New Ghibli Exhibition Comes to Tokyo
An exhibition honoring the life and legacy of Isao Takahata, the visionary co-founder of Studio Ghibli, will open this summer at Azabudai Hills Gallery. Titled “The Man Who Planted Japanese Animation,” the exhibition commemorates what would have been Takahata’s 90th birthday and marks the 80th anniversary of the end of World War II, making it a timely tribute to the director of Grave of the Fireflies, one of Japan’s most haunting anti-war films.
Spanning Takahata’s career from early television animation to Ghibli classics, the exhibition features background art, layouts and cells from titles such as Heidi, Pom Poko, My Neighbors the Yamadas, and The Tale of the Princess Kaguya. The main focus, however, is on Grave of the Fireflies, including rare production materials and a striking harmony cell based on a layout by Evangelion creator Hideaki Anno.
Visitors can enhance their experience with an optional audio guide, voiced by actor and broadcaster Hikaru Ijūin and acclaimed voice actress Sakiko Tamagawa.
