Star Trek loves an Easter egg. Beyond callbacks to The Original Series, LCARS jokes, or other obscure lore details, Trek often draws on outside sources, referencing real-world scientists, cultural figures, literature, and even locations. The more recent series in the franchise are no exception, as an episode of Star Trek: Starfleet Academy just made an off-world reference that pays homage to one of their famous fans, but the real Easter egg came nearly 40 years earlier.
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In the sixth episode of Starfleet Academy, “Come, Let’s Away,” a derelict ship, the USS Miyazaki, is introduced just before the Starfleet Academy and War College cadets are sent on a repair mission. This is almost certainly a nod to legendary Japanese animator and filmmaker Hayao Miyazaki. Even more amazing is that the ship’s name is actually paying off a secret Star Trek Easter egg hidden in a Studio Ghibli movie from 1989.
There’s a TOS Easter Egg Hidden in a Studio Ghibli Classic
In “Come, Let’s Away,” the Miyazaki becomes the stage for an intense hostage situation with the terrifying furies. If you’ve been living under a rock for the past four decades, the name of the ship might not have perked your ears up, but any fan of anime or movies in general, might have gotten flashbacks to watching Studio Ghibli’s My Neighbor Totoro, Princess Mononoke, or the later masterpiece Spirited Away, catching the wink from the Starfleet Academy writer’s room.
Just as the writers of Episode 6 (Kenneth Lin and Kiley Rossetter) are likely Miyazaki fans, it turns out Miyazaki (or someone at Studio Ghibli) was likely a fan of Star Trek. Studio Ghibli’s 1989 film Kiki’s Delivery Service pioneered the slice-of-life anime genre and became an all-time favorite for ’90s kids everywhere. But the Star Trek Easter egg is hidden at the very beginning of the film as Kiki’s dad packs up the car for the camping trip that never happens. If you look closely at the vintage yellow car, you’ll see the license plate reads 1701. While it’s entirely possible this was an accident, it seems like a really specific number to be placed so prevalently in the scene.
Star Trek fans already know this could easily be a reference to the USS Enterprise (NCC-1701), the legendary Constitution-class starship that Captain Kirk commands in The Original Series. After all, it’s only the most famous vessel in Star Trek history.
It’s amazing to think that, 36 years after the release of Kiki’s Delivery Service, the Starfleet Academy creators are finally paying off (whether they know it or not) an Easter egg from one of the most iconic anime films of all time. In addition to the Miyazaki reference, many fans are already celebrating Episode 6 as one of the best Starfleet Academy episodes yet. If you haven’t checked out the latest Trek series, you can do so on Paramount+.
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