Japanese anime director Isao Takahata, co-founder of the famous Studio Ghibli, has died in Tokyo at the age of 83, Japanese media reported on Friday. Takahata passed away in a hospital in Tokyo, according to the Kyodo News agency, citing sources close to the director.
In 1985, Takahata co-founded Studio Ghibli with legendary animator Hayao Miyazaki. He produced a number of films that received enthusiastic critical acclaim worldwide.
>>> Famous Fashion Designer Hubert de Givenchy Has Passed Away
His best work is considered to be “Grave of the Fireflies,” a war anime from 1988, for which he received several awards, including the Jury Prize for Animation and the Children’s Rights Award at the Chicago International Children’s Film Festival in 1994.
The film is based on the novel of the same name by Akiyuki Nosaka and depicts the difficult life of two orphans at the end of World War II. Takahata’s last film, “The Tale of the Princess Kaguya,” was nominated for an Oscar for Best Animated Feature in 2014.
>>> Prince Had a Lethal Amount of a Drug 50 Times Stronger Than Heroin in His Blood
Takahata was born in Mie Prefecture. After graduating from the University of Tokyo, he began his career at Toei Animation Co. He directed his first anime in 1968.
