, was long overshadowed by Studio Ghibli colleague Hayao Miyazaki, even though he was Miyazaki's senior when they both worked together at Toei Animation in the 1960s, as well as a co-founder, together with Miyazaki and ...
Japanese animation master and Studio Ghibli co-founder Isao Takahata dies at 82
Isao Takahata, the animated film director who co-founded Studio Ghibli and is known for his award-winning "Grave of the Fireflies," died of lung cancer Thursday at a Tokyo hospital, Studio Ghibli announced Friday. He was 82. Takahata, who was born in Mie Prefecture, co-founded Ghibli ...
