Isao Takahata

Isao Takahata was a critically acclaimed Japanese director, screenwriter, and producer, renowned globally for his work as a director in Japanese animated films. A co-founder of Studio Ghibli, he was born on October 29, 1935 in Ujiyamada, Mie Prefecture (now known as Ise). He joined Toei Animation after graduating from the University of Tokyo in 1959 and embarked into his career in animation. Over the years, he played various roles and collaborated with his colleague Hayao Miyazaki. He directed his first film, The Great Adventure of Horus, Prince of the Sun (1968), and later, with Miyazaki and others, formed Studio Ghibli in 1985. He directed several well-known animated films such as Grave of the Fireflies (1988), Only Yesterday (1991), Pom Poko (1994), and My Neighbors the Yamadas (1999). His final directorial execution was The Tale of the Princess Kaguya (2013), which was nominated for the Best Animated Feature Film at the 87th Academy Awards.

Takahata was the youngest of seven siblings and the third son. His father, Asajirō Takahata, was a junior high school principal. Takahata's journey into animation began after he watched the French film Le Roi et l'Oiseau. At Toei Animation, he was an assistant director for several of Toei's animated shows and films. He left Toei in 1971 and continued to work in the animation industry. He joined Nippon Animation and worked there for almost ten years. His stint at Nippon was marked by significant contributions which included a World Masterpiece Theater adaptation of Anne of Green Gables in 1979. In 1981, he left Nippon to join Telecom Animation Film Co., Ltd., where he led the production of an animated feature based on the manga Jarinko Chie. Later, Takahata, along with Hayao Miyazaki and others, co-founded Studio Ghibli in 1985, where he directed several films. Takahata passed away on April 5, 2018, at the age of 82 due to lung cancer.