Cinenaut

Biography

Isao Takahata (October 29, 1935 – April 5, 2018), co-founder of Studio Ghibli, was one of the most famous directors of Japanese animated films. Unlike most anime directors, he did not draw and never worked as an animator before becoming a director.

For the first two decades of his career from the 1960s to the 1980s, Takahata worked primarily as director for anime television. In 1985 he and his long-time collaborative partner Hayao Miyazaki formed Studio Ghibli with Toshio Suzuki and Yasuyoshi Tokuma. From that point, his career transitioned into producing, directing, and writing films for Studio Ghibli. He is known for his five feature length anime films released under Ghibli, Grave of the Fireflies (1988), Only Yesterday (1991), Pom Poko (1994), My Neighbors the Yamadas (1999) and The Tale of the Princess Kaguya (2013).

Acting (20 movies)

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Yasuo Ōtsuka's Joy in Motion

2004

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Ghibli's Bookshelf

2010

7.5

The Kingdom of Dreams and Madness

2013

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Isao Takahata and His Tale of The Princess Kaguya

2014

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Super TV: Frontline Information 15 Months of Exclusive Coverage! The Secret Behind "My Neighbors the Yamadas"

2000

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2399 Days with Hayao Miyazaki & Studio Ghibli

2023

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The World, The Journey Of My Heart - Traveler: Animation Film Director Isao Takahata

1999

7.8

Hayao Miyazaki and the Heron

2024

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Hayao Miyazaki and the Ghibli Museum

2005

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Paul Grimault, image par image

2003

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Ghibli and The Miyazaki Mystery

2005

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How Ghibli Was Born

1998

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A Ghibli Artisan - Kazuo Oga Exhibition - The One Who Drew Totoro's Forest

2007

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The Story of Yanagawa's Canals

1987

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The Making of Only Yesterday

1991

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The Cat Returns - Making of

2002

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Ghibli Landscapes - A Journey to Encounter Directors Isao Takahata and Hayao Miyazaki's Starting Point

2011

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Ghibli Landscapes - Visit 'Japan' as Depicted by Isao Takahata

2014

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The Birth of Studio Ghibli

2003

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Miyazaki, Spirit of Nature

2025

Directing (21 movies)

Title	Year	Job
Yuki's Sun	1972	Writer
3000 Leagues in Search of Mother: The Movie	1980	Screenplay
Chie the Brat	1981	Writer
Gauche the Cellist	1982	Screenplay
Nausicaä of the Valley of the Wind	1984	Producer
Castle in the Sky	1986	Producer
The Story of Yanagawa's Canals	1987	Writer
The Story of Yanagawa's Canals	1987	Screenplay
Au	1988	Producer
Grave of the Fireflies	1988	Screenplay
Only Yesterday	1991	Screenplay
Pom Poko	1994	Writer
My Neighbors the Yamadas	1999	Screenplay
Anne of Green Gables: Road to Green Gables	2010	Writer
The Tale of The Princess Kaguya	2013	Screenplay
The Red Turtle	2016	Producer