--- description: Isao Takahata, renowned Japanese film director and co-founder of the celebrated animation house Studio Ghibli, died on Thursday. He was 82 title: Isao Takahata, Co-Founder of Japan's Studio Ghibli, Has Died image: https://static.time.com/v3/assets/bltea6093859af6183b/blt5636e3a894369028/69892cfc4ee262501c3116b8/gettyimages-468878072.jpg?branch=production&width=3840&quality=75&auto=webp&crop=16:9 ---  * [Entertainment](/section/entertainment/) ## Entertainment Update your preferences in [Account Settings](/account/preferences/) Close * [remembrance](/tag/remembrance/) ## remembrance Update your preferences in [Account Settings](/account/preferences/) Close # The Japanese Animation Director and Studio Ghibli Co-Founder Isao Takahata Has Died by [Eli Meixler](/author/eli/) ## Eli Meixler Update your preferences in [Account Settings](/account/preferences/) Close Apr 6, 2018 3:34 AM CUT  Isao Takahata receives the "Officier of L'Ordre des Arts et des Letters" from French ambassador to Japan Thierry Dana at the French embassy in Tokyo on April 7, 2015\. Takahata died on April 5, 2018, aged 82. Isao Takahata receives the "Officier of L'Ordre des Arts et des Letters" from French ambassador to Japan Thierry Dana at the French embassy in Tokyo on April 7, 2015\. Takahata died on April 5, 2018, aged 82.Jiji Press—AFP/Getty Images by [Eli Meixler](/author/eli/) ## Eli Meixler Update your preferences in [Account Settings](/account/preferences/) Close Apr 6, 2018 3:34 AM CUT Isao Takahata, renowned Japanese director, screenwriter, and producer and co-founder of the celebrated animation house Studio Ghibli, died on Thursday. He was 82. Takahata, who was most well known for directing the 1988 film _Grave of the Fireflies_, passed away at a Tokyo hospital, according to a statement from the studio. He was reportedly suffering from lung cancer. Along with renowned director Hayao Miyazaki, Takahata founded Studio Ghibli, among the most [influential](http://content.time.com/time/specials/2007/article/0,28804,1642444%5F1842840%5F1842747,00.html "undefined") animation houses in the world. The studio became [internationally known](http://entertainment.time.com/2013/10/04/hayao-miyazaki-ranking-his-10-movies/ "undefined") for such films as [_My Neighbor Totoro_](http://entertainment.time.com/2013/06/24/ghoul-friends-10-friendly-monster-movies/slide/my-neighbor-totoro/ "undefined")(1988)_,_ _Princess Mononoke_ (1997), and _Spirited Away_ (2001), which was awarded best animated feature at the 2003 Academy Awards. Born in 1935, Takahata began his [career](https://japantoday.com/category/entertainment/japan-animation-giant-takahata-dies-at-82-reports "undefined") at Toei animation studio in 1959, where he met Miyazaki, according to _Japan Today_. Takahata directed some 30 films and television series in his lifetime, but it was _Grave of the Fireflies_ that won him the highest acclaim. A film about a pair of siblings struggling to survive after the American bombing of Kobe in World War II, it was [based](https://www.japantimes.co.jp/culture/2015/09/12/films/isao-takahatas-stark-world-reality/#.Wsbmb9OuxsY "undefined") on Takahata’s own childhood and lauded by critic Roger Ebert as “an emotional experience so [powerful](https://www.rogerebert.com/reviews/great-movie-grave-of-the-fireflies-1988 "undefined") that it forces a rethinking of animation.” Takahata’s final film, _The Tale of The Princess Kaguya_, was nominated for a [2014 Oscar](http://time.com/3668006/oscars-2015-nominations/ "undefined"). Tributes poured in online for Takahata on Friday, with many paying tribute to his life and work. > [](https://twitter.com/js%5Ffilm%5Fnyc/status/982022868052643840) > [](https://twitter.com/leeunkrich/status/982024398277197824) > [](https://twitter.com/PuccaNoodles/status/981996121676398592) > [](https://twitter.com/robbiereviews/status/982015762188599302) ```json [{"@context":"https://schema.org","@type":"NewsArticle","@id":"https://time.com/5230419/isaotakahata-studio-ghibli-died/","mainEntityOfPage":{"@type":"WebPage","@id":"https://time.com/5230419/isaotakahata-studio-ghibli-died/"},"headline":"The Japanese Animation Director and Studio Ghibli Co-Founder Isao Takahata Has Died","datePublished":"2018-04-06T03:34:54.000Z","dateModified":"2026-02-23T19:53:34.977Z","description":"The celebrated animation director was 82","url":"https://time.com/5230419/isaotakahata-studio-ghibli-died/","keywords":["remembrance","onetime","overnight"],"thumbnailUrl":"https://static.time.com/v3/assets/bltea6093859af6183b/blt5636e3a894369028/69892cfc4ee262501c3116b8/gettyimages-468878072.jpg?branch=production&width=1200&quality=75&auto=webp&crop=1200:675&height=675","author":[{"@type":"Person","name":"Eli Meixler","jobTitle":null,"url":"https://time.com/author/eli/"}],"articleSection":"Entertainment","image":[{"@type":"ImageObject","url":"https://static.time.com/v3/assets/bltea6093859af6183b/blt5636e3a894369028/69892cfc4ee262501c3116b8/gettyimages-468878072.jpg?branch=production&width=1200&quality=75&auto=webp&crop=1200:675&height=675","width":1200,"height":675,"headline":"JAPAN-FRANCE-CINEMA-ANIMATION-AWARD","caption":"JAPAN-FRANCE-CINEMA-ANIMATION-AWARD","creditText":"Jiji Press—AFP/Getty Images","representativeOfPage":true}],"publisher":{"@type":"Organization","name":"Time","url":"https://time.com/","logo":{"@type":"ImageObject","url":"https://time.com/images/logo.png","width":528,"height":156},"foundingDate":"March 3, 1923","sameAs":["https://www.facebook.com/time","https://www.instagram.com/time/?hl=en","https://twitter.com/time","https://www.pinterest.com/timemagazine"]}},{"@context":"https://schema.org","@type":"BreadcrumbList","itemListElement":[{"@type":"ListItem","position":1,"item":{"@id":"/section/entertainment/","name":"Entertainment"}},{"@type":"ListItem","position":2,"item":{"@id":"/tag/remembrance/","name":"remembrance"}},{"@type":"ListItem","position":3,"item":{"@id":"https://time.com/5230419/isaotakahata-studio-ghibli-died/","name":"The Japanese Animation Director and Studio Ghibli Co-Founder Isao Takahata Has Died"}}]},{"@context":"https://schema.org","@type":"VideoObject","name":"Grave of the Fireflies - Official Trailer","description":"Grave of the Fireflies - Official Trailer","thumbnailUrl":"https://cdn.jwplayer.com/v2/media/ucpP4qAJ/poster.jpg?width=720","uploadDate":"2018-04-06T01:59:18.000Z","contentUrl":"https://cdn.jwplayer.com/manifests/ucpP4qAJ.m3u8","embedUrl":"https://time.com/5230419/isaotakahata-studio-ghibli-died/","duration":"PT1M42S","potentialAction":{"@type":"SeekToAction","target":"https://time.com/5230419/isaotakahata-studio-ghibli-died/?jw_start={seek_to_second_number}","startOffset-input":"required name=seek_to_second_number"}}] ```