Publisher's Synopsis
- A PERSONAL DOCUMENT: Hayao Miyazaki and the creators at Studio Ghibli are perhaps the most famous animators in the world, and this book was written by someone who traveled and worked with them day to day over a period of 15 years
- INFORMATIVE: How are Japanese animated films transformed and translated for overseas audiences: this book provides rich detail on translation, screenings, marketings, and licensing: lots of inside information and fly-on-the-wall reporting
- FAMOUS PERSONALITIES: With cameo appearances by Harvey Weinstein, the folks at Disney, and others
- PAGE-TURNING: A breezy read filled with vivid description of personalities and places, in Japan, Los Angeles, Berlin, Cannes, Tokyo
- AN INSIDE, INTIMATE PORTRAIT Miyazaki does not reveal himself often, and there is no other person anywhere with Steve Alpert's access and insider knowledge
- JUST FOR FUN: The character Castorp in Hayao Miyazaki's Kaze Tachinu is based on Alpert. Miyazaki described Castorp as follows: "Physically, Castorp was a medium-sized man, average height and handsome, brown hair. His brow was creased and furrowed and his face lined. From a glance at his face you could tell that he had not lived a hard and rough life but knew how to look like he had. In my mind he was a man who would have made a formidable spy and died a heroic death once he had been found out."
HOW POPULAR ARE GHIBLI FILMS?
- Six of Studio Ghibli's films are among the 10 highest-grossing anime films made in Japan, with Spirited Away (2001) being the second highest, grossing over US$290 million worldwide.
- Many of their works have won the Animage Anime Grand Prix award, and four have won the Japan Academy Prize for Animation of the Year. Five of Studio Ghibli's films have received Academy Award nominations.
- Spirited Away won the Golden Bear in 2002 and the Academy Award for Best Animated Feature Film in 2003.
- More recently, Ponyo in 2008 earned over US$201 million worldwide and won several awards, including the Japan Academy Prize for Animation of the Year.
- The Wind Rises was the highest-grossing Japanese film in Japan in 2013. It won and was nominated for several awards, including nominations for the Academy Award for Best Animated Feature, the Golden Globe Award for Best Foreign Language Film, and the Japan Academy Prize for Animation of the Year. [Wikipedia]
How Many "Gaijin" work in Japan who might be interested in this book?
According to Nikkei "The number of foreigners working in Japan reached a record high of 1.46 million, rising twofold over the past five years as the country grapples with a labor shortage, government data showed on Friday. The figure as of October 2018 represents a 14% increase from the previous year and the sixth consecutive annual gain, according to data released by the Ministry of Health, Labor and Welfare."
According to The Japan Times "Students and white collar workers who reside in Japan for longer periods of time often acquire permanent residency, which has contributed to a steady growth in the number of foreign nationals with permanent-residency status, the ministry official said. That number stood at 771,568 as of late December."
