On November 3, 2023 at 12am Japan Time, Studio Ghibli shut down its official Twitter account. Studio Ghibli’s official account was opened three years ago in order to promote the release of Hayao Miyazaki’s latest film The Boy and the Heron, known as How Do You Live in Japan.
In their social media post that is now deleted alongside the account’s termination, Studio Ghibli thanked everybody who followed and supported the account over the last three years. The team also stated that The Boy and the Heron‘s promotion will continue throughout the end of 2023 and into the New Year.
The now deleted Tweet stated the following [Thanks, Anime News Network!]:
11/3 午前0:00 をもって、スタジオジブリの公式Twitterアカウントを終了します。
宮﨑駿監督「君たちはどう生きるか」の公開へむけて3年前に始まった本アカウント、沢山の方々に支えて頂き、ありがとうございました。心より御礼申し上げます。
映画は年末年始も続きます。カヘッ
On September 21, 2023, in a joint announcement it was announced that Nippon TV would be purchasing Studio Ghibli and turning it into a subsidiary of the broadcast network. The decision for the animation studio to be acquired by Nippon TV was made after Studio Ghibli was unable to make a succession plan. Studio Ghibli has worked in close relation with Nippon TV for decades, premiering the television broadcast of their films on Nippon TV’s networks.
Studio Ghibli recently released The Boy and the Heron in Japan on July 14, 2023. GKIDS is distributing The Boy and the Heron in the United States.
The film follows a young boy named Mahito who misses his dead mother and finds himself in a world shared by the living and the dead. Once there, he gains new insight into death, life, and friendship. The film’s musical score has been composed by Joe Hisaishi, and the theme song “Spinning Globe” is penned and performed by J-pop superstar Kenshi Yonezu.
The Boy and the Heron will release in North American theaters and IMAX on December 8, 2023.
