Hayao Miyazaki Interview

Japan Orama began as an exploration of my passion for all things Japanese, and near the top of my list of lust is a man who, without sugar-coating the uncertainty and hazards of life, manages to portray the magic of childhood with warmth and respect: Hayao Miyazaki. Miyazaki's mind-blowing crop of animated features includes My Neighbor Totoro, Princess Mononoke, and most recently Spirited Away.

Miyazaki-san, first of all, let me say I'm a huge fan of yours, so thank you so much for finding the time to speak with me for the program. They call you the Japanese Disney, and I wonder, how do you feel about that?

Now, Disney is such a big company, they're very keen to have everything in the world. You obviously have a great fondness for children, but also an ability, it seems, to put yourself in their shoes for their age, which is quite remarkable for any adult, I think. Is this something you've always had?

After years of directing animation for television, in 1978 Miyazaki directed his first feature-length film, The Castle of Cagliostro. It won the praise of critics and filmmakers the world over. In fact, Steven Spielberg reportedly chose this as the greatest car chase in any film ever.

However, it wasn't until 1988 that Miyazaki and his Studio Ghibli would win widespread recognition with the stunning My Neighbor Totoro. It's the story of two sisters, Mei and Satsuki, who move from the city to the country, where they discover a family of warm woodland creatures whom they call Totoros.

That scene with the bus stop where they're waiting for their father and the cat bus comes—which is one of the most wonderful scenes in any animated movie. And what strikes me is you rarely see films at that pace, scenes at that pace, and with that kind of relaxed feel in American animated movies. It seems very unusual.

In 1997, Miyazaki's Princess Mononoke broke all box office records, reaping an unprecedented $150 million in Japan. This complex and enchanting feature sees Miyazaki exploring man's power struggle in the natural order through the tale of Prince Ashitaka, who needs to find the cure to a wound that is killing him. Mononoke was Studio Ghibli's first export to the US but failed to score at the box office, perhaps because in the West we don't expect animated movies to be quite so sophisticated.

Studio Ghibli's latest release, Spirited Away, has grossed over $250 million, busting Mononoke's box office record by a wide margin. It also nabbed Miyazaki the prestigious Golden Bear at the 2002 Berlin Film Festival. Spirited Away tells the story of a young girl, Chihiro, who must journey to the spirit world in order to rescue her parents, who've been turned into pigs.

In the scene in Spirited Away when the parents eat and eat and eat, I had a horrible feeling—that's how my children look at me sometimes when I'm at the table. Is that what you were thinking?

Let me just finish by saying there are many directors whose films I admire, but I can't think of more than one animator whose work I admire without exception, and that is yours. So thank you so much again for spending some time with us, Miyazaki-san. And by the way, nice ginger cake.