Studio Ghibli president Hoshino Koji resigns
President of the beloved Japanese animation studio Studio Ghibli, Hoshino Koji, is to retire from the company.
Studio Ghibli has published a letter of resignation from Hoshino online, which states: “I, Koji Hoshino, will resign as a director of Studio Ghibli and leave Ghibli at the conclusion of the Annual General Meeting of shareholders in June. Prior to that, I will step down from my position as Studio Ghibli’s president and chairman at the end of March, but I will continue to serve as representative director until the general shareholders’ meeting”.
He departs from the company mere months before the release of Miyazaki Hayao’s highly anticipated movie How Do You Live?, and is to be replaced by Studio Ghibli co-founder Suzuki Toshio. After reports of allegations against Suzuki, which concern potential assistance he gave to his girlfriend’s business, Studio Ghibli has denied there being a connection between this and Hoshino’s resignation.
“Since taking my current post in February 2008, I have been striving to manage the studio for 15 years,” the letter added: “With the completion of the film How Do You Live?, I decided that this was the best time to leave Ghibli. I will entrust the future management to my successor in the hope that he will lead a new Ghibli. On a personal note, I will turn 67 this May. I intend to take on challenges in new fields in the future, making use of my experience and personal connections”.
Slated for release on July 14th, 2023, How Do You Live? currently doesn’t have a trailer. For now, take a look at the trailer for The Wind Rises below, Miyazaki Hayao’s previous feature film.
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