Born 1935 (age 82) · Ujiyamada [now Ise], Mie, Japan
Appears in 72 titles

Isao Takahata (October 29, 1935 – April 5, 2018), co-founder of Studio Ghibli, was one of the most famous directors of Japanese animated films. Unlike most anime directors, he did not draw and never worked as an animator before becoming a director. For the first two decades of his career from the 1960s to the 1980s, Takahata worked primarily as director for anime television. In 1985 he and his long-time collaborative partner Hayao Miyazaki formed Studio Ghibli with Toshio Suzuki and Yasuyoshi Tokuma. From that point, his career transitioned into producing, directing, and writing films for Studio Ghibli. He is known for his five feature length anime films released under Ghibli, Grave of the Fireflies (1988), Only Yesterday (1991), Pom Poko (1994), My Neighbors the Yamadas (1999) and The Tale of the Princess Kaguya (2013).

Filmography

The Kingdom of Dreams and Madness
Hayao Miyazaki and the Heron
7.8
Hayao Miyazaki and the Heron
2024
as Self (archive fotage)
The Story of Yanagawa's Canals
8.0
The Story of Yanagawa's Canals
1987
as Himself
Ghibli and The Miyazaki Mystery
7.2
Ghibli and The Miyazaki Mystery
2005
as Self - Interviewee
Hayao Miyazaki and the Ghibli Museum
Paul Grimault, image par image
The Making of Only Yesterday
10.0
The Making of Only Yesterday
1991
as Self
The Cat Returns - Making of
7.8
The Cat Returns - Making of
2002
as Self
How Ghibli Was Born
6.0
How Ghibli Was Born
1998
as Himself
Miyazaki, Spirit of Nature
8.0
Miyazaki, Spirit of Nature
2025
as Self (archive footage)
Yasuo Ōtsuka's Joy in Motion
Ghibli's Bookshelf
Ghibli's Bookshelf
2010
as Self
Japanese Cinema: New Territories