Legendary Studio Ghibli co-founder Hayao Miyazaki shows no signs of putting down his pencils. Despite approaching his mid-eighties, the Oscar-winning director continues to produce brand-new illustrations, much to the awe and affectionate exasperation of his family and colleagues.
Speaking during a media preview for Ghibli Park’s latest attraction, his son and fellow director Goro Miyazaki shared candid insights into his father's relentless creative drive. While admitting that he occasionally thinks his father should take a well-deserved rest, Goro ultimately expressed a deeper wish regarding the iconic animator's legendary career.
The Panorama Box Project
Goro revealed that his father's recent illustrations have begun overflowing from their traditional constraints, specifically highlighting the artwork created for the theme park's new Panorama Box Exhibition. Opened on July 8 at Studio Ghibli's official park in Japan, the installation features 31 handcrafted boxes built over a painstaking three-year period.
The exhibition incorporates three-dimensional art inspired by the paper crafts that Hayao Miyazaki adored during his childhood. Each individual display layers multiple illustrations together to evoke memorable cinematic moments from timeless classics such as Nausicaä of the Valley of the Wind, Kiki’s Delivery Service, Howl’s Moving Castle, and his recent masterpiece The Boy and the Heron, alongside entirely original concepts.
Goro noted that the exhibition also serves a vital archival purpose for younger generations who might not be as familiar with the studio's foundational works. By reintroducing these beloved worlds through intricate physical craftsmanship, the studio hopes to inspire fresh audiences to discover decades of animation history.
