These Hayao Miyazaki quotes are filled with his professional insight into animation, and his wisdom on life in general.
Hayao Miyazaki is a Japanese animator, director, producer, screenwriter, author, and manga artist. He co-founded Studio Ghibli in 1985, a film and animation studio. He has garnered international acclaim for his skillful ability to tell a story and create animated feature films.
He is one of the most influential artists in animation history. Miyazaki officially retired back in 2013 after the release of The Wind Rises. He is 80 years old, and has an incredible career, which might explain why he went back to work in 2016!
Manga and animation intrigued Miyazaki from an early age. He joined Toei Animation in 1963, where he started as an in-between artist. They also gave him the chance to collaborate with director Isao Takahata.
Miyazaki contributed to Doggie March and Gulliver’s Travels Beyond the Moon during his tenure at Toei. He was an integral part of the animation team for several other Toei films, before moving to Zuiyō Eizō (Nippon Animation) in 1973.
What made his films so special? Keep reading to learn more about the man who has influenced many animated films and is a legend in the manga community.
Don’t forget to also check out these anime quotes to motivate & inspire.
The Best Hayao Miyazaki quotes about hate and evil
1. “You must see with eyes unclouded by hate. See the good in that which is evil, and the evil in that which is good. Pledge yourself to neither side, but vow instead to preserve the balance that exists between the two.” ― Hayao Miyazaki
Everyday Application: As humans we all have the full range of human emotions inside of us. Sometimes we are good and other times not so much. The same can be said about the things and people around us. Can you find good in the bad?
2. “The concept of portraying evil and then destroying it – I know this is considered mainstream, but I think it is rotten. This idea that whenever something evil happens someone particular can be blamed and punished for it, in life and in politics is hopeless.” ― Hayao Miyazaki
Everyday Application: Even the most evil of people has a story. What has happened to them? Can they be redeemed? Life is not as black and white as we would think.
3. “Whoever falls, hatred will breed hatred.” ― Hayao Miyazaki
Everyday Application: Hate breeds a never ending cycle of more hate. It festers within us and if we lose ourselves to conquer the people we see as evil, do we become what we hate? There are better ways to dealing with our problems than becoming angry or hateful.
4. “To have a film where there’s an evil figure and a good person fights against the evil figure and everything becomes a happy ending, that’s one way to make a film. But then that means you have to draw, as an animator, the evil figure. And it’s not very pleasant to draw evil figures.” ― Hayao Miyazaki
Everyday Application: This does make for good movies and storytelling, but the creators of these evil characters must draw inspiration from somewhere? Do they tap into parts of themselves that they don’t like?
5. “We depict hatred, but it is to depict that there are more important things. We depict a curse, to depict the joy of liberation.” ― Hayao Miyazaki
Everyday Application: The reason that we understand concepts like love and forgiveness is because we see the implications of hate and anger. Life is like this all the time. Our appreciation for the good times and things in our lives, comes from our desire to avoid the bad.
6. “See the good in that which is evil, and the evil in that which is good.” ― Hayao Miyazaki
Everyday Application: Looking at things through a different lens increases your empathy and understanding of the world. Things are not always just how we see them. There is another side to every story or debate; the world is full of grey. How different would things look if we searched for more layers and depth?
Studio Ghibli’s Hayao Miyazaki quotes about life
7. “Modern life is so thin and shallow and fake. I look forward to when developers go bankrupt, Japan gets poorer and wild grasses take over.” ― Hayao Miyazaki
Everyday Application: We can all get a little blinded by the material things in life. However, it is much simpler than we make it out to be. The things that really matter do not cost a thing. Nature, love, kindness, authenticity, and happiness can be found all around us!
8. “Life is a winking light in the darkness.” ― Hayao Miyazaki
Everyday Application: Be grateful for everyday that you wake up. Like is fleeting and often much too short. Just like a bright winking light in the darkness, it is small but there, then it is gone. What will you do during the time your light is winking?
9. “Yet, even amidst the hatred and carnage, life is still worth living. It is possible for wonderful encounters and beautiful things to exist.” ― Hayao Miyazaki
Everyday Application: There are going to be periods of your life that are hard to understand, sad, and even traumatic. There is plenty of hate and darkness in the world around us, too. However, there is also so much beauty in nature, ourselves, and other people. Remember that when you feel like life is at it’s darkest point.
10. “Utopia exists only in one’s childhood life.” ― Hayao Miyazaki
Everyday Application: Be positive and grateful for all the good moments in your life, but remember that perfection is impossible. Childhood (for some) is as close as we will get to Utopia, but not everyone is blessed with that even. Instead of hoping for perfect, live your life in a way that is authentic to who you are. Do your best everyday. Treat others the way you want to be treated. Love yourself and those around you. Make your life everything you want it to be!
11. “Life is suffering. It is hard. The world is cursed. But still, you find reasons to keep living.” ― Hayao Miyazaki12. “But maybe it’s better that you don’t open that lid completely, because if you release your subconscious it becomes really hard to live a social or family life.” ― Hayao Miyazaki
13. “In my grandparents’ time, it was believed that spirits existed everywhere…in trees, rivers, insects, wells, anything… I like the idea that we should all treasure everything because spirits might exist there, and we should treasure everything because there is a kind of life to everything.” ― Hayao Miyazaki
14. “It is the fate of modern life that we repeatedly lose touch with: nature, the environment, the planet. But we try to regain it again and again. It’s like a circle. In children’s hearts and souls when they’re born into the world, nature already exists deep inside them. So what I want to do in my work is tap into their souls.” ― Hayao Miyazaki
15. “Problems begin the moment we’re born. We’re born with infinite possibilities, only to give up on one after another. To choose one thing means to give up another. That’s inevitable. But what can you do? That’s what it is to live.” ― Hayao Miyazaki
If you’re enjoying these quotes, you’ll love our collection of Naruto quotes about life, success and relationships.
16. “I can feel it every day, the limit of my ability.” ― Hayao Miyazaki
Hayao Miyazaki quotes on animation and making movies
17. “I think 2-D animation disappeared from Disney because they made so many uninteresting films. They became very conservative in the way they created them. It’s too bad. I thought 2-D and 3-D could coexist happily.” ― Hayao Miyazaki
18. “If [hand-drawn animation] is a dying craft, we can’t do anything about it. Civilization moves on. Where are all the fresco painters now? Where are the landscape artists? What are they doing now? The world is changing. I have been very fortunate to be able to do the same job for 40 years. That’s rare in any era.” ― Hayao Miyazaki
19. [on the future of hand-drawn animation] “I’m actually not that worried. I wouldn’t give up on it completely. Once in a while, there are strange, rich people who like to invest in odd things. You’re going to have people in the corners of garages making cartoons to please themselves. And I’m more interested in those people than I am in big business.” ― Hayao Miyazaki
20. “Producing an animation series merely to fill time slots in the broadcast schedule is like generating cultural pollution.” ― Hayao Miyazaki
21. “I’m not going to make movies that tell children, “You should despair and run away.” ― Hayao Miyazaki
22. “We live in an age when it is cheaper to buy the rights to movies than to make them.” ― Hayao Miyazaki
23. “I would like to make a film to tell children “it’s good to be alive.” ― Hayao Miyazaki
24. “I try to dig deep into the well of my subconscious. At a certain moment in that process, the lid is opened and very different ideas and visions are liberated. With those, I can start making a film.” ― Hayao Miyazaki
25. “Maybe there was a time when you could make films that mattered, but now?” ― Hayao Miyazaki
26. “I’ve become skeptical of the unwritten rule that just because a boy and girl appear in the same feature, a romance must ensue. Rather, I want to portray a slightly different relationship, one where the two mutually inspire each other to live – if I’m able to, then perhaps I’ll be closer to portraying a true expression of love.” ― Hayao Miyazaki
27. “Many of my movies have strong female leads- brave, self-sufficient girls that don’t think twice about fighting for what they believe with all their heart. They’ll need a friend, or a supporter, but never a savior. Any woman is just as capable of being a hero as any man.” ― Hayao Miyazaki
28. “The villains are all parts of me. For years I’ve been wondering what it would be like if all those negative elements were forced onto the main character’s side. I can understand a character with that kind of anger.” ― Hayao Miyazaki
29. “My process is thinking, thinking, and thinking – thinking about my stories for a long time.” ― Hayao Miyazaki
30. “Personally, I am very pessimistic. But when, for instance, one of my staff has a baby, you can’t help but bless them for a good future. Because I can’t tell that child, ‘Oh, you shouldn’t have come into this life.’ And yet I know the world is heading in a bad direction. So with those conflicting thoughts in mind, I think about what kind of films I should be making.” ― Hayao Miyazaki
Hayao Miyazaki quotes that explain his beliefs
31. “Is someone different at age 18 or 60? I believe one stays the same.” ― Hayao Miyazaki
32. “Always believe in yourself. Do this, and no matter where you are, you will have nothing to fear.” ― Hayao Miyazaki
33. “I do believe in the power of a story. I believe that stories have an important role to play in the formation of human beings, that they can stimulate, amaze and inspire their listeners.” ― Hayao Miyazaki
34. “People who design machines and airplanes {or buildings}, no matter how much they believe that what they do is good, the winds of time eventually turn them into tools of industrial civilization. They’re cursed dreams. Animation, too. Beautiful yet cursed dreams.” ― Hayao Miyazaki
35. “I believe that fantasy in the meaning of imagination is very important. We shouldn’t stick too close to everyday reality but give room to the reality of the heart, of the mind, and of the imagination.” ― Hayao Miyazaki
Inspirational Hayao Miyazaki quotes
36. “The creation of a single world comes from a huge number of fragments and chaos.” ― Hayao Miyazaki
37. “Do everything by hand, even when using the computer.” ― Hayao Miyazaki
38. “The greatness of a mind is determined by the depth of its suffering.” ― Hayao Miyazaki
39. “Cut off a wolf’s head and it still has the power to bite.” ― Hayao Miyazaki
40. “You may not like what’s happening, but just accept it, and let’s try to live together. Even if you feel angry, let’s be patient and endure, let’s try to live together. I’ve realized that this is the only way forward.” ― Hayao Miyazaki
41. “Once you have met someone, you never really forget them.” ― Hayao Miyazaki
42. “In this world of ours, the sparrow must live like a hawk if he is to fly at all.” ― Hayao Miyazaki
43. “Reality is for people that lack imagination.” ― Hayao Miyazaki
44. “The creation of a single world comes from a huge number of fragments and chaos.” ― Hayao Miyazaki
45. “Danger doesn’t always come from the enemy.” ― Hayao Miyazaki
46. “Whenever someone creates something with all of their heart, then that creation is given a soul.” ― Hayao Miyazaki
47. “Today, all of humanity’s dreams are cursed somehow. Beautiful yet cursed dreams.” ― Hayao Miyazaki
48. “I’d rather be a pig than a fascist.” ― Hayao Miyazaki
49. “In our work, the question is, how much you absorb from others. So for me, creativity is really like a relay race. As children, we are handed a baton. Rather than passing it onto the next generation as is first, we need to digest it and make it our own.” ― Hayao Miyazaki
50. “First, don’t panic, second, don’t panic, and third, DID I MENTION NOT TO PANIC?” ― Hayao Miyazaki
Which of these Hayao Miyazaki quotes resonated with you best?
Hayao Miyazaki is a creative wonder who has inspired many people with his films. It is sad to hear that his studio is closing, because of poor box office performances. Especially considering that in 1997 his movie, Princess Mononoke, was the first animated film in Japanese history to win the Academy Prize for Picture of the Year, and briefly became the highest-grossing film in Japan.
A few years later, in 2001, Spirited Away became the highest-grossing film in Japanese history. It also won the Academy Award for Best Animated Feature at the 75th Academy Awards.
During his time there he has directed many films including Castle in the Sky (1986), My Neighbor Totoro (1988), Kiki’s Delivery Service (1989), and Porco Rosso (1992). His other films from the early 2000s were also critically acclaimed. This is likely because his work features recurring themes that touch people around the world.
He focuses on humanity’s relationship between nature and technology. There is a wholesomeness to the way his characters live, honoring the importance of art in their lives. He also explores how difficult it is to maintain a sense of peace in a world that is so often violent. This is something that plenty of people have been able to relate to.
Another reason for the popularity of his films is they often feature protagonists that are strong girls or young women. He has won other awards for the inspirational quality of his words, which you can see in these Hayao Miyazaki quotes and sayings. Share your favorites in the comment section below.
