Studio Ghibli: Architecture in Animation

A deluxe art book featuring exclusive commentary, sketches, concept art, and paintings detailing the unique architecture in Studio Ghibli’s films.

Explore the dazzling animated worlds of Spirited Away, Princess Mononoke, Nausicaä of the Valley of the Wind, and more with Studio Ghibli: Architecture in Animation!

Learn how the visionary animation studio brings its vibrant worlds to life through hundreds of pieces of concept art, sketches, and background paintings that illuminate the architectural inspirations of Studio Ghibli’s animated classics. Distinctive interiors, imaginative exteriors, breathtaking landscapes, and the interplay between the three are all examined in detail through collected remarks from acclaimed director Hayao Miyazaki, exclusive commentary from renowned architect Terunobu Fujimori, and quotes from the artists and art directors of Studio Ghibli’s beloved films.

Readers will learn of the historical, architectural, and personal inspirations behind such iconic and inventive buildings and structures as the bathhouse from Spirited Away, Howl’s moving castle, and Satsuki and Mei’s country home from My Neighbor Totoro. This book is the perfect gift for all fans of Studio Ghibli’s timeless movies.

This book is the translated reprint edition of the catalog for the exhibition Studio Ghibli’s Architecture in Animation.

HAYAO MIYAZAKI was born in 1941 in Tokyo, Japan. After graduating from Gakushuin University in 1963 with a degree in Political Science and Economics, Hayao Miyazaki joined Toei Animation Company as an animator, working under the director Isao Takahata for scene planning and key animation for the production of The Little Norse Prince Valiant (1968). He directed his first TV series Future Boy Conan in 1978. He debuted as a director of theatrical features with The Castle of Cagliostro (1979). In 1984, Miyazaki wrote and directed his feature Nausicaä of the Valley of the Wind, based on his original graphic novel serialized in the monthly animation magazine ＂Animage＂.

Miyazaki co-founded Studio Ghibli in 1985 with Takahata, and has directed ten feature films since, including Castle in the Sky (1986), My Neighbor Totoro (1988), Kiki’s Delivery Service (1989), Porco Rosso (1992) and Princess Mononoke (1997). Spirited Away (2001) broke every box office record in Japan, and garnered many awards, including the Golden Bear at the 2002 Berlin International Film Festival and the 2002 Academy Award(R) for Best Animated Feature Film. His latest film, The Boy and the Heron, released in Japan on July 14, 2023.