Makoto Shinkai facts for kids
Quick facts for kids
Makoto Shinkai
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| 新海 誠 | |||||
Shinkai at the 73rd Berlin International Film Festival
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| Born |
Makoto Niitsu
February 9, 1973 Koumi, Japan
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| Education | Chuo University | ||||
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| Years active | 1996–present | ||||
| Known for | Your Name (2016) Weathering with You (2019) Suzume (2022) |
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| Spouse(s) | Chieko Misaka | ||||
| Children | Chise Niitsu | ||||
| Japanese name | |||||
| Kanji | 新海 誠 | ||||
| Kana | しんかい まこと | ||||
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| Signature | |||||
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Makoto Niitsu (新津 誠, Niitsu Makoto, born February 9, 1973), known as Makoto Shinkai (新海 誠, Shinkai Makoto), is a famous Japanese filmmaker and novelist. He is best known for his amazing anime movies. These films are made with a company called CoMix Wave Films.
Shinkai started his career in 1996. He worked as an animator for a video game company called Nihon Falcom. He became well-known as a filmmaker after releasing a short animated film called She and Her Cat in 1999. Later, he released a science fiction short film, Voices of a Distant Star (2002). This was his first big project with CoMix Wave. His first full-length movie was The Place Promised in Our Early Days (2004).
Makoto Shinkai's films are very popular with both critics and audiences. He is one of Japan's most successful filmmakers. His three most recent movies are Your Name (2016), Weathering with You (2019), and Suzume (2022). All of these films are among the highest-grossing Japanese films ever. They have earned a lot of money in Japan and around the world.
Early Life and Inspiration
Makoto Shinkai grew up in Nagano Prefecture, Japan. He studied Japanese literature at Chuo University. While there, he was part of a club that focused on children's books and he enjoyed drawing picture books.
He says his love for creating stories and art began in middle school. He was inspired by the manga, anime, and novels he read. Some of his favorite anime films are Laputa: Castle in the Sky, Nausicaä, and The Castle of Cagliostro. These were made by the famous director Hayao Miyazaki. He also liked The End of Evangelion and Patlabor 2.
Shinkai's Career Journey
After finishing university in 1996, Shinkai got a job at Falcom, a video game company. For five years, he created video clips for games and designed graphics for websites. During this time, he met a musician named Tenmon. Tenmon later composed music for many of Shinkai's movies.
In 1999, Shinkai released She and Her Cat. This was a short, five-minute film made in black and white. It won several awards, including a big prize at the DoGA CG Animation contest in 2000. This short film tells the story of a cat's life from the cat's point of view. It shows the cat spending time with its owner, a young woman.
After winning the award, Shinkai started thinking about his next project. In 2000, he got the idea for Voices of a Distant Star. He drew a picture of a girl in a spaceship holding a cell phone. A company called Manga Zoo offered him money to turn his idea into an anime. In May 2001, he left his job at Falcom to work on Voices. He said it took about seven months of hard work to make.
His next big film was The Place Promised in Our Early Days. This movie was 90 minutes long and came out in Japan in November 2004. It received great reviews and won many awards. Shinkai's next film was 5 Centimeters per Second, which premiered in March 2007. This film is made up of three shorter stories.
In 2008, Shinkai took a break and lived in London. He came back to Japan in 2009 to start a new project. He shared some early drawings for this film in December 2009. He said it would be his longest animated film yet. He described it as an exciting adventure with action and romance. The story would be about a happy and brave girl on a journey to say "farewell." In November 2010, he announced the film's title: Children Who Chase Lost Voices from Deep Below. It was released in May 2011.
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His next movie, The Garden of Words, was released in May 2013.
On August 26, 2016, Shinkai released Your Name. This film was a huge success. Audiences and critics loved its story, beautiful animation, music, and deep emotions. It also earned a lot of money, becoming one of the highest-grossing films ever in Japan. By 2019, it became the highest-grossing anime film worldwide, even earning more than Miyazaki's Spirited Away.
Shinkai's next film, Weathering with You, came out in Japan on July 19, 2019. This film was also very successful. It earned over $192.9 million around the world. This made it the tenth highest-grossing Japanese film of all time.
Suzume, Shinkai's seventh full-length movie, was released in Japan on November 11, 2022. This film also received great reviews and was a big commercial success. It earned over $300 million worldwide.
Personal Life
Some people have called Makoto Shinkai "The New Miyazaki." This comparison is because both directors create amazing animated films. However, Shinkai has said that he thinks this is "overestimation" and that he has a lot to learn.
Shinkai is married to a former actress and producer named Misaka Chieko. She is known for acting in the film Versus. The couple has a daughter, Chise Niitsu, who was born in 2010 and is a child actress.
There is even an asteroid named after him! It is called 55222 Makotoshinkai.
Images for kids
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Shinkai at the 73rd Berlin International Film Festival
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Signature of Makoto Shinkai
See also
In Spanish: Makoto Shinkai para niños
