Isao Takahata

Biography

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).

Directed

1. Grave of the Fireflies (1988) — Director
2. The Tale of The Princess Kaguya (2013) — Director
3. Only Yesterday (1991) — Director
4. Pom Poko (1994) — Director
5. My Neighbors the Yamadas (1999) — Director
6. Heidi: Girl of the Alps (1974) — Director
7. Future Boy Conan (1978) — Director
8. 3000 Leagues in Search of Mother (1976) — Director
9. The Story of Heidi (1979) — Director
10. Lupin the 3rd (1971) — Director
11. Horus: Prince of the Sun (1968) — Director
12. Panda! Go Panda! (1972) — Director
13. Gauche the Cellist (1982) — Director
14. Anne of Green Gables (1979) — Director
15. Panda! Go Panda!: Rainy Day Circus (1973) — Director
16. Chie the Brat (1981) — Director
17. Winter Days (2003) — Director
18. Heidi in the Mountains (1974) — Director
19. The Story of Yanagawa's Canals (1987) — Director
20. Anne of Green Gables: Road to Green Gables (2010) — Director
21. Heidi in the City (1977) — Director
22. 3000 Leagues in Search of Mother: The Movie (1980) — Director
23. Panda! Go Panda! (1972) — Director
24. Heidi: Girl of the Alps: Heidi and Clara (1993) — Director
25. Heidi: Girl of the Alps: Mt. Alm (1993) — Director
26. Anne of Green Gables Digest Version (2014) — Director
27. Wolf Boy Ken: Scared by a Ghost: The Greatest Operation in the Jungle (1964) — Director
28. Fantasia (1973) — Director

Also appeared in

1. The Kingdom of Dreams and Madness (2013) — Self
2. Hayao Miyazaki and the Heron (2024) — Self (archive fotage)
3. 10 Years with Hayao Miyazaki (2019) — Self
4. The Story of Yanagawa's Canals (1987) — Himself
5. Isao Takahata and His Tale of The Princess Kaguya (2014) — Self
6. Ghibli and The Miyazaki Mystery (2005) — Self - Interviewee
7. Hayao Miyazaki and the Ghibli Museum (2005) — Self
8. A Ghibli Artisan - Kazuo Oga Exhibition - The One Who Drew Totoro's Forest (2007) — Self
9. The World, The Journey Of My Heart - Traveler: Animation Film Director Isao Takahata (1999) — Himself
10. Paul Grimault, image par image (2003) — Self
11. The Making of Only Yesterday (1991) — Self
12. The Cat Returns - Making of (2002) — Self
13. How Ghibli Was Born (1998) — Himself
14. Miyazaki, Spirit of Nature (2025) — Self (archive footage)
15. Kulturplatz (2004) — Self
16. NHK Educational TV Special (1985) — Himself
17. Yasuo Ōtsuka's Joy in Motion (2004) — Self
18. Ghibli's Bookshelf (2010) — Self
19. Super TV: Frontline Information 15 Months of Exclusive Coverage! The Secret Behind "My Neighbors the Yamadas" (2000)
20. Japanese Cinema: New Territories (2011) — Self
21. NHK Image File: I Want To Meet This Person - Isao Takahata, Animation Film Director (2018) — Self (archive footage)
22. 2399 Days with Hayao Miyazaki & Studio Ghibli (2023) — Self
23. Hyohyo: Dear Mr. Yasuo Otsuka (2015) — Self
24. Ghibli Landscapes - A Journey to Encounter Directors Isao Takahata and Hayao Miyazaki's Starting Point (2011) — Self
25. Ghibli Landscapes - Visit 'Japan' as Depicted by Isao Takahata (2014) — Self
26. The Birth of Studio Ghibli (2003)
27. Hotaru no Haka to Takahata Isao to 7-satsu no Nōto (2025) — Self (archive footage)