In Memoriam: Studio Ghibli Co-founder Isao Takahata

It is with a heavy heart that we announce the passing of Studio Ghibli co-founder and director of films such as Grave of the Fireflies and The Tale of Princess Kaguya Isao Takahata at the age of 82.

Takahata’s career started in 1959 at Toei Animation. During his tenure there, he met Hayao Miyazaki, and the pair founded the famed animation powerhouse Studio Ghibli in 1985. His body of work as a director, writer, and producer spans over 50 years, and included TV shows such as Lupin III and the Anne of Green Gables anime, as well as films including Nausicaä of the Valley of the Wind and My Neighbors the Yamadas. His best known work is as writer and director of the critically acclaimed 1988 film Grave of the Fireflies, about a pair of siblings trying to survive in post-war Japan.

A statement released by Studio Ghibli has stated Takahata passed at 1:19 am (00:19 EST) on Thursday, April 5, at a Tokyo hospital after a fight with lung cancer. A farewell ceremony honoring Takahata will be held on May 15th. We send his family and friends and fans our condolences.