Japanese animator to receive honorary Oscar

The now retired Studio Ghibli founder and animation genius Hayao Miyazaki is to receive an honorary gong at this year's Academy Awards, Denofgeek.com reports.


Arguably the most respected animator in Japan, Hayao Miyazaki broke the hearts of millions when he announced his retirement in September last year. Following the founding of Studio Ghibli in 1985, Miyazaki-san worked tirelessly on his films, creating such masterpieces such as Laputa: Castle In The Sky, My Neighbor Totoro, Kiki's Delivery Service and Princess Mononoke.

Three of Miyazaki's films received deserved attention at the Oscars: Spirited Away won Best Animated Feature in 2002, while Howl's Moving Castle and last year's The Wind Rises - the director's swansong - were both nominated for the same award.