There are tales of fascinating co-workers, like a workaholic finish inspector who was a maestro when it came to getting shots completed, as well as amusing anecdotes about a director Miyazaki describes as having a nature similar to a ‘sloth.’ Even in these stories, there are keen insights into human behavior, an honesty that neither glorifies nor condemns. Any of the sketches would make for hilarious animation shorts, and the well from which Miyazaki draws his amusing characters is a testament to his ability as a scientist of human nature. He notices details others would ignore, latches onto physical characteristics of those around him as portals into their personalities. There’s an interesting tale Miyazaki tells about his father. During the Japanese invasion of Asia, the commander, in an attempt to raise morale, told the soldiers that anyone who didn’t want to go didn’t have to.

“But my old man took this statement at face value and announced to the officer,’ I have a wife and baby, so I can’t possibly go to the front lines.’ In those days, saying something like that was unthinkable. A sergeant who had taken him under his wings harangued him for disloyalty for two hours. As a result, my old man ended up being left behind in Japan. And then I was born, so I am grateful on that score.”

His descriptions of his interactions with his father resemble the outlines of a comedy highlighted by moments of poignancy. More and more as I read about Miyazaki life, I came to realize that his films were an extension of the joys he took in every day existence.  Animation wasn’t just a job, wasn’t just a way of making money, but an expression of his personality. I think this is best summed up when he describes the key component of animation:

“The most important thing of all, it seems to me, is to have an interest in people, in how they live, and in how they interact with things.”

Miyazaki made Spirited Away so that his 10 year-old granddaughter and

her friends would have a sense of Japanese heritage and culture. © 2002

Nibariki. TGNDDTM. All rights reserved.

There’s a surprising sense of magic in the way Miyazaki views the world, where ‘bees can avoid rain drops’ and ‘birds must be able to see the wind,’ and a lot of that stems from his genuine interest in people. At the same time, there is a harsher side that is blunt in the fashion of all great directors. He doesn’t like just the pretty, filtered, side of humans, but the darker elements as well. While his dedication to quality is relentless, he doesn’t attempt to hide his criticisms. Such is the case when he describes Osamu Tezuka, the creator of Astro Boy, considered by many as the father of Manga, Miyazaki says: “Everything that Mr. Tezuka talked about or emphasized was wrong,” because he was trying to emulate Disney, suffering “an inferiority complex, a fear that he would never be able to surpass ‘the grand old man.’” Perhaps as a glimpse of why Miyazaki was such a pioneer, he felt it was more important to find his own style and message rather than copy the greats of the time. Miyazaki goes on further to say,

“In 1963, Tezuka created Japan’s first TV anime series, Tetsuwan Atom, or Astro Boy¸ at the very low price of 500,000 yen per episode. Because he established this precedent, animation productions ever after have unfortunately suffered from low budgets... Without Tezuka, the industry might have started two or three years later. And then I probably could have relaxed a bit and spend a little longer working in the field of feature animation, using more traditional techniques.”

It’s rare to get such an honest statement about a revered personage. But that’s also part of what makes Miyazaki so compelling and powerful as a filmmaker. He lives his creed, he paints what he believes in, and he doesn’t flinch from uncomfortable truths. I found the essays and interviews enlightening, not just for what I learned about Miyazaki’s past, but all the things I learned about the early days of animation. There are lessons that are still relevant today and I’ve found comfort in reading many of these stories, reflecting back on my own early years sleeping at the office and struggling to advance the quality of the work I did. This book is a great starting point in understanding how we got to where we are now.

Part 2 of this Starting Point series will cover Miyazaki’s thoughts on his earlier films.

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Peter Tieryas is the author of the recent collection, Watering Heaven, from Signal 8 Press and has published in magazines like the Collagist, Indiana Review, and ZYZZYVA. He is a character technical director for Sony Imageworks where he's worked on films like Hotel Transylvania and Men in Black 3. He likes traveling the world with his wife and seeing different types of animation. You can reach him on twitter @TieryasXu