Witness History
Studio Ghibli - Japan's Oscar-winning animators
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24 December 2020
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In August 1986 the first Studio Ghibli film hit the cinema screens. It would go on to bring Japanese animation to a world audience.
Hirokatsu Kihara was a young animator who joined the studio to work on Castle in the Sky, its first feature length film.
He spoke to Ashley Byrne of Made in Manchester about the early days of the great animation studio.
Producer: Ashley Byrne
A Made in Manchester production for the BBC World Service, first broadcast in 2020.
Broadcast on Radio 4 Extra in August 2026 as part of our season 'The Stories Of Studio Ghibli'
Photo: Oscar-winning animator Hayao Miyazaki, one of the founders of Studio Ghibli. Credit: Getty Images.