Studio Ghibli is a Japanese animation studio co-founded by Hayao Miyazaki and his colleague, Isao Takahata. Ghibli is an Italian word that means "hot wind blowing through the Sahara Desert", The name has been frequently used since World War 2 for Italian combat aircraft. Miyazaki, big fan of aviation, wanted their studio to be named that way because he wanted to blow a sensational wind into the Japanese world of animation.

Studio Ghibli is quite unique not only in the Japanese animation industry, but internationally as well, because the studio only produces theatrical animation films (or feature films) based on original work. Production of theatrical films contains high risk, because there is no guarantee for box-office success, most animation studios work mainly on TV animations. This is also true in Japan and many of the animation studios rely on TV animations, producing only from time to time theatrical films, most of which are just theatrical versions of an already popular TV animation piece.

More than 30 years ago, Takahata and Miyazaki met at Toei-Doga, a production studio that produces animated feature film only. While they had participated in the production of some theatrical feature films in the beginning, they were caught in the current of time, and they had no choice but to make animations for TV. That's when they come to realize that it was impossible make animation with the quality they want through TV animation where budget and time is very limited.

So in 1985, after they completion of "Nausicaa of the Valley of Wind", which produced by Takahata and directed by Miyazaki, they agreed to create a new studio in order to fulfill their dream to make animation they want without compromising on the quality and content. The animation the studio created was "Laputa: The Castle in the Sky" in 1986, it also produced by Takahata and directed by Miyazaki. Both "Nausicaa" and "Laputa" receive high acclaims.

After creation of "Laputa", the next project is "My Neighbor Totoro" directed by Miyazaki and "Grave of the Fireflies" directed by Takahata. The studio made "Totoro" and "Grave" at the same time, and even released it at the same time. It was first time Ghibli making two films at once, the making process was madness but none of the films quality was to be sacrificed. The box office performance of the two films was not too good because it was not release during summer season where many Japanese go to the theater. Despite the poor box office performance, the two films received high acclaims from various fields for the superb quality of work. For that year, "Totoro" won most of the picture awards in Japan, including best photography. "Fireflies" was highly praised as a true literary art. Because of these two pictures, Studio Ghibli became widely known in the Japanese film industry.

To help recovered the cost of making these two films, Studio Ghibli began selling stuffed Totoro toys. Unexpectedly, these Totoro toys gains big hit and making it possible for Ghibli to cover any deficit on production cost. Totoro even adopted as the Studio Ghibli logo.

The release of "Kiki's Delivery Service" in 1989, directed by Miyazaki, was a big hits, it topped the box office of that year. The picture outnumbered all previously released films of Ghibli both in revenue and box office number. The success of "Kiki's Delivery Service" enabling Studio Ghibli to employ full-time staff with fixed salary system and training program to develop the talent of the staff. Before that, Studio Ghibli only employed freelance staff that paid based on how many pieces they drew or painted. Because of the success of "Kiki's" too, the studio was able to expand its operations into Tokyo.

After that, the studio began its next production, Only Yesterday, also directed by Miyazaki. Despite the staff concern, "Only Yesterday" followed the success of "Kiki's", it also topped the box office at that year. Because the new implementation of full-time staff and fixed monthly salary system, the studio must keep on producing. So, even before production of "Only Yesterday" done, the production of "Porco Rosso" went on ahead. Because of the shortage of staff, Miyazaki is forced to work on "Porco Rosso" alone at the start.

Whether to relieve the stress he's under, Miyazaki came up with proposition to build a new studio. This proposition creating huge commotion, but because he's reasoning sounds convincing and Yasuyoshi Tokuma, the president of Studio Ghibli totally agree with his proposition, so the building of the new studio started.

Miyazaki at that time was a true genius, who presented his talents in many ways. While making Porco Rosso, he drew the blueprint of the new studio himself, held meetings with the builders himself to bring it as close to his image as possible, drew the image drawing of the completed studio, gathered, checked, chose the materials, and made the final decision. And then one year later, both "Porco Rosso" and the new studio were completed almost at the same time. Immediately after the release of "Porco Rosso", Ghibli moved to its new studio in the city of Koganei in the suburb of Tokyo Met.

Porco Rosso was released in the summer 1992, instantly became hits and also topping the box office at that year following the success of its predecessors. It even surpassed Disney's "the Beauty and the Beast", and Spielberg's "Hook".

In 1993, Studio Ghibli produced its first TV animation, "Ocean Waves". The person pointed as director was Tomomitsu Mochizuki, the first person to direct Ghibli film other that Miyazaki and Takahata. The production staff was young, consisted mostly of those in the 20s and 30s. The 70-minutes film received satisfactory results although the budget and time has exceeded the plan.

In 1994, "Pon Poco", directed by Takahata, also became number one film box office at that year. In this film, Ghibli for the first time used CG (computer graphics), although only 3 cuts of the film that used CG.

In 1995, came the second animated film by Ghibli that is not directed by Miyazaki or Takahata, "Whisper of The Heart". Kondo, who was the animation director in "Fireflies", "Kiki's", and "Only Yesterday", pointed to be director for this film.

After that in 1997, the eleventh film by Ghibli, "Princess Mononoke", was released. It became an instant hits, it even became the highest grossing film of all time, until the success of "Titanic". "Princess Mononoke" even won Best Picture at the Japanese Academy Awards.

"My Neighbors the Yamadas" was released in 1999, also a big success. In July 2001, came the next film by Studio Ghibli directed by Miyazaki, "Spirited Away". This film is so phenomenal, it even broke attendance and box office records with 30.4 billion yen (approximately $300 million) in total gross earnings from more than 23 million viewings becoming the highest grossing film of all time in Japan. It has received many awards, including Best Picture at the 2001 Japanese Academy Awards, Golden Bear (First Prize) at the 2002 Berlin Film Festival and the 2002 Academy Award for Best Animated Feature.

The next three animated films that has already released are "The Cat Returns" in 2002, directed by Hiroyuki Morita; "Howl's Moving Castle" in 2004, directed by Hayao Miyazaki and adapted from novel by Diana Wynne Jones; "Tales of the Earthsea" in 2006, directed by Goro Miyazaki, son of Hayao Miyazaki, based on several stories by Ursula K. Le Guin.

There's two new film that Studio Ghibli currently working. The first is "Ponyo on A Cliff" directed by Miyazaki, scheduled to be released in summer 2008. While the other film (no title yet) is directed by Takahata, and scheduled to be released in 2008 or 2009.

Nausicaa of The Valley of the Wind (March 4, 1984)
Laputa: Castle in the Sky (August 2, 1986)
Grave of the Fireflies (April 16, 1988)
My Neighbor Totoro (April 16, 1988)
Kiki's Delivery Service (July 29, 1989)
Only Yesterday (July 20, 1991)
Porco Rosso (July 18, 1992)
Ocean Waves (May 5, 1993)
Pon Poco (July 16, 1994)
Whisper of the Heart (July 15, 1995)
Princess Mononoke (July 12, 1997)
My Neighbors the Yamadas (July 17, 1999)
Spirited Away (July 27, 2001)
The Cat Returns (July 20, 2002)
Howl's Moving Castle (November 20, 2004)
Tales of the Earthsea (July 29, 2006)
Ponyo on the Cliff (June 27, 2008)