# Hayao Miyazaki

_Japanese animator, filmmaker, and mangaka (born 1941)_

Canonical: https://diginpl.com/people/hayao-miyazaki
Last updated: 2026-10-31

> Hayao Miyazaki (宮崎 駿 or 宮﨑 駿, Miyazaki Hayao; [mijaꜜzaki hajao]; born January 5, 1941) is a Japanese animator, filmmaker, and manga artist. He co-founded Studio Ghibli and serves as its honorary chairman. Throughout his career, Miyazaki has attained international acclaim as a masterful storyteller and creator of Japanese animated feature films, and is widely regarded as one of the greatest and most accomplished filmmakers in the history of animation.

## Quick facts

- **Born:** 5 January 1941 ([Wikidata](https://www.wikidata.org/wiki/Q55400#P569))
- **Place of birth:** Bunkyō-ku ([Wikidata](https://www.wikidata.org/wiki/Q55400#P19))
- **Citizenship:** Japan ([Wikidata](https://www.wikidata.org/wiki/Q55400#P27))
- **Occupation:** film director; animator; mangaka; screenwriter; film editor; film producer ([Wikidata](https://www.wikidata.org/wiki/Q55400#P106))
- **Education:** Gakushuin University; Toyotama High School, Tokyo; Suginami Ward Omiya Junior High School ([Wikidata](https://www.wikidata.org/wiki/Q55400#P69))
- **Spouse:** Akemi Ōta ([Wikidata](https://www.wikidata.org/wiki/Q55400#P26))
- **Official website:** ghibli.jp ([Wikidata](https://www.wikidata.org/wiki/Q55400#P856))
- **Awards:** Academy Award for Best Animated Feature; Los Angeles Film Critics Association Award for Best Animated Film; Golden Bear; Annie Award for Directing in a Feature Production; Annie Award for Writing in a Feature Production; Japan Academy Prize for Picture of the Year; Nebula Award for Best Script; Japan Academy Prize for Animation of the Year; Golden Lion for Lifetime Achievement; Person of Cultural Merit; Academy Honorary Award; Kikuchi Kan Prize; Shiba Ryotaro Prize; Asahi Prize; The Jim Henson Creativity Honor ([Wikidata](https://www.wikidata.org/wiki/Q55400#P166))

## About

Born in Tokyo City, Miyazaki expressed interest in manga and animation from an early age. He joined Toei Animation in 1963, working as an inbetween artist and key animator on films like Gulliver's Travels Beyond the Moon (1965), The Great Adventure of Horus, Prince of the Sun (1968), and Animal Treasure Island (1971), before moving to A-Pro in 1971, where he co-directed Lupin the Third Part I (1971–1972) with Isao Takahata. After moving to Zuiyō Eizō (later 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 (1979), and the television series Sherlock Hound (1984–1985). He wrote and illustrated the manga Nausicaä of the Valley of the Wind (1982–1994) and directed the 1984 film adaptation produced by Topcraft.

Miyazaki co-founded Studio Ghibli in 1985, writing and directing films such as Laputa: Castle in the Sky (1986), My Neighbor Totoro (1988), Kiki's Delivery Service (1989), and Porco Rosso (1992), which were met with critical and commercial success in Japan. Miyazaki's Princess Mononoke (1997) was the first animated film to win the Japan Academy Film Prize for Picture of the Year and briefly became the highest-grossing film in Japan; its Western distribution increased Ghibli's worldwide popularity and influence. Spirited Away…

## Questions

**When was Hayao Miyazaki born?**  
Hayao Miyazaki was born on 5 January 1941 in Bunkyō-ku.

**Where did Hayao Miyazaki study?**  
Hayao Miyazaki was educated at Gakushuin University, Toyotama High School, Tokyo, Suginami Ward Omiya Junior High School.

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## Sources

- [Wikipedia (English): Hayao Miyazaki](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Hayao_Miyazaki) — [CC BY-SA 4.0](https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-sa/4.0/)
- [Wikidata item Q55400](https://www.wikidata.org/wiki/Q55400) — [CC0 1.0](https://creativecommons.org/publicdomain/zero/1.0/)
- [Image: HayaoMiyazakiCCJuly09.jpg by Natasha Baucas at https://www.flickr.com/photos/sdnatasha/ (CC BY 2.0)](https://commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/File:HayaoMiyazakiCCJuly09.jpg)

## Licence and attribution

Text from the Wikipedia article Hayao Miyazaki, licensed under CC BY-SA 4.0. This page's text is shared under the same licence. Facts from Wikidata (CC0). Image: HayaoMiyazakiCCJuly09.jpg — Natasha Baucas at https://www.flickr.com/photos/sdnatasha/, CC BY 2.0.

## Cite this page

"Hayao Miyazaki". DigiNepal. Last updated 31 October 2026. https://diginpl.com/people/hayao-miyazaki. Retrieved 4 November 2026.