Photo/Illutration Director Hayao Miyazaki (Asahi Shimbun file photo)

Fresh off winning his second Academy Award in March, filmmaker Hayao Miyazaki has earned another accolade, selected to Time magazine's list of the 100 most influential people for 2024. 

Miyazaki, 83, made the prestigious listing, which was released on April 17, along with three other Japanese.  

Miyazaki's inclusion was praised by Mexican film director Guillermo del Toro, reflecting on how the anime maestro's early works such as “Wonderful World of Puss'n Boots” from his days at Toei Animation Co. helped shape his childhood.

Del Toro described Miyazaki as "the single most influential animation director in the history of the medium" and referred to his most recent work, “The Boy and the Heron,” which won the Best Animated Feature Film Oscar, as a "subtle masterpiece."

Other Japanese recognized on this year's list were sociologist Chizuko Ueno, immunology professor Akiko Iwasaki of Yale University, and reproductive biology professor Katsuhiko Hayashi of Osaka University.

Dr. Anthony Fauci, a professor at Georgetown University and former director of the National Institute of Allergy and Infectious Diseases, commended Iwasaki's selection for her contribution to understanding the lingering effects of COVID-19.

Prime Minister Fumio Kishida was included on the Time list for 2023. 

On the same day that this year's list was unveiled, the Cannes Film Festival announced that Studio Ghibli, the renowned animation production company, has been awarded an honorary Palme d'Or.

The distinction, traditionally awarded to individuals such as Swedish film director Ingmar Bergman and French actor Alain Delon, marks the first time a group has received the honor.

Studio Ghibli, founded by the late director Isao Takahata and Miyazaki in 1985 to produce animated films, has achieved numerous successes.

The studio has won the Best Animated Feature Film at the Academy Awards twice, for Miyazaki's films "Spirited Away" and “The Boy and the Heron.”

The Ghibli film “The Red Turtle,” directed by Dutch filmmaker Michael Dudok de Wit, also received a special award in the Un Certain Regard section at the Cannes Film Festival in 2016.

Toshio Suzuki, a producer at Studio Ghibli, expressed gratitude to the Cannes jury. 

"Director Miyazaki and I have both aged significantly, but I am confident that Studio Ghibli will continue to embrace new challenges in the future, led by a dedicated team that embodies the spirit of our company," Suzuki said. 

(This article was compiled from reports by Yu Yoshitake and Noriki Ishitobi, a senior staff writer.)

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