The Worlds of Hayao Miyazaki: The Influences and Inspiration Behind the Iconic Films

An in-depth collection of the rich influences and sources of inspiration behind one of animated cinema’s all-time greats, and Japanese cinema’s most popular cultural export.

Japanese filmmaker, director and anime artist Hayao Miyazaki has been described as the ’godfather of animation’, with a cultural output and level of influence to rival Walt Disney’s. In 1985 he co-founded Studio Ghibli, Japan’s most-successful animation studio, and went on to direct the vast majority of its most notable productions.

His many films include My Neighbour Totoro (1988), Spirited Away (2001), Howl’s Moving Castle (2004), and Ponyo (2008), each of which have been enormous cult hits both inside and outside of Japan - Spirited Away is still the highest-grossing film in Japanese cinema history, but also received an Academy Award for Best Animated Feature.

Miyazaki’s worlds are painstakingly produced and deeply stylistically inventive. Only he could have created ’Totoro’ - a giant furry spirit inspired by a racoon dog and a cat - and turn him into a global phenomenon. His influences encompass both Japanese and broader Western influences. The Worlds of Miyazaki will bring these influences together to show how Miyazaki creates his magical worlds, and in doing so has become one of modern cinemas most influential stylists.

Nicolas Rapold is a writer and editor. He worked as editor-in-chief of Film Comment (both web and print) at Film at Lincoln Center, where he hosted the Film Comment Podcast, curated Film Comment Selects, and was a member of the magazine’s editorial team since 2005. He currently hosts the podcast The Last Thing I Saw and his writing has appeared in The New York Times, Artforum, the Criterion Collection Daily, and Sight & Sound.