Hayao Miyazaki
Born: January 5, 1941
Who wouldn't have heard of Hayao Miyazaki, the godfather of Japanese animation movie. He is the creator of movies Mononoke Hime (Princess Mononoke) and Tonari no Totoro (My neighbor Totoro 1988). His latest work, Sen to Chihiro no Kamikakushi (Spirited Away 2001) became soon Japan's most popular movie, nationwide. Please see also Kiki's Delivery Service.
Hayao Miyazaki's movies often discuss about the symbiosis of human and nature. They are profound analysis of humanity, and therefore can be considered as masterpieces in the same way as novels of Yukio Mishima or Kenzaburo Oe. Princess Mononoke is a good example how he figures out the relationship between the concept of iron town and the animals in the forest. Often, human's achievements are to make the fragile harmony and symbiosis between human and nature disturbed. Laputa, castle of the sky has the same idea basically.
Often, in Miyazaki's works introduce spirits of divine. For example in Tonari no Totoro, there are spirits which only children could see, who 
helped the people with earnest wish and effort. Afterall, it doesn't go far from Shintoism, the certain respect for the ancestors. Obon festival, the welcoming ceremony for ancestors, fits well to feeling of Miyazaki's movies.
A look to Miyazaki's past
It is clear that Miyazaki's past is connected strongly to the atmosphere of his movies. Especially it's said that movie Tenku no Shiro Raputa (Laputa: Castle in the Sky) represent his childhood. During WWII his father Katsuji Miyazaki was working on Miyazaki Airplane company which constructed rudders for Japanese zero fighter airplanes. Miyazaki's third brother, Shirou, once said that character of Dola in Laputa, reminds the mother of Miyazaki.
Miyazaki's relationship with his mother, fascinates me. It happened that she suffered from spinal tuberculosis and was sick in hospital from 1947 to 1955. This time, in total of nine years, seemed to give Miyazaki inspiration for making My Neighbor Totoro. It was said to be his own autobiography.
In My Neighbor Totoro, family with a father and two children, Satsuki and Mei, moves to country. The mother of the family is in hospital, and there is a certain worry, hanging in the air. Things only get worse when a call comes from the hospital, saying that something has happened and that the father should call them. My Neighbor Totoro works in so many levels that it's enough to impress everyone. It has a sense of isolation, but also certain coexistence and harmony. And it has a sense of special warmth and the feeling that whatever happens in our life, how much we are afraid, things will go well in the end.
The feeling of war you can catch from his works such as Princess Mononoke, has also it's roots in Miyazaki's childhood, I think. Between 44- 46 Miyazaki's family evacuated to Utsunomiya City and Kanuma City in Tochigi Prefecture. Miyazaki's airplane factory was in Kanuma City. Being 6 years old, these phases must have a certain affection to his inner mentality.
"children literature research club" which was a sort of a comic club. He graduated from Gakushuin with a degrees in Economics and Political science. During his studies, he researched the ideas of Japanese industry. These topics are often seen in his movies, especially in Mononoke hime's description of Iron town, a city which produced weapons and iron. A city full of women.
Miyazaki became the chief secretary of Toei Douga's labor union. There he met his future wife, animator Akemi Ota. They got married in October 1965. They had their project together with Isao Takahata, called Prince of the Sun, which was finally released on 1968. Akemi had also her own projects going on, during that time she worked with Puss in boots, where Hayao was the key animator.
Their first son was born in year of 1967, January. In 1969, Akemi worked with The Flying Ghost Ship which introduced also Hayao as key animator. Second son of Miyazaki's was born in April of 1969, after which the Miyazaki family moved to Oizumi-Gekuen, Nerima-ku, Tokyo.
During 1970, the Miyazakis moved to Tokorozawa City.
They year of 1971 was interesting; Hayao decided to leave Toei Douga and join his old colleague Isao Takahata and Yoichi Otabe at A-Pro. During that time, Hayao wanted to secure the rights of Pippi Longstockings, (which is rather famous here in Finland as Children cartoon, Peppi Pitkatossu) but failed and they were left to Swedish companies.
And we all know the rest, at least almost. Heidi: Girl of the Alps, Three Thousand Miles in Search of Mother, tv-series Lupin III and Nausicaa became his later targets for interest. Studio Ghibli was founded Kichijoji, to produce Laputa: Castle in the Sky at 1985. My neighbor Totoro followed in 1988 leaving the audience no chance but applause.
Audience still applauses; his latest work Spirited Away 2001, became Japan's most watched film. It's said to be Miyazaki's return to Totoro world, as it's soft values are in quite contrast to Princess Mononoke's dark work.
See also: Hayao Miyazaki at IMDB.
