The Worlds of Hayao Miyazaki

”…an exploration of Hayao Miyazaki’s storied career, richly illustrated with shots from his globally beloved films.” -Animation Magazine

‘This book offers a roadmap to the fantastical universe of Japanese animator and Studio Ghibli co-founder Hayao Miyazaki. Film writer Nicolas Rapold charts the filmmaker’s inspirations, from Pippi Longstocking, reimagined as a swashbuckling pirate-grandma in Castle in the Sky, to the Dogo Onsen in Matsuyama, seen on screen in Spirited Away as the phantasmagorical bathhouse.’

“Takes readers on a comprehensive journey through the filmmaker’s work. Miyazaki connoisseurs will delight in the wealth of popular culture and art that inspires the films, which Rapold cleverly pairs with film stills. (Hokusai’s print The Great Wave off Kanagawa, for instance, mirrors a still from Ponyo, the tale of the goldfish princess.) The Worlds of Hayao Miyazaki is a comforting portal back into Studio Ghibli’s magical repertoire—and perhaps even your childhood.”

“Elegantly designed and thoughtfully written, (The Worlds of Hayao Miyazaki) would sit well on any Ghibli fan’s shelf.”

“Brimming with passion for its subject, The Worlds Of Hayao Miyazaki will encourage readers to rewatch the director’s films with a fresh perspective.”

‘Whether you’re a casual Studio Ghibli fan or the kind of devotee who might be tempted to jump on the next plane to Matsuyama to visit the bathhouse that inspired Spirited Away, The Worlds of Hayao Miyazaki is a journey well worth taking.’

‘A beautifully designed and elegantly written celebration of one of animation’s most influential auteurs, The Worlds of Hayao Miyazaki is more than a film-by-film guide - it’s a quiet meditation on the imaginative force that built Studio Ghibli into a cultural institution.’

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.