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Isao Takahata au Festival international du film d’animation d’Annecy 2014. Photo by Boungawa. .

Top 10 Outstanding Facts about Isao Takahata

Isao Takahata was a Japanese director, screenwriter, and producer. He is also the co-founder of Studio Ghibli. The name Ghibli comes from a hot North African wind that blows into Italy. Takahata and his partner Miyazaki had a vision. They intended to blow fresh air into the Japanese animation industry.

He was born in Ujiyamada, Mie Prefecture on October 29^th, 1935. Takahata studied French literature at the University of Tokyo. Starting at a low rank in production, Takahata has progressively worked to be the animation legend that he was in Japanese animation.

His career spanned half a century. He started as a pioneer in the 1960s to his death in 2018. His famous works are Heidi, Girl of the Alps (1974), and Anne of Green Gables (1979) among many others. He was an innovative and creative individual. Here are the top 10 outstanding facts about Isao Takahata.

1. He was the co-founder of Studio Ghibli

Studio Ghibli, studio 2nd. Photo by Kly.

Miyazaki approached Isao with the idea of co-founding their animation studio. This was after Miyazaki’s creation Nausicaa of the Valley of the Wind became successful.  Studio Ghibli was formed in 1985. It was formed by Miyazaki, Isao, and Miyazaki’s collaborators Toshio Suzuki and Yasuyoshi Tokuma.

The studio released animated feature films that were directed by Miyazaki. Isao was the producer. Their first release was Grave of the Fireflies written by Akiyuki Nosaka. This film established the international esteem of Studio Ghibli.

2. He had not intended to venture into animation

Isao went to the University of Tokyo in 1959 where he graduated with a degree in French literature. This is far from what he did as a producer. During his studies, he saw the French film Le Roi et l’Oiseau which led him to be interested in animation.

He was interested in writing and directing animations as opposed to creating animations himself. He, therefore, applied for a job at Toei Animation as a director. He passed the exam and was hired as an assistant director for several of Toei’s animated television shows and films. These include Wolf Boy Ken.

3. He survived a United States air raid

On June 29^th, 1945 there was an air raid on Okayama that lasted for one and a half hours. At least 1,700 people died. Takahata was 9 years old at the time. He was asleep at his home when he was woken up by his neighbors early in the morning.

Takahata and his sister Isuzu ran outside barefoot in their pajamas. Just as he took cover under the eaves of a building, the bombs fell in front of him and flames went up.

4. He died of lung cancer

Isao Takahata was diagnosed with lung cancer. He, later on, died on 5^th April 2018 at a hospital in Tokyo. He died at the age of 82. On May 15^th, 2018, a farewell ceremony for Isao was held at the Ghibli museum in Tokyo.

Hayao Miyazaki, his long-term partner spoke of how he had thought and wished Isao had lived to 95 years. His death was a slap on his face. He said that it woke him up to the reality of the limited time we all have on earth.

5. Takahata was influenced by French animators

Isao Takahata au Festival international du film d’animation d’Annecy 2014. Photo by Boungawa.

Takahata was influenced by the work of Paul Grimault. Paul Grimault was a French animator. He was also inspired by French New Wave directors including Jean-Luc Godard. The list is not complete without Frederic Back a French-born Canadian director.

Some of his works that left a mark on Isao include; Crac and The Man who Planted Trees. This is because these works achieved the illusion of three dimensions using a two-dimensional medium which was an important concept to Isao Takahata.

6. One of his most praised films is Omohide Poro Poro

This is translated to Memories Like Falling Raindrops. The film was released in 1991. It was retitled Only Yesterday for release to English-speaking audiences. This film is about Taeko, a single woman working at a desk job in Tokyo.

She takes an annual vacation in the countryside with the family of her sister-in-law. She finds herself reflecting on her schoolgirl days in 1966. She does all this while attempting to solve her issues with her career and her love life.

7. His signature in films was scenes of the character’s imagination coming to life on screen

Studio Ghibli booth at the 2021 San Diego Comic-Con Special Edition at the San Diego Convention Center in San Diego, California. Photo by Gage Skidmore..

Takahata’s works are marked by scenes where a character’s imagination comes to life on screen. In Omohide Poro Poro, after Taeko encounters her first love she runs up into the sky and floats through the red-colored sky.

The scene ends with her gliding into bed and a large heart emerges from the window to her bedroom. These scenes can be found to some degree in all of Takahata’s works like Forest of Delusion.

8. His nickname at the studio was Paku-san

In Japanese, paku paku is an onomatopoeic description of the sound flapping lips make while eating. Isao Takahata had a habit of showing up late for work while eating bread.

He washed down the bread with water. He was a man of strong will. Despite being heard yelling mid-production about the impossibility of finishing a film, he did an excellent job each time.

9. He always spoke out for world peace

Takahata’s work often described the world of children in beautiful ways. Takahata was famous for speaking out in favor of peace. Grave of the Fireflies combined these themes. It depicted a sister and a brother struggling to cope with the terrors of World War Two.

10. He was an Oscar-nominated director

This image was generated by the ArtBreeder GAN website. Photo by Watercolorheart.

Not only was Isao Takahata nominated for the Oscars as a director, but his film The Tale of the Princess Kaguya was also nominated for the Animated Feature Film. The film is based on a Japanese folktale Taketori Monogatari. The tale of the bamboo cutter.