
Hayao Miyazaki’s first full-length film was Nausicaä of the Valley of the Wind in 1984, but his famous Studio Ghibli—which he co-founded with Isao Takahata and Toshio Suzuki—didn’t release its first film until 1986 with Castle in the Sky. The studio gained widespread recognition in 1988 with the beloved My Neighbor Totoro, becoming popular in Japan, Asia, and around the world. In 2001, Spirited Away won an Academy Award for Best Animated Feature, putting Studio Ghibli alongside major animation studios like Disney and Dreamworks. As Western audiences discovered Ghibli’s films, Kiki’s Delivery Service from 1989 became a global favorite and continues to inspire creators today.