[2013.09.07] HAYAO MIYAZAKI ANNOUNCES HIS RETIREMENT: THIS TIME I AM SERIOUS

Hayao Miyazaki says that he would often remove his glasses and bury his head into his work.  He gives a live demonstration.

THE WIND RISES is Hayao Miyazaki's final animation, later it might be made into shorts to be shown in the Ghibli Museum

Toshio Suzuki and Hayao Miyazaki have worked together for over 30 years

Hayao Miyazawa hopes to spend more time at the Ghibli Museum after retirement with exhibits and communicate more with visitors

HOWL'S MOVING CASTLE is Hayao Miyazaki's most memorable work

SPIRITED AWAY has brought multiple international awards to Hayao Miyazawa and become Japan's highest grossing film

Hayao Miyazaki receives a lifetime achievement Award at the 2005 Venice Film Festival

Hayao Miyazaki's mother carried him when he was little, later due to her tuberculosis they had to move often.
courtesy of mingpao.com

Japanese animation master Hayao Miyazaki yesterday afternoon held his retirement press conference in Tokyo. Because he stated that he would not respond any further about his retirement, over 600 reporters from around the world crowded into the venue. Hayao Miyazaki at the opening joked that he has said that he would retire many times, but this time he was absolutely serious. He decided to retire because of the word "old". At age 72 he actually spent 5 years to make his new film THE WIND RISES, physically his condition was not as it was before. Thus he decided to completely retire from the Studio Ghibli and hoped to spent time more on the Ghibli Museum.

Miyazaki said that he did not want to hold a press conference to announce his retirement, but he felt that he should properly explain the matter. He joked, "Although I have said retirement many times, maybe some people would feel that this time will be like before, this time however I am serious." Actually after THE WIND RISES' first screening in June, he said to his long time collaborator Toshio Suzuki that he no longer wanted to work. However he joked, "Because I have said it many times, I didn't know if he thought it was real." Suzuki said that they have worked together for over 30 years and experienced a lot. However he was certain that Hayao Miyazaki this time was serious. Thus on August 5 he made the official announcement to the Ghibli employees and planned to make the revelation outside in early September. Coincidentally the film took part in the Venice Film Festival, which he thought was a good opportunity to make it public. Thus at the press conference there, the Ghibli president announced the retirement.

The reason behind the retirement was the age of Hayao Miyazaki. His health was not what it was. He said, "In the past I could sit at the desk and at least draw for 12 hours, but when I made THE WIND RISES I drew for 7 hours and I already felt very exhausted. Sometimes I would set the pen on the desk and went home to rest. Finally I spent 5 years before completing it. I believed that from now on another full length animation would take even longer to produce, maybe 6 or 7 years. Then I will be 80 something. The Studio and I both can't afford to spend so much time to produce a movie."

Will he participate in other film production or character creation in the future, or produce the rumored VALLEY OF THE WIND sequel? Hayao Miyazaki immediately said, "No." He continued, "I am already a free man. I can do whatever I want, and I have the freedom not to do anything. Actually I have something that I want to, but if I say it and not do it it would be bad. So I am not saying anymore." Later he also revealed that the Ghibli Museum has a lot of matter for him to handle, for exhibits and volunteering.

Hayao Miyazaki has released many successful animation. His most memorable was HOWL'S MOVING CASTLE, citing that his work has always been under the influence of children cultural work a lot. Hayao Miyazaki said, "I hope to express to children, 'life is valuable and worth living', this belief will never change." Reporters from Taiwan and Italy asked since he would have time after his retirement would he travel, in particular his work often expressed meaningful messages like environmental protection. This was a good opportunity for him to share his ideas and the Japanese culture with fans around the world, but Hayao Miyazaki expressed that he hoped fans from around the world would visit him in Japan. "I am not a culture person, I am just an old man in a small factory."

He said that he has never thought about becoming a director, as he only wanted to focus on being an animator. "When I focus on drawing on a sketch I could be happy for two or three days. A director has to go from the beginning to the end, it's very tiring especially with my bad stomach. I really wanted to be an animator until the end, this is a career that belongs to me." A reporter was very concerned about his health, he said that his health was decent, but old age certainly would bring some problems. He said, "I was once 70 kilograms, at the time I was like a pig. It was very tough." Luckily his wife cooked for him, changed his diet so he was able to have the health to maintain his work for years. As for his wife's response when he decided to retire, "She just acknowledged me once, then I asked her to keep preparing the rice box for me." Hayao Miyazaki issued a statement, briefly stating the reason for his retirement and his future plans. He said, "Originally I wanted to work another 10 years, while I can drive to work and home, I hope to be able to continue to work." He also said, "My daily life basically won't change, everyday I will still take the same road. Although taking Saturday off has been a dream, how would I know if I would be do it?"

Japanese animation master Hayao Miyazaki has won countless awards over the years, like in 2005 at the 62nd Venice Film Festival he received the Lifetime Achievement Award. His most famous work has to be the 2001 release SPIRITED AWAY, which not only won countless awards at home but also 16 awards internationally like the 2002 Berlin Film Festival Golden Bear Prize and the 21st Hong Kong Film Award Best Asian Film and the 2003 Best Animation Oscar. its 3.04 billion yen box office surpassed the 1997 film TITANIC to become the highest grossing film in Japan box office history.

Hayao Miyazaki was born on January 5 1941 in Bunkyo district of Tokyo. The second of four brothers, he loved to draw due to his childhood fraility and had quite a talent. He loved the manga of Osamu Tezuka and Shigeru Sugiura. In April 1963 he joined the Toei Animation as an animator.

In 1971 he left Toei Animation and joined A Production with Isao Takahata, producing cartoons like LUPIN THE THIRD and 3000 LEAGUES IN SEARCH OF MOTHER. in 1985 he and Toshio Suzuki formed Studio Ghibli and produced CASTLE IN THE SKY, MY NEIGHBOR TOTORO, SPIRITED AWAY and his latest film THE WIND RISES.