Hayao Miyazaki has won his second Oscar for his Japanese animated feature film, The Boy and the Heron.
“Both Hayao Miyazaki and I have aged a considerable amount. I am grateful to receive such an honor at my age, and taking this as a message to continue our work, I will devote myself to work harder in the future,” film producer Toshio Suzuki said in an interview.
The Japanese anime film, which won “Best Animated Feature Film,” also won a Golden Globe and a BAFTA earlier this year. Miyazaki previously won an Oscar for the Studio Ghibli classic Spirited Away in 2003.
Read more: Studio Ghibli Fans Criticize AI-Generated ‘Spirited Away’ Live-Action
The Boy and the Heron follows Mahito Maki, a 12-year-old who tragically loses his mother in a Tokyo hospital fire during World War Two. His life takes a new turn when his father, who runs a warplane factory, remarries his late wife’s sister, and they move to her rural estate.
There, Mahito encounters a mystical grey heron that guides him to a hidden tower. Inside, he discovers a variety of magical beings who help him navigate the pain of loss in different ways.
“Director Miyazaki is the pride of Japan,” said Hiroko Furuta, a Japanese-language teacher in Tokyo.
“Many people were nominated and I think it’s great news that his movie won the award. There hasn’t been much positive news in Japan lately, so I think it’s great.”
Miyazaki, 83, came out of retirement to make The Boy and the Heron as Studio Ghibli was sold to Nippon TV in 2023.
