The Worlds of Hayao Miyazaki

Explore the inspirations behind the work of the legendary Hayao Miyazaki, one of animated cinema’s all-time great creators. Often called the godfather of animation, Miyazaki is able to imagine and populate worlds like no other director or animator. His films, from My Neighbour Totoro to the Oscar-winning Spirited Away and The Boy and The Heron, are deeply original, each conjuring up their own complete and entrancing version of reality. This book journeys through the rich mix of cultural, historical and artistic influences that shape Miyazaki’s  storytelling. From Japanese folklore and childhood memories to architecture, classic cinema, literature and political commentary, it reveals how Miyazaki’s deeply personal vision creates layered worlds that somehow feel both fantastical and grounded in truth. With insight into his process, visual language and recurring themes – including nature, flight, girlhood, resistance and renewal – The Worlds of Hayao Miyazaki offers fans and film lovers a deeper understanding of the imagination behind the magic. A celebration of creative freedom, storytelling without limits, and the enduring power of animation.

Nicolas Rapold is a writer and editor. He worked as editor-in-chief of Film Comment (both web and print) at Film at Lincoln Center, where he hosted the Film Comment Podcast, curated Film Comment Selects, and was a member of the magazine’s editorial team since 2005. He currently hosts the podcast The Last Thing I Saw and his writing has appeared in The New York Times, Artforum, the Criterion Collection Daily, and Sight & Sound.

Chapter One  Four Ways Through The Looking Glass  How Four Great Writers Have Inspired Miyazaki’s Story-Building Chapter Two  We Could Be Heroes  How Four More Writers Yielded Models Of Young Female Independence Chapter Three  All The World-s A Stage  The Actual Places That Inspire Miyazaki’s Realistic Fantasies Chapter Four  National Treasures  Homegrown Japanese Influences On Miyazaki, From The Spiritual To The Culinary Chapter Five  Songs Of Innocence And Experience  The Personal Memories That Haunt (And Cheer Up) Miyazaki’s Movies Chapter Six  Visions Of The Future  How And Why Miyazaki Portrays The Possible Worlds To Come Chapter Seven Drawn From Life Miyazaki’s Sources And Models For Animating Movement Chapter Eight  Drawn In  The Animated Films That Inspired Miyazaki Chapter Nine  Live-Action Cinema  How Miyazaki Thinks Through Film History Chapter Ten  The Big Picture  Four Ways Of Framing Miyazaki