Makoto Shinkai

Shinkai then released the science fiction OVA Voices of a Distant Star in 2002 as his first feature with CoMix Wave, followed by his debut feature film The Place Promised in Our Early Days (2004). Shinkai's films have consistently received highly positive reviews from both critics and audiences, and he is considered to be one of Japan's most commercially successful filmmakers. His three most recent films Your Name (2016), Weathering with You (2019), and Suzume (2022), collectively known as "Disaster trilogy", are all among the highest-grossing Japanese films of all time, both in Japan and worldwide at the time of their release.

• Birth Name — Makoto Niitsu • Born — 9 February 1973 • Birthplace — Koumi, Japan • Occupation — * Screenwriter • Storyboard artist • Animator • Film editor • Film director • Novelist • Manga artist (only one short manga) • Years Active — 1996–present • Education — Chuo University • Spouse — Chieko Misaka • Children — Chise Niitsu • Website — https: shinkaiworks.com • Known for — Your Name (2016) Weathering with You (2019) Suzume (2022) born February 9, 1973, known as Makoto Shinkai, is a Japanese filmmaker and novelist. A founder of CoMix Wave Films, he is known for his anime feature films enriched with visually-appealing animation and romantic stories depicting teenagers and high school students. Shinkai began his career as a video game animator with Nihon Falcom in 1996, and gained recognition as a filmmaker with the release of the original video animation (OVA) She and Her Cat (1999). Shinkai then released the science fiction OVA Voices of a Distant Star in 2002 as his first feature with CoMix Wave, followed by his debut feature film The Place Promised in Our Early Days (2004). Shinkai's films have consistently received highly positive reviews from both critics and audiences, and he is considered to be one of Japan's most commercially successful filmmakers. His three most recent films Your Name (2016), Weathering with You (2019), and Suzume (2022), collectively known as "Disaster trilogy", are all among the highest-grossing Japanese films of all time, both in Japan and worldwide at the time of their release.

Makoto Shinkai was born in Koumi, Nagano. His family runs a construction company. Shinkai studied Japanese literature at Chuo University, where he was a member of the juvenile literature club and drew picture books. Shinkai traces his passion for creation to the manga, anime and novels he was exposed to in middle school.

After graduating from Chuo University Faculty of Literature in March 1996, Shinkai got a job at Nihon Falcom, a video game company. He worked there for 5 years, making video clips for games and graphic design, including web content. During this time Shinkai met musician Tenmon, who later scored many of his movies. In 1999, Shinkai released She and Her Cat, a five-minute short piece done in monochrome. It won several awards, including the grand prize at the 12th DoGA CG Animation Contest (2000). The short details the life of a cat, entirely from the cat's perspective, as it passes time with its owner, a young woman.

After winning the grand prize, Shinkai began thinking about a follow-up while he continued working for Falcom. In June 2000, Shinkai was inspired to begin working on Voices of a Distant Star by drawing a picture of a girl in a cockpit grasping a mobile phone. Sometime later, he was contacted by Manga Zoo (today a smartphone app), which offered to work with him, giving him a grant to turn his idea into an anime they could sell. In May 2001, Shinkai quit his job at Falcom and began to work on Voices of a Distant Star. In an interview, Shinkai noted that production took around seven months of "real work". Voices of a Distant Star was followed by the 90-minute The Place Promised in Our Early Days, which was released in Japan on November 20, 2004. It was critically acclaimed, winning many honors. Shinkai's next project was 5 Centimeters per Second, which premiered on March 3, 2007 and consists of three short films: Cherry Blossom, Cosmonaut, and 5 Centimeters per Second. In September 2007, Nagano's leading newspaper, Shinano Mainichi Shinbun, released a TV commercial animated by Shinkai. • Illustration — Shinkai at the Otakon Anime Convention in 2011 Shinkai spent 2008 in London, resting after the completion of 5 Centimeters per Second. He returned to Japan in 2009 to start work on his next project. He released two concept drawings for this film in December 2009. Shinkai noted that it would be his longest animation film to date and described the story as a "lively" animated film with adventure, action, and romance centered on a cheerful and spirited girl on a journey to say "farewell". In November 2010, he revealed that his next work would be titled Children Who Chase Lost Voices from Deep Below. A teaser trailer was released on November 9, and the film was released on May 7, 2011. • Illustration — Shinkai in 2013 His next feature, The Garden of Words, was released on May 31, 2013.

On August 26, 2016, Shinkai released Your Name. The film received widespread acclaim from audiences and critics, praising the film for its narrative, imagery, animation, music, emotional weight, and skillful use of post-postmodernist themes. The film was also a commercial success, becoming the sixth-highest-grossing film of all time in Japan. By 2019, the film became the highest-grossing anime film of all time, overtaking Hayao Miyazaki's Spirited Away. Shinkai's next film, Weathering with You, was released in Japan on July 19, 2019. The film was also a commercial success, grossing 193.8 million worldwide and becoming the tenth-highest-grossing Japanese film of all time. Suzume, Shinkai's seventh feature-length film, was released in Japan on November 11, 2022. The film was a further critical and commercial success, grossing over 300 million worldwide.

Shinkai is married to retired actress and producer Chieko Misaka, who is best known for starring in Versus; the couple has a daughter, child actress Chise Niitsu, who was born in 2010. His favorite anime films are Castle in the Sky, Nausicaä and The Castle of Cagliostro by Hayao Miyazaki, The End of Evangelion by Hideaki Anno, and Patlabor 2: The Movie by Mamoru Oshii. An asteroid, 55222 Makotoshinkai, is named after him.

• Title — Year — Credited as — Notes • Director — Animator • The Legend of Heroes III: Song of the Ocean — 1999 — Yes (Opening) — As Makoto Niitsu • Ys II Eternal — 2000 — Yes (Opening) — As Makoto Niitsu • Ys I Complete — 2001 — Yes (Opening) — As Makoto Niitsu • Bittersweet Fools — 2001 — Yes (Trailer & Opening) • Wind: A Breath of Heart — 2002 — Yes (Trailer & Opening) • Haru no Ashioto — 2004 — Yes (Trailer & Opening) • Ef: A Fairy Tale of the Two — 2006 2008 — Yes (Trailer & Opening)

• Title — Year — Credited as — Notes • Director — Editor — Other • Bosuporasu Kaikyō Ton'neru — 2011 — *Background art — TV commercial released by Taisei Corporation • Suriranka Kōzokudōro — 2013 — * Storyboards * Photography — TV commercial released by Taisei Corporation, featuring the theme song "Fight" by Anri Kumaki • Vietnam Noi Bai Airport — 2014 — * Storyboards * Shooting — TV commercial released by Taisei Corporation • Z-Kai: Cross Road — 2014 — * Storyboards * Screenplay * Production * Supervision — TV commercial released by Z-Kai • MRT Tomuson īsuto Kōsuto-sen — 2018 — * Storyboards — TV commercial released by Taisei Corporation • New Yangon Specialist Hospital — 2020 — * Storyboards — TV commercial released by Taisei Corporation

• Title — Year — Publisher — Notes • Slug — 1994 — Picture-book • 5 Centimeters per Second — 2007 — Media Factory — Novel • The Garden of Words — 2014 — Kadokawa Shoten — Novel • Your Name — 2016 — Kadokawa — Novel • Your Name. Another Side: Earthbound — 2016 — Kadokawa — Light novel; co-written with Arato Kanou. • Weathering with You — 2019 — Kadokawa — Novel • Suzume — 2022 — Kadokawa — Novel

• Title — Year — Publisher(s) — Notes • Beyond the Tower — 2002 • Voices of a Distant Star — 2004 — Kodansha — Illustrated by Mizu Sahara • The Place Promised in Our Early Days — 2005–06 — Kodansha — Illustrated by Mizu Sahara • 5 Centimeters per Second — 2010–11 — Kodansha Vertical, Inc. (English) — Illustrated by Yukiko Seike • Children Who Chase Lost Voices from Deep Below — 2011 — Media Factory • The Garden of Words — 2013 — Kodansha Vertical, Inc. (English) — Illustrated by Midori Motohashi • Your Name — 2016 — Media Factory — Illustrated by Ranmaru Kotone • Weathering with You — 2019–20 — Illustrated by Watari Kubota • Suzume — 2022–23 — Kodansha — Illustrated by Denki Amashima

Shinkai has been called "The New Miyazaki" in several reviews, including those by Anime Advocates and ActiveAnime—comparisons that Shinkai brushed off as "overestimation". • Year — Award — Category — Work/Nominee — Result — Ref. References • 2003 — 8th AMD Award — Best Director — Voices of a Distant Star — rowspan="2" • 2016 — 29th Tokyo International Film Festival — Arigatō Award — Your Name • 41st Hochi Film Award — Best Director • 29th Nikkan Sports Film Award — Best Director • 2017 — 44th Annie Awards — Outstanding Achievement for Directing in an Animated Feature Production — rowspan="4" • 59th Blue Ribbon Awards — Best Director • 11th Asian Film Awards — Best Screenplay • 40th Japan Academy Prize — Director of the Year • Tokyo Anime Award Festival 2017 — Best Director — rowspan="3" • 26th Japan Movie Critics Awards — Best Animation Director • 2018 — 2nd Crunchyroll Anime Awards — Anime of the Year (Best Film) • 2020 — 47th Annie Awards — Outstanding Achievement for Directing in an Animated Feature Production — Weathering with You — rowspan="2" • Outstanding Achievement for Writing in an Animated Feature Production • Tokyo Anime Award Festival 2020 — Best Director — rowspan="2" • 2023 — Celebration of Cinema and Television — International Animation Award — Suzume • 2024 — 51st Annie Awards — Outstanding Achievement for Storyboarding in a Feature Production — rowspan="2" • Outstanding Achievement for Writing in an Animated Feature Production • 8th Crunchyroll Anime Awards — Best Film

• Title — Year — Credited as • Writer — Producer — Actor — Other • The Place Promised in Our Early Days (雲のむこう、約束の場所 Kumo no Mukō, Yakusoku no Basho) — 2004 — * Storyboards * Background art * Design * Theme song lyrics • 5 Centimeters per Second (秒速5センチメートル Byōsoku Go-Senchimētoru) — 2007 — * Storyboard * Art director * Color design • Children Who Chase Lost Voices (星を追う子ども Hoshi o Ou Kodomo) — 2011 — * Cinematography * Editing • The Garden of Words (言の葉の庭 Kotonoha no Niwa) — 2013 — * Photography * Color design * Editing • Your Name (君の名は。 Kimi no Na wa) — 2016 — * Photography * Color design * Editing • Weathering with You (天気の子 Tenki no Ko) — 2019 — * Photography * Color design * Editing • Suzume (すずめの戸締まり Suzume no Tojimari) — 2022 — * Editing

• Title — Year — Credited as — Notes • Writer — Producer — Actor — Other • The World Be Enclosed (囲まれた世界 Kakomareta Sekai) — 1998 — Animator • Other Worlds (遠い世界 Tōi Sekai) — 1998 — Animator • She and Her Cat (彼女と彼女の猫 Kanojo to Kanojo no Neko) — 1999 — Animator — Her cat (Voice over) • Voices of a Distant Star (ほしのこえ Hoshi no Koe) — 2002 — Animator — Noboru Terao (Voice over) • Minna no Uta: "Egao" (みんなのうた「笑顔」) — 2003 • Someone's Gaze (だれかのまなざし Dareka no Manazashi) — 2013

• Kimi o Mamoru Tame ni Boku wa Yume o Miru — Illustrator (2003–2011)