Hero Ghibli Why Japan's Miyazaki can't draw a line under his career

It could have been the perfect send-off – recognition at the Academy Awards of the artistry of Japan’s peerless animator, Hayao Miyazaki .

- Justin McCurry

The moment The Boy and the Heron was named winner of the best animated feature at the Oscars last weekend gave Japan a chance to reflect on Miyazaki’s influence, and contemplate whether the 83-year-old is done with making films.

Studio Ghibli , where Miyazaki has performed his alchemy since the mid- 80s , had barely cleared a space for its second Oscar when talk turned to the animator’s future. Miyazaki’s success with The Boy and the Heron – his most personal treatment of the horrors of war – meant he became the oldest director ever to be nominated for best animated feature . It was only the second hand-drawn animation to win in the category; the first was Spirited Away , which earned Miyazaki his first Oscar in 2003 .