Hayao Miyazaki

"If art is to nourish the roots of our culture, society must set the artist free to follow his vision wherever it takes him" (John F. Kennedy). Japan's highly revered author and anime giant, who became a symbol of old-fashioned traditions and life-affirming messages, bridged the gap between the western and Japanese cultures: Hayao Miyazaki. Born in Tokyo, Japan on January 5, 1941, Miyazaki was the second eldest of four sons. He grew up influenced by his father's background in aircraft manufacturing during the time of WWII. As a result, drawing airplanes became a passion and his lifelong fascination with aviation appeared in many of his films. Early in his life, his family was forced to move away from their hometown; therefore, it was clear to young Miyazaki that he would never want to pursue a career in mechanics like his father. As he grew up, he entered Gakushuin University. He steered away from the arts to study political science and economics and planned to help Japan reestablish its economy and recovery from the war. However, he never lost the passion for the arts. At the same time, he joined the Children's Literature Research Society, further shaping his passion for storytelling and character development. As a young adult, he and his long-time partner, Takahata, cofounded and opened their own animation studio, Studio Ghibli. Their success in creating magical and impressive anime for children provided a strong world view. His movies gained popularity by touching human hearts all over the world. Although his childhood was covered with the darkness of the war, Miyazaki was determined to explore and overcome hard times and portray values of human nature through his art works. He was able to develop the qualities of human nature, such as warlikeness, female characters, environmental awareness, and the evil and kindness of the human heart. His creativity immersed people in his stories and provided necessary messages behind the story line. Hayao Miyazaki's humanistic and open-minded personality has made him a strong, unique hero in the art world.

Most of his films maintain his unique perspective and humanistic view of the world that influences the people of the world and human hearts. His famous anime movie nominated for the 2006 Academy Award for Best Animated Feature, Howl's Moving Castle (2004), exhibits his spot-on instincts and famous ability to create characters that are both rich and complex. He places them against a backdrop of the horrific evils of the war and the destructiveness of man alongside powerful themes of loves and kindness: "I did not deliberately try to deliver any educational ideologies or messages to the audience. If they really exist in my works, they are only revealing themselves naturally. Many people think that I am telling a very deep truth. Actually what I like is simplicity. The reason that we made 'Howl's Moving Castle' is that there are too many unhappy matters in the world, such as wars and economic crises. We hope that, through the movie, people can keep up their courage and see the hope. The future world is still nice and beautiful. It is worthy for us to survive and explore it" (The Hayao Miyazaki web). Miyazaki is a peacekeeper, which shows in many of his films. Although his background influences him to love aircraft, still he hates the existence of war. He hopes that the world will never have to eudure another horrible situation and that people will discover for themselves the beauty of a world in peace. His manga-inspired anime Nausicaä of the Valley of the Wind (1984), Princess Mononoke (1997), and Spirited Away (2001) implicitly criticizes the adverse impact of humans on nature, portrays the military in a negative light, and continues with Miyazaki's feminist themes in that the bellows of the iron mill in the movie are staffed only by women. "The first major work done in the classic Miyazaki style, Nausicaä, marked Miyazaki as a filmmaking auteur. With its strong female protagonist, realistic depictions of nature, and ecological themes, the film set a standard for his career and for animation in general." (Encyclopedia of World Biography). Miyazaki had a strong view of feminism, which we can see in many of his works. By creating female characters that remain strong and have an independent spirit he highlights the feminine values in human nature. The independent, brave, and self-reliant female characters in Miyazaki's films break the traditional beliefs of the value of women. His films bring to the world females who live with people's equal treatment and respect. Miyazaki maintains his humanistic manner. Even though he is only a film director, he explores perfectly the nature of humanity in his movies.

Miyazaki's painterly aesthetic and hand-drawn deeply intricate fantasy worlds mixing myths, environmental awakenings, shape-shifting spirits, independent, resourceful and post-apocalyptic young heroines, complex human characters and fanciful flying machines shall live on for many reasons. Miyazaki took an active role in the realization of his movies and was equally displeased with the outcome and the overall studio atmosphere: "His manga, on the other hand, explores the darker side of human nature: violence, hatred, anger, greed, stupidity, war, and so forth. Still, his manga is optimistic in the sense that it shows his strong belief in human spirit and strong will to live." (The Hayao Miyazaki Web). His films reflect through the world's environment and the humility of human beings, many strong ideas in response to how the audience is feeling. Most of his works are created for young children. Through the pipeline of anime he educates young people by providing an overview of the reality of human nature. He believed young people could grow and strive to survive in harsh environments. Miyazaki had published his last work, The Wind Rises, in 2013 for his final bow. He reflected upon recent years of environmental scourge, especially the earthquake in Japan and the Great Depression. He hopes that young people become self-reliant and create their own world to explore, even through hard times: "I do want to state clearly that I didn't make this film out of personal nostalgia [for the pre-modern world]. I made it hoping that children would see it and then go out to run around the fields or pick up acorns. Or, though we only have a few such spaces left, that they would play in the thickets behind shrines, or become excited while peeking in the crawl spaces under their houses. That's why I made this film" (Southeast Review of Asian Studies). Miyazaki symbolized himself as the main character of the young man in the movie, who courageously pursues his dream of aviation. Miyazaki also symbolized the female character he loves as his mother who was afflicted with tuberculosis. However, his purpose of why he made this film was to inspire young people to pursue their dreams and follow the human spirit. "The wind is rising! We must try to live!" (The Salt Lake Tribune Entertainment). Miyazaki made his final film differently from his other films. He emphasized hope and peace, and focused on the young people. He believed and hoped they would explore their futures and their dreams. Miyazaki's open-minded creativity in his films changed people's beliefs and values to influence their minds and human hearts.

Hayao Miyazaki uses his imagination to create films that touch the human spirit and heart. He is also flexible and open to creative ideas from other artists, so his work speaks to many people's creativity. "In the past, humans hesitated when they took lives, even non-human lives. But society had changed, and they no longer felt that way. As humans grew stronger, I think that we became quite arrogant, losing the sorrow of 'we have no other choice.' I think that in the essence of human civilization, we have the desire to become rich without limit, by taking the lives of other creatures" ('Hayao Miyazaki'). As he said about human nature, he developed the strong view of society explored in his films. He believed the values people hold should evolve over time. Over time, we should determine the values we need to live in this society. "While some critics have seen this as evidence of an East-West culture gap, author McCarthy disagrees. What audiences see in Miyazaki's depiction of the basic humanity of his characters is not just a Japanese way of seeing. It's a humane way of seeing" (Japan Inc.). The best movies are those that provoke thoughtful reflection. They portray the values in living characters that grow and reveal new aspects of themselves through their humanity, such as being independent, impartial, and respectful. Since I was young, I have watched almost all of his films many times. Every time I watch them, I just cannot stop watching until the end. His films deeply fascinated me and made me feel like I was immersed in the story. His movies influenced me to learn vivid lessons and they always touched my heart because his movies by inspiring myself and others to perceive that life can be beautiful. Miyazaki's time-honored values of courage, dignity, kindness, integrity, perseverance, and quiet fortitude will continue to spread around the world. He has secured his place in the universe as Japan's premier storyteller and animation master and has left the world all the more enchanted in his wake.

Works Cited

"Hayao Miyazaki." Newsmakers. Detroit: Gale, 2006. Student Resources in Context.

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McNicol, Tony. "Studio Ghibli: Japan's Anime Dream Factory: Oscar-winning director

Hayao Miyazaki's magical kingdoms are very Japanese." Japan Inc. Dec. 2003: 20+.

Global Issues In Context. Web. 22 Mar. 2014.

Miyazaki, Hayao." Encyclopedia of World Biography. 2nd Ed. Vol. 28. Detroit: Gale,

2008. 249-252. Gale Virtual Reference Library. Web. 17 Mar. 2014.

Ross, David A. "Musings on Miyazaki, early and late." Southeast Review of Asian

Studies 32 (2010): 170+. Academic OneFile. Web. 22 Mar. 2014.

The Hayao MIYAZAKI Web. Michael S. JOHNSON, n.d. Web. 2006.