Hayao Miyazaki speaks at the Foreign Correspondents’ Club of Japan in Tokyo.
PHOTO BY TARO FUJIMOTO

Animator Hayao Miyazaki worries about children's future

By Taro Fujimoto

TOKYO —

Animation has become symbolic of Japan’s culture and industry thanks to the work of anime guru Hayao Miyazaki. At 67, the Oscar-winning Miyazaki is still going strong, continuing to create philosophical films for children. “I don’t want to create films as a catharsis,” he says. “I want to create films through which children can see and experience something new. I want to make that one unforgettable film in everyone’s childhood, something they can enjoy for at least 30 years.”

Born in 1941 in Tokyo, Miyazaki studied politics and economics at Gakushuin University. After graduating in 1963, he joined Toei Animation Company. In 1985, he co-founded Studio Ghibli with fellow director Isao Takahata, and has directed nine feature films since, among them “My Neighbor Totoro” (1988), Princess Mononoke” (1997), the 2001 film “Spirited Away,” which won the 2003 Oscar for best animated film, and “Howl’s Moving Castle” (2004). His latest film, “Ponyo on the Cliff by the Sea,” was released in Japan last July and will be released in the U.S. next year. It tells the story of a goldfish that longs to become a girl after getting a glimpse of the human world when she’s rescued from a jar by a 5-year-old boy.
In all of Miyazaki’s films, children are the central theme, with the main character frequently being a strong, independent girl. “I find girls more grounded in reality and confident in themselves,” he explains. “It’s quite difficult to make films about boys. That’s because stories about an 8-year-old boy, for example, inevitably become tragic.”

Miyazaki, who says “utopia exists only in one’s childhood life,” believes it is becoming difficult to reach out to children’s souls because of increasing consumerism and the virtual world. Television, video games, email, mobile phones and manga are sapping children of their strength, he worries. “Rather than looking at how to stimulate domestic demand by building bridges or roads, we should provide a proper environment for our future generations because children are Japan’s best investment,” he says.

Miyazaki also cautions about Japan viewing the world from a homogeneous perspective. “We need to see the world from a multi-ethnic viewpoint. “I think nationalism stems from the belief that most of the troubles in the world are due to multi-ethnicity. We learned, or should have learned from the last war, that the town or country we love can turn into something bad in the world. That is a lesson we must not forget. I don’t create films where good and evil fight.”

Miyazaki, who was largely unknown outside of Japan before “Princess Mononoke,” says “it is a sort of bonus for me that my films have been accepted around the world. It would be good if my work would have something universal as a result.”

The director cautions, however, that he doesn’t want Japanese animation to be used for political purposes. “I don’t want us to be simply categorized as ‘soft power,’” he says. Even Prime Minister Taro Aso’s publicly stated of manga embarrasses Miyazaki. “That’s something he should enjoy in private.”

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Latest 15 of 45 Total Comments Show All

Betzee at 11:22 AM JST - 26th November

Traditionally children's tales are infused with adult realities.

Stories are also frequently told from a child's point of view by directors working under state censorship to explore the hypocrisies of the adult world (or political system) without stepping on toes.

I've never actually seen a Japanese anime film. But an upcoming three-day "anime after dark" festival in my town will provide the opportunity. Once I began reading about them, well they are getting good reviews from discerning critics: "By the end of this phantasmagorical journey, I was as wrapped up in the precarious fate of these two wounded kids and the honorable yakuza warlords of Treasure Town as I've been in any film all year." Andrew O'Hehir, Salon.com
Triumvere at 03:15 PM JST - 26th November

Betzee

Whatever animes are being shown at the festival, it would behoove you to rent a few of Miyzaki's works; you can find some at most rental video shops. I recommend Sen to Chihiro... ahem... Spirited Away, that is...
a11jc at 05:28 PM JST - 26th November

I often watch his movies from childhood to now. His animation's contents are so deep. His movies include a lot of important messages in our future, like war, environment, and history and so on. My favorite Ghibli movie is “Princess mononoke”. I watched that when I was around 10 years old. I remember the impact after finish the movie. Even sleeping, mononoke appeared in my dream. At that time, I felt human can’t live without nature.
His movies can enjoy not only children, but also adults. And his movies have strong power. And I think children need to watch his animation. I think these days, people is lacking consideration to people and also environment. So, his movies give us a lot of opportunities to consider about important things in future.
I’m looking forward to his work!!
natosucks at 07:12 PM JST - 26th November

i'm worried 4 the kiddos too...specialy for the stupids animators...is better read a book than make sicks kids looking the tv all day or make them fanatics...
JoiceRojo at 09:20 PM JST - 26th November
three things:
1. Miyazaki's work is political (just not Japanese politics)
2. Is kinda tiring that only girls are the main role of his movies, a boy's life cannot be that tragic and that demonstrates lack of imagination, that's dissapointing
3. I only watched "Mononoke" and "Porco Rosso", so far I liked the Porco Rosso... the other one was too dense
Betzee at 10:00 PM JST - 26th November

Triumvere,

In fact I try my best to see films of interest first on the big screen, which are meccas for movie geeks who become attached to the theatres where we experience our cinematic epiphanies. I'm looking forward to this anime festival, held in a restored movie palace. Later I will try to rent more or to watch the ones I enjoyed again. Even on my HDTV, it's not the same.
frankthedm at 07:00 AM JST - 27th November

I enjoy many of Miyazaki's works, but he is a god blasted tree hugger. While Mononoke Hime was a very good film, San is a literal posterchild for ELF style Ecoterrorists.
tkoind2 at 10:42 AM JST - 27th November

Miyazaki is a tree hugger. But then again more of us should be. Unless you like living on a desert planet. Or leaving it to the roaches.

Teaching kids to respect nature is good. Teaching kids to have an imagination is good. Look at some of the values taught in his movies.

Totoro: Imagination, family, respect for nature, gentle undoctrined spirituality.

Sen to Chihiro: Patience, empathy, learing unselfish values.

Mononoke: Respect for and protection of the environment.

Nearly every movie of his has positive values. Far and away better than the plastic values of Disney.

1.Cinderella: Don't worry your prince will bail you out of your bad work/home situation. If you are cute enough.

2.Sleeping Beauty: Don't worry your prince will bail you out of your cursed situation. If you are cute enough. I route for the dragon at the end anyway. But still...

3.Snow White: Forget all the tiny old guys who have taken care of you all your life, some prince will come and improve your annual income.

4.101 Dalmatians: Ok this one I like. Dalmations are evil and Cruella was on to something there.

Give me Miyazaki for my family any day over the dependency laden stories of Disney.
Xeno23 at 03:43 PM JST - 27th November

As usual, an adult commenting on today's children can only think of them in terms of his own childhood. Today's kids are today's kids, not the kids of anyone's yesteryear - it's a failure of imagination, reason and perception to associate them with any context other than their own.

The kids will be fine; they always have been. It just may not be a "fine" that fits some oldster's anachronistic definition.
eri34 at 04:15 AM JST - 28th November

I like Miyazaki's movies. I often watch he's movies. I went to watch "Princess Mononoke" with my family when the movie was screened. When the "Mononoke" showing, I was 11 or 12 years old. But I really thought about human, animals and nature at the time. I think his animation moves children's mind. We can learn many things in his movies. He makes animetion for children, but it appeal to heart even adult and take us back to our childhood. I think naturally he's animation won the Oscar.
Rudd at 10:07 AM JST - 28th November

That he doesn't make movies about "good vs evil" is something that always attracted me to his stories. Mononoke is a shining example of this, that each of the many parties involved could at any point be seen as good OR evil, depending on your point of view, and the film made this very clear.
Seiharinokaze at 03:27 PM JST - 28th November

frankthedm

 >I enjoy many of Miyazaki's works, but he is a god blasted tree hugger. While Mononoke Hime was a very good film, San is a literal posterchild for ELF style Ecoterrorists.

Though San is against humans and their civilization that takes over the forest for their own interest, Shishigami (Forest Spirit) himself does not seem so instantly vengeful; he even lays to rest the ecoterroristic leader Okkoto Nushi who began to decay due to his rage over the destruction of the forest. The message here seems to be that it's your rage and hatred rather than your enemy that will destroy yourself.

Miyazaki's eye does not condemn one-sidedly Lady Eboshi the leader of exploiters of the forest, who though seemingly callous actually cares about the welfare of her people. It even seems somewhat sympathetic to her. Everyone has his/her own god blasted logic and way of life which are undeniable and compelling as long as we live. Could such a viewpoint be any sublation to the belief that most of the troubles in the world are due to the multi-ethnicity and the like?
Azrael at 09:22 PM JST - 29th November

I shiver in despair at the Miyazakis book adaptations - hey they slaughtered my favorite books without a single gomen-ne. I was ELATED when Ursula K. Le Guin told Miyazaki's son to his face, he had made a delightful movie but it certainly wasn't about her book. I wished Diana Wyne Jones would do something similar. Miyazaki's Howl's Moving Castle was an assassination attempt my inner child barely survived.

That unfortunate lack of empathy from the Miyazakis aside, I love My Neighbor Totoro and Spirited Away (especially the part where the dragon child explains he was left a wandering homeless when men canalized shut his river with concrete - so modern Japan, I was so sorry for him). In the light of the river deity's plight, I think the message about the ill effects of doing away with nature for personal benefit and greed, reflected on Chihiro's selfishness which disappears once she must assume a place in the chain, responsibilities over others and care about those she loves instead of whining and demanding all the time, is a useful message for both children and adults. I think it is good that Miyazaki has basically devoted his movies to try to awaken the so-called Japanese old spirit kept by fading traditions such as forest care and family values centered around work and communal effort. Children need to be told and to learn about these things, because they are the future. This is a message that gets drowned in the SAMURAI WAY smoke-screen of right-wingers and politicians. Miyazaki has not only spoken about his concerns - he's done something about them.

Just KEEP THEM AWAY (both Miyazaki and his son) from adapting books to screen.

Ah, and their DVDs are ridiculously expensive in Japan. They are way cheaper overseas (like everything else).
tzvete at 06:40 PM JST - 1st December

I was happy to watch his interview: http://www.mayomo.com/#/category=9;keywords=%22Hayao%20Miyazaki%22;id=27718/
onewrldoneppl at 10:03 PM JST - 2nd December

i want my children to grow-up happy, well-rounded. so, i will do my best to keep them away from mr. miyaki's and the works of other japanese animators. that NARUTO TV program has more than enough violence to twist a child's mind. ONEPIECE is even worse. lot's of people bleeding with no deaths. how're japanese children supposed to learn that violence eventuates in death, if they never see anyone die?