, nicknamed , is a Japanese animator and director, formerly for

Studio Ghibli is a Japanese animation studio headquartered in Koganei, Tokyo."Studio Ghibli Collection - Madman Entertainment". ''Studio Ghibli Collection - Madman Entertainment''. Retrieved 2020-12-14. It is best known for its animated feature films, and h ...

. After his directorial debut with Studio Ghibli ('' The Secret World of Arrietty''), he became the youngest director of a theatrical film produced by the studio. He was nominated for the

Academy Award for Best Animated Feature The Academy Award for Best Animated Feature is given each year for animated films. An animated feature is defined by the Academy as a film with a running time of more than 40 minutes in which characters' performances are created using a frame-by- ...

in 2015 for his second film, '' When Marnie Was There''. Together with Ghibli producer Yoshiaki Nishimura, Yonebayashi left Studio Ghibli in December 2014 after 18 years, and established

Studio Ponoc is a Japanese animation studio based in Musashino, Tokyo, Japan. The company was founded in April 2015 by Yoshiaki Nishimura, former lead film producer of Studio Ghibli. Its first feature film, ''Mary and The Witch's Flower'', was released on Ju ...

in June 2015. His first film as director at Studio Ponoc is ''

Mary and the Witch's Flower is a 2017 Japanese animated fantasy film co-written and directed by Hiromasa Yonebayashi, produced by Studio Ponoc founder Yoshiaki Nishimura, animated by Studio Ponoc, and distributed by Toho in Japan. Based on the 1971 book ''The Little Broom ...

''. He studied at the

Kanazawa College of Art The Kanazawa College of Art (金沢美術工芸大学, ''Kanazawa Bijutsu Kōgei Daigaku'', literally Kanazawa Art and Industrial Design University) (colloquially known as Bidai or Kanabi) is a public university in Kanazawa, Ishikawa, Japan. Ab ...

, where he majored in commercial design.

Works

Films

* ''

Princess Mononoke is a 1997 Japanese animated epic historical fantasy film written and directed by Hayao Miyazaki and animated by Studio Ghibli for Tokuma Shoten, Nippon Television Network and Dentsu. The film stars the voices of Yōji Matsuda, Yuriko Ishida ...

'' (1997), In between animation, clean-up animation * '' Jin-Roh: The Wolf Brigade'' (1998), In between animation * ''

My Neighbors the Yamadas is a 1999 Japanese animated comedy film written and directed by Isao Takahata, animated by Studio Ghibli for Tokuma Shoten, Nippon Television Network, Hakuhodo and Buena Vista Home Entertainment, and distributed by Shochiku. ...

'' (1999), In between animation * ''

Spirited Away is a 2001 Japanese animated fantasy film written and directed by Hayao Miyazaki, animated by Studio Ghibli for Tokuma Shoten, Nippon Television Network, Dentsu, Buena Vista Home Entertainment, Tohokushinsha Film, and Mitsubishi and distrib ...

'' (2001),

Key animation In animation and filmmaking, a key frame (or keyframe) is a drawing or shot that defines the starting and ending points of a smooth transition. These are called ''frames'' because their position in time is measured in frames on a strip of fil ...

* '' Mei and the Kittenbus'' (2003),

Animation Director An animation director is either the director in charge of all aspects of the animation process during the production of an animated film or television, and animated segment for a live action film or television show, or the animator in charge of co ...

* ''

Howl's Moving Castle ''Howl's Moving Castle'' is a fantasy novel by British author Diana Wynne Jones, first published in 1986 by Greenwillow Books of New York. It was a runner-up for the annual Boston Globe–Horn Book Award, and won the Phoenix Award twenty years ...

'' (2004), Key animation * '' Tales from Earthsea'' (2006), Assistant Animation Director * ''

Mizugumo Monmon is a fifteen-minute Japanese animated short film released on January 3, 2006. It was written and directed by Hayao Miyazaki for anime production house Studio Ghibli.Ponyo is a 2008 Japanese animated fantasy film written and directed by Hayao Miyazaki, animated by Studio Ghibli for the Nippon Television Network, Dentsu, Hakuhodo DY Media Partners, Buena Vista Home Entertainment, Mitsubishi, and distribute ...

'' (2008), Key animation * '' The Secret World of Arrietty'' (2010), Director, Storyboards, Unit Director * '' From Up on Poppy Hill'' (2011), Key animation * ''

The Wind Rises is a 2013 Japanese animated historical drama film written and directed by Hayao Miyazaki, animated by Studio Ghibli for the Nippon Television Network, Dentsu, Hakuhodo DY Media Partners, Walt Disney Japan, Mitsubishi, Toho and KDDI. It was rel ...

'' (2013), Key animation * '' When Marnie Was There'' (2014), Director, Screenplay * ''

'' (2017), Director, Screenplay * ''

Modest Heroes is a 2018 Japanese animated anthology film produced by Studio Ponoc. The film is the first volume in the studio's ''Ponoc Short Films Theatre'' anthology, and includes films written and directed by Hiromasa Yonebayashi, Yoshiyuki Momose, and Akih ...

'' (2018), Director, Screenplay

Television

* ''

Serial Experiments Lain ''Serial Experiments Lain'' (stylized as ''serial experiments lain'') is a Japanese anime television series created and co-produced by Yasuyuki Ueda, written by Chiaki J. Konaka and directed by Ryūtarō Nakamura. Animated by Triangle Staf ...

'' (1998), Key animation * '' Ghiblies'' (2000 special), Key animation * ''

Monster A monster is a type of fictional creature found in horror, fantasy, science fiction, folklore, mythology and religion. Monsters are very often depicted as dangerous and aggressive with a strange, grotesque appearance that causes terror and fe ...

'' (2004), Key animation * ''

Welcome to the Ballroom is a Japanese manga series written and illustrated by Tomo Takeuchi. It tells the prototypical story of an aimless Japanese youth named Tatara Fujita, who, after a chance encounter, is plunged into the world of competitive dancing. An anime ...

'' (2017), Key animation

Original video animations

* '' Nasu: A Migratory Bird with Suitcase'' (2007), Key animation

References

External links

* *
Ulike

Nipponcinema

Slashfilm
1973 births Japanese animators Japanese film directors Japanese animated film directors Anime directors Living people Studio Ghibli people {{animator-stub