Japan Modern Culture: Studio Ghibli
[:it]
photo credits: ghibli.jp
Alzi la mano chi non si è innamorata di Howl, lo stregone con il suo castello errante, o che non ha provato tenerezza per Kaonashi, il Senza Volto de “La Città Incantata”… Se anche voi siete tra coloro che amano le produzioni dello Studio Ghibli, allora vi trovate nel posto giusto!
Il Vento Caldo del Deserto
15 giugno 1985: Hayao Miyazaki, Isao Takahata, Toshio Suzuki e Yasuyoshi Tokuma decisero di fondare 株式会社スタジオジブリ ovvero lo Studio Ghibli Inc. il cui nome fu scelto proprio da Miyazaki con l’intenzione di “creare una tromba d’aria nel mondo dell’animazione giapponese”. Le radici affondano nella passione per l’aviazione del regista e sceneggiatore nipponico, infatti “Ghibli” non è solo il vento caldo del deserto del Sahara ma, durante la seconda guerra mondiale l’aereo da ricognizione italiano Caproni Ca.309 era soprannominato proprio “Ghibli”. Curioso, non è vero?
All’inizio nessuno pensava che il progetto sarebbe arrivato al grande successo, perciò per ridurre al minimo il rischio del fallimento, furono impiegati 70 animatori a tempo determinato e la sede dello studio consisteva in un ufficio di 90 metri quadrati a Kichijoji, Tokyo.
photo credits: sgcafe.com
Un successo dietro l’altro
Lo Studio Ghibli iniziò la propria produzione ufficiale con “Laputa – Il castello nel cielo”, “Il mio vicino Totoro” e “Una tomba per le lucciole”, tre perle d’animazione acclamati dalla critica, ma che all’inizio non riscossero lo stesso successo accumulato nel tempo.
Fu “Kiki – Consegne a domicilio” che ottenne grandi risultati nel 1989 diventando il successo dell’anno al botteghino giapponese. Questo permise di introdurre i contratti a tempo indeterminato all’interno della produzione e ad assumere nuovo personale. Oramai lo Studio contava quasi 300 persone al suo interno e si cominciò a pensare ad una nuova sede proprio durante la produzione di Porco Rosso, la cui qualità non fu eccelsa proprio a causa dell’affollamento in ufficio.
Nel 1992 il nuovo studio, la cui realizzazione fu seguita in prima persona da Miyazaki che ne disegnò l’aspetto finale, fu pronto. Finalmente avvenne il passaggio a Koganai (Tokyo). La computer-generated imagery (CGI), che permette ad un’immagine bidimensionale digitalizzata di essere gestita in ogni tipo di vista tridimensionale, venne introdotta con “Pom Poko”.
Nel 1994 e nel 1995 fu distribuito “I Sospiri del mio Cuore” e, sul finire degli anni ’90 e i primi anni 2000, lo Studio Ghibli appose la sua firma sui capolavori più amati, raggiungendo il successo meritato anche in occidente: Princess Mononoke (1997), La città incantata (2001) e Il castello errante di Howl (2004), diretti da Hayao Miyazaki.
Il 2006 fu il turno di Gorō, figlio di Miyazaki, a dirigere il film I racconti di Terramare e, due anni dopo, lo Studio Ghibli divenne l’unico studio di animazione giapponese ad usare esclusivamente tecniche di disegno tradizionali per le proprie produzioni.
Purtroppo, nel 2013, in occasione della la 70ª Mostra internazionale d’arte cinematografica di Venezia, a seguito della presentazione del 19° film di animazione marchiato Studio Ghibli “Si alza il vento” (The Wind Rises), venne annunciato il ritiro dalle attività cinematografiche di Miyazaki, con conseguente dispiacere dei fans. Il produttore disse che la sua avanzata età non gli permetteva più di seguire le lunghe realizzazioni dei suoi film e così, l’8 novembre 2014 l’Academy gli conferì l’Oscar alla carriera.
Il 2015 fu un anno strano per lo Studio Ghibli: Hiromasa Yonebayashi, regista di “Arrietty – Il mondo segreto sotto il pavimento” e di “Quando c’era Marnie” lasciò la produzione. Durante una conferenza a Tokyo, Miyazaki annunciò il suo impegno in un nuovo progetto la cui produzione avrebbe potuto richiedere più di cinque anni di lavorazione. Infatti, nel 2017, attraverso un’intervista al produttore Toshio Suzuki, si venne a sapere che il nuovo lungometraggio sarebbe stato un adattamento del romanzo giapponese del 1937 “Kimi-tachi wa do ikuruka?” di Genzaburo Hoshino.
Non ci resta che attendere quali sorprese ci regaleranno anni di esperienza e passione!
photo credits: tokyotreat.com
Museo Ghibli
Raggiungibile con la linea JR Chuo per la deliziosa cittadina di Mitaka, il museo presenta una varietà di stanze che mescolano lo stile vintage allo steampunk traboccanti di riferimenti al folklore e alla quotidianità giapponese. All’interno esiste anche un cinema dove vengono proiettati cortometraggi inediti di circa 15 minuti.
Inoltre, in diversi periodi dell’anno, vengono allestite esibizioni speciali per periodi limitati di tempo. Procurarsi i biglietti per il Museo non è facile poichè non sono venduti in sede. E’ ecessaria la prenotazione parecchio tempo prima attraverso le biglietterie Lawson online o nei minimarket Lawson presenti sul territorio Giapponese, oppure in biglietterie specifiche all’estero dove i biglietti sono messi a disposizione solo per 4 mesi all’anno.
Per ogni informazione specifica e per tutti gli aggiornamenti, potete controllare il sito ufficiale, disponibile anche in lingua inglese qui: http://www.ghibli-museum.jp/en/
photo credits: forbes.com
Mostra dello Studio Ghibli a Tokyo
La “Toshio Suzuki and Studio Ghibli Exhibition”, la prima mostra dello Studio dopo 3 anni presso il centro di scambio culturale EDOCCO, Tempio di Kanda Myojin a Tokyo. Inaugurata il 20 aprile e in corso fino al 12 maggio, è una tappa obbligatoria per chiunque voglia essere catapultato nell’incantevole mondo Ghibli. Si possono ammirare le illustrazioni e documentazioni che rivelano il dietro le quinte delle trame e dei processi produttivi dei suoi capolavori dalla sua fondazione sino ad oggi.
E’ disponibile anche un ampia zona dedicata al merchandise, tra cui speciali ema e omamori creati in collaborazione con il tempio stesso. Gli appassionati troveranno anche dei menù a tema all’ EDOCCO café come ad esempio il “Makkuro na kuro goma ohagi no ocha set” in omaggio ai Nerini del Buio (Makkuro Kurosuke) o il “Tonari no Kakigori” ispirato al Mio Vicino Totoro.
E’ possibile acquistare i biglietti per la mostra sia in sede che online al costo di 1,300¥ per adulti e 800¥ per gli studenti. Sito ufficiale: https://ghibli-suzuki.com/
photo credits: amu-zen.com
[:en]
photo credits: ghibli.jp
Raise your hand if you didn’t fall in love with Howl, the sorcerer with his wandering castle, or who has not felt tenderness for Kaonashi, the Faceless of “The Enchanted City” … If you are among those who love the productions of Studio Ghibli too, then you are in the right place!
The Hot Wind of the Desert
June 15, 1985: Hayao Miyazaki, Isao Takahata, Toshio Suzuki and Yasuyoshi Tokuma decided to found 株式会社スタジオジブリ or Studio Ghibli Inc. whose name was chosen by Miyazaki with the intention of “creating a whirlwind in the world of Japanese animation”. The roots lie in the passion for aviation of the Japanese director and screenwriter, in fact “Ghibli” is not only the warm wind of the Sahara desert but, during the Second World War the Italian reconnaissance plane Caproni Ca.309 was nicknamed “Ghibli”. Curious, isn’t it?
At first no one thought that the project would been very successful, so to minimize the risk of failure, 70 temporary entertainers were employed and the office of the studio consisted of a 90 square meter office rented in Kichijoji, Tokyo.
photo credits: sgcafe.com
A success after another
Studio Ghibli began its official production with “Laputa – castle in the sky”, “My neighbor Totoro” and “Grave of the Fireflies”, three animated pearls acclaimed by critics. However, at first, these three wonderful pieces did not achieve the same success they accumulated over time.
It was “Kiki’s Delivery Service” that achieved great results in 1989 becoming the success of the year at the Japanese box office. This allowed for permanent contracts to be introduced into production and to hire new staff. By now the Studio had almost 300 people working and they began to think of moving to a new location just during the production of Porco Rosso, whose quality was not excellent due to the crowding in office.
In 1992 the new study, whose realization was followed in first person by Miyazaki who drew the final appearance, was ready. They were finally ready to move to Koganai (Tokyo). Computer-generated imagery (CGI), which allows a digitized two-dimensional image to be handled in any kind of three-dimensional view, was introduced with “Pom Poko”.
In 1994 and 1995 “Whisper of the Heart” was released. At the end of the 90s and the early 2000s the Studio Ghibli signed one of his most beloved masterpieces, achieving the deserved success also outside Japan: Princess Mononoke (1997), Spirited Away (2001) and Howl’s moving Castle (2004), directed by Hayao Miyazaki.
In 2006 was the turn of Gorō, son of Miyazaki, to direct the film Tales from Earthsea and, two years later, Studio Ghibli became the only Japanese animation studio to use exclusively traditional drawing techniques for their own productions.
Unfortunately, in 2013, on the occasion of the 70th International Film Festival of Venice, following the presentation of Studio Ghibli’s 19th animated film “The Wind Rises”, Miyazaki announced his retirement, with consequent displeasure of the fans. The producer said that his advanced age no longer allowed him to follow the long accomplishments of his films and so, on November 8th 2014, the Academy awarded him with the Oscar for his career.
2015 was a strange year for Studio Ghibli: Hiromasa Yonebayashi, director of “Arrietty” and “When Marnie Was There” left the production. During a conference in Tokyo, Miyazaki announced his commitment to a new project whose production could have required more than five years of work. In fact, in 2017, through an interview with producer Toshio Suzuki, we discovered that the new feature would have been an adaptation of the 1937 Japanese novel “Kimi-tachi wa do ikuruka?” by Genzaburo Hoshino.
We just have to wait for the surprises that years of experience and passion will gift us!
photo credits: tokyotreat.com
Ghibli Museum
Reachable with the JR Chuo line for the delightful town of Mitaka, the museum presents a variety of rooms that mix the vintage and steampunk style overflowing with references to Japanese folklore and everyday life. Inside, there is also a cinema where unpublished short films of about 15 minutes are screened.
Moreover, at different times of the year, special exhibitions are set up for limited periods of time! Getting tickets for the Museum is not easy as they are not sold in the venue. Reservations must be made some time before through the Lawson ticket offices online or in the Lawson convenience stores on the Japanese territory, or at specific ticket offices abroad where the tickets are placed at available only for 4 months a year.
For any specific information and for all updates, you can check the official website, also available in English here: http://www.ghibli-museum.jp/en/
photo credits: forbes.com
Exhibition of Studio Ghibli in Tokyo
The “Toshio Suzuki and Studio Ghibli Exhibition”, the first exhibition after 3 years of the study at the EDOCCO cultural exchange center, Kanda Myojin Temple in Tokyo, inaugurated on April 20 and it’s running until May 12. It’s a must for anyone who wants to be catapulted into the enchanting world of Ghibli. You can admire the illustrations and documentation revealing the behind the scenes of the plots and production processes of these masterpieces from its foundation until today.
A large merchandise section is also available, including special ema and omamori created in collaboration with the temple itself. Enthusiasts will also find themed menus at the EDOCCO café such as the “Makkuro na kuro goma ohagi no ocha set” in homage to Makkuro Kurosuke (Soot Sprites) or the “Tonari no Kakigori ”inspired by My neighbor Totoro.
It is possible to buy tickets for the exhibition both on-site and online at a cost of 1,300 ¥ for adults and ¥ 800 for students. Official website: https://ghibli-suzuki.com/
photo credits: amu-zen.com
[:ja]
photo credits: ghibli.jp
Raise your hand if you didn’t fall in love with Howl, the sorcerer with his wandering castle, or who has not felt tenderness for Kaonashi, the Faceless of “The Enchanted City” … If you are among those who love the productions of Studio Ghibli too, then you are in the right place!
The Hot Wind of the Desert
June 15, 1985: Hayao Miyazaki, Isao Takahata, Toshio Suzuki and Yasuyoshi Tokuma decided to found 株式会社スタジオジブリ or Studio Ghibli Inc. whose name was chosen by Miyazaki with the intention of “creating a whirlwind in the world of Japanese animation”. The roots lie in the passion for aviation of the Japanese director and screenwriter, in fact “Ghibli” is not only the warm wind of the Sahara desert but, during the Second World War the Italian reconnaissance plane Caproni Ca.309 was nicknamed “Ghibli”. Curious, isn’t it?
At first no one thought that the project would been very successful, so to minimize the risk of failure, 70 temporary entertainers were employed and the office of the studio consisted of a 90 square meter office rented in Kichijoji, Tokyo.
photo credits: sgcafe.com
A success after another
Studio Ghibli began its official production with “Laputa – castle in the sky”, “My neighbor Totoro” and “Grave of the Fireflies”, three animated pearls acclaimed by critics. However, at first, these three wonderful pieces did not achieve the same success they accumulated over time.
It was “Kiki’s Delivery Service” that achieved great results in 1989 becoming the success of the year at the Japanese box office. This allowed for permanent contracts to be introduced into production and to hire new staff. By now the Studio had almost 300 people working and they began to think of moving to a new location just during the production of Porco Rosso, whose quality was not excellent due to the crowding in office.
In 1992 the new study, whose realization was followed in first person by Miyazaki who drew the final appearance, was ready. They were finally ready to move to Koganai (Tokyo). Computer-generated imagery (CGI), which allows a digitized two-dimensional image to be handled in any kind of three-dimensional view, was introduced with “Pom Poko”.
In 1994 and 1995 “Whisper of the Heart” was released. At the end of the 90s and the early 2000s the Studio Ghibli signed one of his most beloved masterpieces, achieving the deserved success also outside Japan: Princess Mononoke (1997), Spirited Away (2001) and Howl’s moving Castle (2004), directed by Hayao Miyazaki.
In 2006 was the turn of Gorō, son of Miyazaki, to direct the film Tales from Earthsea and, two years later, Studio Ghibli became the only Japanese animation studio to use exclusively traditional drawing techniques for their own productions.
Unfortunately, in 2013, on the occasion of the 70th International Film Festival of Venice, following the presentation of Studio Ghibli’s 19th animated film “The Wind Rises”, Miyazaki announced his retirement, with consequent displeasure of the fans. The producer said that his advanced age no longer allowed him to follow the long accomplishments of his films and so, on November 8th 2014, the Academy awarded him with the Oscar for his career.
2015 was a strange year for Studio Ghibli: Hiromasa Yonebayashi, director of “Arrietty” and “When Marnie Was There” left the production. During a conference in Tokyo, Miyazaki announced his commitment to a new project whose production could have required more than five years of work. In fact, in 2017, through an interview with producer Toshio Suzuki, we discovered that the new feature would have been an adaptation of the 1937 Japanese novel “Kimi-tachi wa do ikuruka?” by Genzaburo Hoshino.
We just have to wait for the surprises that years of experience and passion will gift us!
photo credits: tokyotreat.com
Ghibli Museum
Reachable with the JR Chuo line for the delightful town of Mitaka, the museum presents a variety of rooms that mix the vintage and steampunk style overflowing with references to Japanese folklore and everyday life. Inside, there is also a cinema where unpublished short films of about 15 minutes are screened.
Moreover, at different times of the year, special exhibitions are set up for limited periods of time! Getting tickets for the Museum is not easy as they are not sold in the venue. Reservations must be made some time before through the Lawson ticket offices online or in the Lawson convenience stores on the Japanese territory, or at specific ticket offices abroad where the tickets are placed at available only for 4 months a year.
For any specific information and for all updates, you can check the official website, also available in English here: http://www.ghibli-museum.jp/en/
photo credits: forbes.com
Exhibition of Studio Ghibli in Tokyo
The “Toshio Suzuki and Studio Ghibli Exhibition”, the first exhibition after 3 years of the study at the EDOCCO cultural exchange center, Kanda Myojin Temple in Tokyo, inaugurated on April 20 and it’s running until May 12. It’s a must for anyone who wants to be catapulted into the enchanting world of Ghibli. You can admire the illustrations and documentation revealing the behind the scenes of the plots and production processes of these masterpieces from its foundation until today.
A large merchandise section is also available, including special ema and omamori created in collaboration with the temple itself. Enthusiasts will also find themed menus at the EDOCCO café such as the “Makkuro na kuro goma ohagi no ocha set” in homage to Makkuro Kurosuke (Soot Sprites) or the “Tonari no Kakigori ”inspired by My neighbor Totoro.
It is possible to buy tickets for the exhibition both on-site and online at a cost of 1,300 ¥ for adults and ¥ 800 for students. Official website: https://ghibli-suzuki.com/
photo credits: amu-zen.com
[:]