Isao Takahata
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).
Filmography
The Story of Yanagawa Waterways
2026
as Himself
- No poster
Hotaru no Haka to Takahata Isao to 7-satsu no Nōto
2025
as Self (archive footage)
Miyazaki, Spirit of Nature
2025
as Self (archive footage)
Hayao Miyazaki and the Heron
2024
as Self (archive fotage)
2399 Days with Hayao Miyazaki & Studio Ghibli
2023
as Self
- No poster
NHK Image File: I Want To Meet This Person - Isao Takahata, Animation Film Director
2018
as Self (archive footage)
- No poster
Hyohyo: Dear Mr. Yasuo Otsuka
2015
as Self
Isao Takahata and His Tale of The Princess Kaguya
2014
as Self
Ghibli Landscapes - Visit 'Japan' as Depicted by Isao Takahata
2014
as Self
The Kingdom of Dreams and Madness
2013
as Self
Ghibli Landscapes - A Journey to Encounter Directors Isao Takahata and Hayao Miyazaki's Starting Point
2011
as Self
Japanese Cinema: New Territories
2011
as Self
Ghibli's Bookshelf
2010
as Self
A Ghibli Artisan - Kazuo Oga Exhibition - The One Who Drew Totoro's Forest
2007
as Self
Hayao Miyazaki and the Ghibli Museum
2005
as Self
Ghibli and The Miyazaki Mystery
2005
as Self - Interviewee
Yasuo Ōtsuka's Joy in Motion
2004
as Self
Paul Grimault, image par image
2003
as Self
The Birth of Studio Ghibli
2003
The Cat Returns - Making of
2002
as Self
Super TV: Frontline Information 15 Months of Exclusive Coverage! The Secret Behind "My Neighbors the Yamadas"
2000
The World, The Journey Of My Heart - Traveler: Animation Film Director Isao Takahata
1999
as Himself
How Ghibli Was Born
1998
as Himself
The Making of Only Yesterday
1991
as Self