Studio Ghibli's Hayao Miyazaki Can No Longer Drive
Hayao Miyazaki might not be retiring from anime movie making, but the Studio Ghibli director is retiring from the road.
Hayao Miyazaki was originally stated to be retiring with The Boy And The Heron, the latest anime movie from Studio Ghibli. In recent days, the Vice President of Ghibli confirmed that Miyazaki might not be riding into the sunset after all as Hayao has apparently returned to the Studio's offices to share new ideas for films. However, it seems as though Miyazaki won't be driving into the office as he has decided to relinquish his driver's license and car thanks in part to his age.
Miyazaki's beloved car has been with him for quite some time, as the 82-year-old has owned his Citroën 2CV for decades. So beloved was the car to the director that it even made appearances in Studio Ghibli productions in the past. In 1979, the vehicle appeared in Lupin III: The Castle of Cagliostro, which was ironically the first anime movie that Miyazaki had directed following a career at Toei Animation. The vehicle recently made a return in Earwig And The Witch, the first CG-animated movie from Ghibli. The film wasn't directed by Hayao Miyazaki, but rather by his son Goro, who had come to think of the automobile so much in relation to his father that he included it in the film.
Hayao Miyazaki: Driver No More
At 82-years-old, Miyazaki has given up both his driver's license and his beloved vehicle, according to the Aichi Prefecture Governor Hideaki Omura. Luckily, Hayao's beloved vehicle will be exhibited at the Studio Ghibli Amusement Park in Japan, allowing fans to visit it for years to come when they check out the live-action recreations of Ghibli's many films. In Japan, the elderly are encouraged to return their licenses and no longer drive due to safety concerns.
Recently, Studio Ghibli revealed a first look at the real-life Cat Buses that will help shepherd amusement park goers around the locale. With the theme park taking the opportunity to bring quite a few Ghibli projects into the real world, adding Miyazaki's car to the attractions seems like the right move in paying homage to the director who has done so much for the anime medium.
Will you take the opportunity to visit Studio Ghibli's amusement park to check out Miyazaki's trusty ride? Feel free to let us know in the comments or hit me up directly @EVComedy to talk all things comics, anime, and the world of Ghibli.
