Hayao Miyazaki's New Work in 10 Years "For His Grandson"

From the book "Geudaedeul Eotteoke Sal Geos Inga," a youth philosophy on life with the same title

Director Hayao Miyazaki

Japanese animation master director Hayao Miyazaki is presenting a feature-length animation for the first time in 10 years.

According to Japanese film company Toho on the 13th, the title is "How Do You Live?". Miyazaki took it from the book of the same name, a youth philosophy book by Yoshino Genzaburo (1937), which he read and was moved by during his boyhood.

Yoshino is a leading intellectual representing 20th-century Japan. He served as the first editor-in-chief of the magazine "Sekai" and advocated discourses on democracy, human rights, and peace. "How Do You Live?" contains serious reflections on the life of youth. The fifteen-year-old protagonist, Copper, asks honest and cheerful questions, and his uncle offers advice based on knowledge encompassing philosophy, religion, science, and economics. It helps youth's worries and wanderings in an era where capital dominates humanity to move in a righteous direction.

"Uncle, I really feel like people are molecules. I had that thought today." (omitted)

"The fact that today you considered yourself a molecule in the vast world is truly a big event. I hope what you experienced today leaves a deep mark in your heart. The feelings you had today and the thoughts you recalled carry very important meaning. Your perspective on life has shifted from geocentrism to heliocentrism."

Impressed by Yoshino's insight, Director Miyazaki personally wrote the original work and screenplay for "How Do You Live?". He has not revealed any details of the content. Instead, he presented a poster image he drew himself. A character resembling a bird with a large beak stares straight ahead. The veil will be lifted in July next year.

Director Miyazaki is the head of the animation studio Studio Ghibli and has infused his works with insights on nature, coexistence, women, and flight in the animation world. His representative works include "Future Boy Conan" (1978), "Nausica? of the Valley of the Wind" (1984), "Castle in the Sky" (1986), "My Neighbor Totoro" (1988), "Porco Rosso" (1992), "Princess Mononoke" (1997), "Spirited Away" (2001), "Howl's Moving Castle" (2004), and "Ponyo on the Cliff by the Sea" (2008).

He declared retirement after "The Wind Rises" (2013), saying he would no longer make feature-length animations, but suddenly returned in 2017. Regarding the reason for his withdrawal, he said, "I want to make it for my grandson. I look forward to saying that even if I leave, my works remain." He is eighty-one years old this year.

This content was produced with the assistance of AI translation services.