HAYAO MIYAZAKI was born in 1941 in Tokyo, Japan. After graduating from Gakushuin University in 1963 with a degree in Political Science and Economics, Hayao Miyazaki joined Toei Animation Company as an animator, working under the director Isao Takahata for scene planning and key animation for the production of The Little Norse Prince Valiant (1968). He directed his first TV series Future Boy Conan in 1978. He debuted as a director of theatrical features with The Castle of Cagliostro (1979). In 1984, Miyazaki wrote and directed his feature Nausicaä of the Valley of the Wind, based on his original graphic novel serialized in the monthly animation magazine "Animage".

Miyazaki co-founded Studio Ghibli in 1985 with Takahata, and has directed ten feature films since, including Castle in the Sky (1986), My Neighbor Totoro (1988), Kiki’s Delivery Service (1989), Porco Rosso (1992) and Princess Mononoke (1997). Spirited Away (2001) broke every box office record in Japan, and garnered many awards, including the Golden Bear at the 2002 Berlin International Film Festival and the 2002 Academy Award® for Best Animated Feature Film. His latest film, The Boy and the Heron, released in Japan on July 14, 2023.