Hayao Miyazaki Born: January 5, 1941 Other names: Saburō Akitsu (秋津 三朗) | Tsutomu Teruki (照樹 務) Occupation: Animator | filmmaker | screenwriter | author | manga artist Years active: From 1963 Hayao Miyazaki (宮崎 駿) is a Japanese animator, director, producer, screenwriter, author, and manga artist. A co-founder of Studio Ghibli, he has attained international acclaim as a masterful storyteller and creator of Japanese animated feature films, and is widely regarded as one of the most accomplished filmmakers in the history of animation. Born in Bunkyō ward of Tokyo, Miyazaki expressed interest in manga and animation from an early age, and he joined Toei Animation in 1963. During his early years at Toei Animation he worked as an in-between artist and later collaborated with director Isao Takahata. Notable films to which Miyazaki contributed at Toei include Doggie March and Gulliver's Travels Beyond the Moon. He provided key animation to other films at Toei, such as Puss in Boots and Animal Treasure Island, before moving to A-Pro in 1971, where he co-directed Lupin the Third Part I alongside Takahata. After moving to Zuiyō Eizō (later known as Nippon Animation) in 1973, Miyazaki worked as an animator on World Masterpiece Theater, and directed the television series Future Boy Conan (1978). He joined Tokyo Movie Shinsha in 1979 to direct his first feature film The Castle of Cagliostro as well as the television series Sherlock Hound. In the same period, he also started writing and illustrating the manga Nausicaä of the Valley of the Wind (1982–1994), and he also directed the 1984 film adaptation produced by Topcraft. Hayao Miyazaki & Joe Hisaishi The film's score of Nausicaä of the Valley of the Wind was composed by Joe Hisaishi. At that time, Isao Takahata's decision to choose Joe Hisaishi as the choice for the animation soundtrack indirectly led to a long collaboration between Hayao Miyazaki and him in the following years. Creations Since 1963, Hayao Miyazaki has been engaged in the production of various works, including manga, TV series and filmography. Here are parts of his works: - 1979 The Castle of Cagliostro - 1984 Nausicaä of the Valley of the Wind - 1986 Castle in the Sky - 1988 My Neighbor Totoro - 1989 Kiki's Delivery Service - 1992 Porco Rosso - 1997 Princess Mononoke - 2001 Spirited Away - 2004 Howl's Moving Castle - 2008 Ponyo - 2013 The Wind Rises Awards and Nominations Miyazaki gains lots of awards by his works, such as Ōfuji Noburō Award at the Mainichi Film Awards for The Castle of Cagliostro (1979), Nausicaä of the Valley of the Wind (1984). Spirited Away was also awarded the Academy Award for Best Animated Feature, while Howl's Moving Castle (2004) and The Wind Rises (2013) received nominations. He was named a Person of Cultural Merit by the Japanese government in November 2012, for outstanding cultural contributions. His other accolades include eight Tokyo Anime Awards, eight Kinema Junpo Awards, six Japan Academy Awards, five Annie Awards, and three awards from the Anime Grand Prix and the Venice Film Festival.