Photo courtesy of TOHO Marketing.

Azabudai Hills Gallery (Azabudai Hills Garden Plaza A, MB floor) is ow selling tickets for "Takahata Isao Exhibition - The Man Who Planted Japanese Animation" (高畑勲展 ̶日本のアニメーションを作った男。, Takahata Isao-ten Nihon no Animēshon o Tsukutta Otoko.). The event runs from June 27 to September 15, 2025, and is also scheduled to open in Paris, France this autumn.

Isao Takahata. Photo courtesy of GKIDS.

Isao Takahata (October 29, 1935 – April 5, 2018) was a co-founder (along with Hayao Miyazaki and Toshio Suzuki) of Studio Ghibli. His directing credits include the internationally acclaimed GRAVE OF THE FIREFLIES (火垂るの墓, Hotaru no Haka, 1988), POM POKO (平成狸合戦ぽんぽこ, Heisei Tanuki Gassen Pon Poko, 1994), and the academy Award-nominated THE TALE OF THE PRINCESS KAGUYA (かぐや姫の物語, Kaguya-hime no Monogatari, 2013).

Born in Mie Prefecture and raised in Okayama Prefecture, Takahata joined Toei Doga (now Toei Animation) in 1959 after graduating from the Department of French Literature at the University of Tokyo. At Toei, Takahata expressed a grand worldview in HORUS, PRINCE OF THE SUN (太陽の王子 ホルスの大冒険, Taiyō no Ōji Horusu no Daibōken, 1968), and in the 1970s he released a number of animations such as PANDA! GO PANDA! (パンダ・コパンダ,Panda Kopanda, 1972), HEIDI, GIRL OF THE ALPS (アルプスの少女ハイジ,  Arupusu no Shōjo Haiji, 1974), and ANNE OF GREEN GABLES (赤毛のアン, Akage no An, 1979), challenging himself to create new expressions in animation. Since the 1980s, including when he helped found Studio Ghibli in 1985, he pursued the expression of the reality of Japanese culture and the lives of ordinary people through works such as JARINKO CHIE (じゃりン子チエ, 1981), THE STORY OF YANAGAWA WATERWAYS (柳川堀割物語, Yanagawa Horiwari Monogatari, 1987), GRAVE OF THE FIREFLIES, and POM POKO. In the 1990s, he released MY NEIGHBORS THE YAMADAS (ホーホケキョとなりの山田くん, Hōhokekyo Tonari no Yamada-kun, 1999). He evolved a technique that was unprecedented worldwide at the time, expressing hand-drawn sketches with computer coloring instead of cel animation, and in the 2000s he created THE TALE OF THE PRINCESS KAGUYA (2013), an advanced version of that technique.

The "Takahata Isao Exhibition" is being held to mark the 90th anniversary of Takahata's birth and the 80th anniversary of the end of the Pacific War, which had a major impact on the filmmaker's life. It is being planned with the cooperation of Studio Ghibli, with a focus on GRAVE OF THE FIREFLIES. The exhibition will be an opportunity to look back at the techniques and ideas that Isao Takahata cultivated in his works before the foundation of Studio Ghibli, as well as the films he made afterwards.

Original animation cels and background art from GRAVE OF THE FIREFLIES and other Isao Takahata works, including POM POKO, and early projects like the television series HEIDI, GIRL OF THE ALPS, will be on display for the first time in this exhibition.

In addition, a layout for the heavy cruiser Maya, drawn by director and producer Hideaki Anno, who was a key animator on GRAVE OF THE FIREFLIES, has been discovered. It will be on display for the first time, along with the harmony cel* by Noriko Higuchi that was based on Anno's artwork.

*A cel drawn with a painting-like touch. Usually, cels are painted in a single color, but harmony is a technique that allows for more realistic expression.

 

■ Comment From Studio Ghibli Producer Toshio Suzuki

I was 18 years old when I first dreamed of turning [the short story] Grave of the Fireflies, which I had seen in a magazine, into a movie.

More than 20 years later, Director Takahata's film was completed. I secretly made a video copy and showed it to [renowned film critic and author] Shuichi Kato, and when I received his rave reviews, it was the happiest day of my life. - Toshio Suzuki

 

Layout by Hideaki Anno for heavy cruiser battleship Maya from GRAVE OF THE FIREFLIES. Photo courtesy of TOHO Marketing. © Nosaka Akiyuki/Shinchosha, 1988

■ Hideaki Anno

Hideaki Anno is a director and producer, President of Khara Inc. and chairman of the nonprofit Anime Tokusatsu Archive Organization (ATAC). Notable works include the "Evangelion" series, SHIN GODZILLA (シン・ゴジラ, Shin Gojira, 2016) and SHIN KAMEN RIDER (シン・仮面ライダー, Shin Kamen Raidā, 2023). The "Space Battleship Yamato Complete Record Exhibition" (宇宙戦艦ヤマト 全記録展, Uchūsenkan Yamato Zen Kiroku-ten), which Anno planned and produced, will be held from Daturday, July 19th to Sunday, August 3rd at the convention hall on the 7th floor of Namba SkyO in Osaka. 

For details, please see the following website. http://tfc-chara.net/yamato50th/

 

■ Exhibition Includes an Audio Guide By Hikaru Ijuin and Sakiko Tamagawa, Plus a Playlist Selected By Shunji Iwai

The audio guide will be hosted by Hikaru Ijuin, who played the role of Abe Udaijin in THE TALE OF THE PRINCESS KAGUYA, with narration by the legendary voice actress Sakiko Tamagawas. In addition to the audio guide, attendees can listen to the official playlist of five songs selected by Shunji Iwai, a film director who has deep ties to Isao Takahata and Studio Ghibli, to match the works on display at the exhibition.

 

Photo courtesy of TOHO Marketing.

□ Navigator & Narrator: Hikaru Ijuin

Ijuin was born in Tokyo in 1967. Became an apprentice to San'yutei Enraku VI and began his career as a rakugo performer under the name San'yutei Rakudai. In 1988, he first appeared on radio under the name Hikaru Ijuin. He is skilled in conversation and culture, and has been a personality on radio programs such as TBS Radio's MIDNIGHT BAKA-RYOKU and Nippon Broadcasting System's HIKARU IJUIN NO TANE. He has also appeared on NHK's 100 MINUTES OF MASTERPIECES and has been active in a wide range of fields.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Photo courtesy of TOHO Marketing.

□ Narrator: Sakiko Tamagawa 

Sakiko Tamagawa was born January 20th, in Tokyo, and is a voice actor and narrator in many TV shows and anime. Her credits include CRAYON SHIN-CHAN (クレヨンしんちゃん, Kureyon Shin-chan), EUREKA SEVEN (交響詩篇エウレカセブン, Kōkyōshihen Eureka Sebun) TV Asahi's SUPER J CHANNEL (スーパーJチャンネル, Sūpā J Channeru), and many others.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Photo courtesy of TOHO Marketing.

□ Official Playlist: Shunji Iwai Selection

In 1995, Shunji Iwai made his debut as a feature film director with LOVE LETTER (ラヴレター, Ravuretā). His representative works include SWALLOWTAIL BUTTERFLY (スワロウテイル, Suwarōteiru, 1996), ALL ABOUT LILY CHOU-CHOU (リリイ・シュシュのすべて, Rirī Shushu no Subete, 2001), THE CASE OF HANA & ALICE (花とアリス殺人事件, Hana to Arisu Satsujin Jiken, 2015), LAST LETTER ( 你好，之华, Ni Hao, Zhi Hua, 2018) and KIRIE (キリエのうた, Kirie no Uta, 2023). In 2012, he wrote the lyrics for the Great East Japan Earthquake reconstruction support song "Hana wa Saku." In April 2025, to commemorate the 30th anniversary of his film LOVE LETTER, a 4K remastered version was released in theaters. He continues to work in a variety of genres, both domestically and internationally.

 

 

 

 

 

■ Weekday-only Visitor Benefits Decided Given Out Each Day Of The Week

Photo courtesy of TOHO Marketing.

Visitors who come to the exhibition on weekdays will receive a special paper case with a design exclusive to this exhibition. There are five designs; a different one for each day of the week. The paper case can be a mint case, matchbox, or other uses. When the box is opened, an illustration of Isao  Takahata drawn by My Neighbor The Yamadas manga creator Hisaichi Ishii is revealed.

Paper: 50mm Length x 70mm Width x 15mm Height (Approximately 2 Inches Length x 2.8 Inches Width x 0.6 Inches)

Period: Friday, June 27, 2025 - First Come/First Served, While Supplies Last.

*All designs will be announced around mid-June

 

■ Night Tour With Commentary By Studio Ghibli Curator Staff

To commemorate the opening of the exhibition, a guided tour will be held by Studio Ghibli Curator Chiyoshi Tanaka.

Dates | 1st: Tuesday, July 1, 2025,  2nd: Tuesday, July 8, 2025

Time | 6:00-7:00pm (Please Arrive At The Venue At 5:50pm On The Day)

Venue | Azabudai Hills Gallery

Price | +600円 (Approximately $4.21 US, Tax Included) For Each Ticket

How to Apply | For Ticket Details:  https://www.azabudai-hills.com/azabudaihillsgallery/sp/isaotakahata-ex/#ticket

 

Ghibli 3D Modeling Exhibition poster. Photo courtesy of TOHO Marketing. Ⓒ1988 Hayao Miyazaki/Studio Ghibli

■ "Ghibli 3D Modeling Exhibition" Ticket Stub Discount

Attendees who bring their exhibition ticket stub for the currently running "Ghibli 3D Modeling Exhibition" (ジブリの立体造型物展, Jiburi no Rittai Zōkei-mono-ten) to the ticket sales counter for the "Takahata Isao Exhibition" will receive a 200 yen (tax included) discount off the ticket price at the door on the day of the exhibition.

 

Ticket Price | 200円 (Approximately $1.40 US, Tax Included) Discount From The General Ticket Price On The Day Of The Event

Sales Period | Friday, June 2 - Monday, September 15, 2025 (National Holiday)

*Cannot be used in conjunction with other discounts. Thank you for your understanding.

*Only applies to "General" ticket types. Not applicable to "Vocational/University/High School Students" and "4 years old to Junior High School Students" ticket types.

 

■ "Takahata Isao Exhibition" Ticket Information

□ Advance Tickets

General | 1,800円 (Approximately $12.62 US, Tax Included)

Vocational, University, And High School Students | 1,500円 (Approximately $10.52 US, Tax Included)

4 Years Old To Junior High School Students | 1,200円 (Approximately $8.41 US, Tax Included)

 

□ During the Event

General | 2,000円 (Approximately $14.02 US, Tax Included)

Vocational, University, And High School Students | 1,700円 (Approximately $11.92 US, Tax Included)

4 Years Old To Junior High School Students | 1,400円 (Approximately $4.91 US, Tax Included)

 

*Audio guide is an additional 700 yen (Approximately $9.82 US) to the price above

Ticket Details: https://www.azabudai-hills.com/azabudaihillsgallery/sp/isaotakahata-ex/#ticket