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Ghibli Co-Founder Isao Takahata's Exhibition to Open in June

Studio Ghibli announced the "Takahata Isao Exhibition: The Man Who Planted Japanese Animation" on March 27. The exhibition commemorates what would have been the 90th birthday of the studio's late co-founder and the 80th anniversary of World War II's end. It will take place at Tokyo's Azabudai Hills Gallery between June 27 to September 15 and will focus on Takahata's 1988 film Grave of the Fireflies.

The exhibition will include cels and background art from Grave of the Fireflies, Pom Poko, and Heidi, Girl of the Alps, among others. While preparing for the exhibition, the staff discovered a "harmony cel" of the heavy cruiser Maya from Grave of the Fireflies that Noriko Higuchi painted, based on a layout drawn by Evangelion co-creator and Khara co-founder Hideaki Anno. A typical cel is colored with flat tones, but a "harmony cel" is a cel colored like a traditional painting for more gradations and realism. This particular cel will be put on public display for the first time.

The exhibition will also have an audio guide narrated by Japanese personality Hikaru Ijūin (voice of Abe no Daijin in The Tale of the Princess Kaguya) and actress Sakiko Tamagawa. The audio guide will include an official playlist of five songs selected by film director Shunji Iwai. The audio guide is 700 yen (about US$4.90)

The Azabudai Hills Gallery will also hold limited night tours of the exhibition with commentary by Studio Ghibli curator Chiyoshi Tanaka. The tours will be held on July 1 and July 8 from 6:00 p.m. to 7:00 p.m., but both night tours have now sold out.

Pre-release tickets are available through the Azabudai Hills Gallery website and LAWSON Tickets. Pre-release tickets are 1,800 yen for general admission, 1,500 yen for college, university, and high school students, and 1,200 yen for children 4 years old and above to junior high school students (about US$13, US$11, and US$8, respectively). Ticket prices during the exhibition period are 2,000 yen for general admission, 1,700 yen for college, university, and high school students, and 1,400 yen for children 4 years old and above to junior high school students (about US$14, US$12, and US$8, respectively). Those who have a ticket stub from the separate Ghibli 3D Sculptures Exhibition will receive a 200 yen (about US$1.40) discount on ticket prices for same-day admission at the Takahata Isao Exhibition.

Weekday ticket holders for the Takahata Isao Exhibition will also receive a “special paper case with a design exclusive to this exhibition as a special gift.” The paper cases are first come first served while supplies last and will feature five different designs for each day of the week. All designs will be revealed around mid-June.

Sources: Studio Ghibli's website, Azabudai Hills Gallery's website