Hayao Miyazaki Movies Come to an End; Anime Legend Retires, But May Do Other Projects

Hayao Miyazaki movies have come to an end. Japanese animator Hayao Miyazaki confirmed that he has retired, but is leaving the door open for other projects.

Hayao Miyazaki explained an announcement made by Koji Hoshino, the president of Studio Ghibli, last week. Hayao Miyazaki told the press today that he will definitely not be directing any more feature films. But that might not be the end of Hayao Miyazaki’s career.

Hayao Miyazaki, said he intends to keep working another ten years “if all goes well.” Hayao Miyazaki’s statement was passed out to nearly 600 journalists in a packed hall at a Tokyo hotel. Hayao Miyazaki said that the intervals between his films was getting longer. “The Wind Rises,” Hayao Miyazaki’s latest film, took five years to make. Hayao Miyazaki implied that he is doing it for the good of Studio Ghibli, saying that if he keeps stretching out production periods to six or seven years “the studio can’t survive.”

Hayao Miyazaki admitted that, while he’s hinted about retiring before, “I’m really serious this time… My era of animation is over.”

Hayao Miyazaki said that this doesn’t mean he will stop working. He cited his exhibits at the Ghibli Museum in Mitaka, Tokyo, as the kinds of things he may be doing in the future. Hayao Miyazaki said, “In place of feature animation, there are various things I want to try and do, I may even put myself on exhibition.”

When a reporter asked if Hayao Miyazaki might make short films, he replied, “I’m free. I don’t want to use my brains now for that sort of thing.”
Studio Ghibli produced Hayao Miyazaki’s biggest hits since it was launched in 1985. Studio Ghibli produced “Spirited Away” in 2001, which won an Academy Award for animation. So what happens to Studio Ghibli now that Hayao Miyazaki is stepping down? Toshio Suzuki, who produced “Spirited Away” said “The Tale of the Princess Kaguya,” which was directed by Isao Takahata, a longtime colleague of Hayao Miyazaki, is set to hit the screens on November 23. The producer said there is another film, which he gave no details about, in production for release in the summer of 2014 release.

Toshio Suzuki said “I expect that our young staff has more ideas they want to make – I’m depending on them.”

Hayao Miyazaki replied with a simple no when asked if he would script, supervise or otherwise involve himself with future Ghibli features in a non-directing-capacity.

Hayao Miyazaki said he is in good health, but that age was taking its toll on his speed and concentration. Miyazaki said he doesn’t intend to change his working style. Miyazaki draws thousands of images by pencil for a feature film.

Hayao Miyazaki said “I started as an animator so that’s the only way I know how to do it. If I had come up with a better method I would have used it long before this.”

Hayao Miyazaki was born in Tokyo in 1941. In 1963 he joined what is today known as Toei Animation. Hayao Miyazaki debuted as director of his first theatrical feature, “The Castle of Cagliostro,” in 1979. In 1984, Hayao Miyazaki adapted on his own comic for the 1984 film “Nausicaa of the Valley of the Wind.” “Nausicaa of the Valley of the Wind” sparked the anime boom in the West and established Hayao Miyazaki as a master of animation.

“The Wind Rises,” Hayao Miyazaki’s latest movie which was a fictionalized account of Jiro Horokoshi who designed the “Zero” fighter, came out on July 20 and is still on top of the Japanese Box Office. It will probably make about $150 million.