Toshio Suzuki

For the racing driver with the same name, see Toshio Suzuki (racing driver).

Toshio Suzuki
Suzuki at the Venice premiere of Howl's Moving Castle in 2004
Born	(1948-08-19) August 19, 1948 Nagoya, Aichi, Japan
Alma mater	Keio University
Occupations	Film producer Co-Founder and chairman of Studio Ghibli
Years active	1972–present
Employers	Tokuma Shoten (1972–1989) Studio Ghibli (1989–present)

Toshio Suzuki (Japanese: 鈴木 敏夫, Hepburn: Suzuki Toshio, born August 19, 1948) is a Japanese film producer. He is a founder, chairman, and former president of Studio Ghibli.

Early life

Suzuki was born in Nagoya in Aichi Prefecture in 1948. In 1967 he enrolled at Keio University and graduated with a degree in literature in 1972.

Career

1970s: Tokuma Shoten

His professional career started at Tokuma Shoten, joining the company shortly after graduation. He was assigned to the planning department of Asahi Geino, entertainment, magazine, where he was responsible for the manga coverage page. Here he had a long anticipated meeting with cartoonist Shigeru Sugiura. In 1973, he became the editor of the magazine's supplement Comic & Comic (コミック&コミック, komiku & komiku), for which he worked with and befriended film directors, such as Sadao Nakajima, Eiichi Kudo and Teruo Ishii, as well as animators and manga artists, like Osamu Tezuka, George Akiyama, Kazuo Kamimura, Hōsei Hasegawa and Shotaro Ishinomori. During a hiatus of the comic supplement he was reassigned to the performing arts feature section of Asahi Geino, for which he covered such varied topics as Bōsōzoku, Japanese motorcycle gangs, and the bombing of the headquarters of Mitsubishi Heavy Industries by the East Asia Anti-Japan Armed Front. From this period he has mentioned Sayuri Ichijō as a memorable person.

In 1975, Suzuki was assigned to the editorial department of the monthly Television Land. One of the series he worked on is Wakusei Robo Danguard Ace. In 1978 he became an editor for the, newly created, monthly magazine Animage, under its first editor-in-chief Hideo Ogata.

1976–1984: Pre-Ghibli

In his capacity as Animage editor, he approached Isao Takahata and Miyazaki, who had worked on the animated feature film Horus, Prince of the Sun, for a feature article in the inaugural issue of the magazine but they declined. Suzuki and Miyazaki encountered each other again after the release of The Castle of Cagliostro when Suzuki again approached Miyazaki for an Animage article. This time the meetings result in an enduring collaborative relationship. In July 1981 Suzuki unsuccessfully pitched Miyazaki's original idea for an animated story, Warring States Demon Castle (戦国魔城, Sengoku ma-jō). The Miyazaki article, Hayao Miyazaki, World of Romance and Adventure (宮崎駿 冒険とロマンの世界, Miyazaki Hayao bōken to roman no sekai), was published in the August 1981 issue of Animage magazine. About the issue Suzuki has stated: "here is where it all started". Suzuki was among those who facilitated the creation and publication of Miyazaki's manga, Nausicaä of the Valley of the Wind. He was instrumental in getting the Nausicaä anime made and helped establish Studio Ghibli after the film's release. The film was released on March 11, 1984.

1985: Beginning of Studio Ghibli

Studio Ghibli was founded in June 1985. Miyazaki has stated, "If it were not for Mr. Suzuki, there wouldn't have been Studio Ghibli." Ghibli co-founder Takahata, producer on the Nausicaä film, has acknowledged the pivotal role of Suzuki in bringing the Nausicaä manga series into the world and used nearly identical words as Miyazaki to acknowledge Suzuki's essential role in the creation of Studio Ghibli. Takahata also credits Suzuki for his steadfast support of Miyazaki and has cited Suzuki's responsibility for making his friendship with Miyazaki endure.

In 1985, Suzuki was also involved with the theatrical release of Kunihiko Yuyama's GoShogun: The Time Étranger, which was released on April 24.

In 1986, Suzuki served on the production committee for the Studio Ghibli film Laputa: Castle in the Sky for Tokuma Shoten, released in August, and he succeeded Ogata as Animage editor-in-chief in October.

In 1988, he again served on Tokuma Shoten's production committee. This time for the Ghibli films My Neighbor Totoro, directed by Miyazaki, and Grave of the Fireflies directed by Takahata. Suzuki was able to get the films made and released by proposing them as a double feature for theatrical release. He was associate producer on Kiki's Delivery Service and officially joined the studio as producer in 1989, after he had resigned from Tokuma Shoten in October.

In 1990, Suzuki was appointed director of the Studio Ghibli company. He was producer on Only Yesterday in 1991 and Porco Rosso in 1992. Suzuki was in charge of the Ocean Waves project, directed by Tomomi Mochizuki, created by Studio Ghibli for television, which aired in Japan in 1993. The following year he worked as producer on Takahata's theatrical release Pom Poko. In 1995 he produced director Yoshifumi Kondō’s Whisper of the Heart and On Your Mark, theatrically released together in 1995. The latter is a short animated promotional video created by Studio Ghibli for the Japanese pop-duo Chage and Aska. In 1995 Suzuki also became the producer on the next feature length Ghibli film project, released, in 1997, under the title he had selected, Princess Mononoke. In 1997, Studio Ghibli and Tokuma Shoten merged and Suzuki became the inaugural President. 1999 saw the release of Takahata's My Neighbors the Yamadas for which Suzuki was the producer.

In the year 2000 the live-action film Shiki-Jitsu, was released, directed by Hideaki Anno and produced by Suzuki. The animated feature-length film Spirited Away had its premiere on July 20, 2001. In October that same year the Ghibli Museum was opened. In 2002 director Hiroyuki Morita’s The Cat Returns and Ghiblies episode 2, directed by Yoshiyuki Momose, had their theatrical release. In 2003 Spirited Away won the Academy Award for Best Animated Feature. Suzuki assumed the role of producer for Innocence directed by Mamoru Oshii, which was released in Japanese theatres in March 2004. Howl's Moving Castle had its theatrical release in November that same year.

2004: Independent

In March 2004, Studio Ghibli became independent from Tokuma Shoten and Suzuki was appointed Ghibli corporation president. He stepped down from the position in 2008. As of 2014 he still serves as the company's managing director and continues to work as film producer.

2014–2023: Retirement and continuation

In March 2014, Suzuki retired as a producer and assumed a new position of general manager at Studio Ghibli. However, he has continued to assist with other projects, including acting as a co-producer for The Red Turtle (2016), and lead producer for Earwig and the Witch (2020) and The Boy and the Heron (2023).

Accolades

Academy Awards

Suzuki has been recognized by the Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences for the following accolades as a producer:

• 86th Academy Awards: Best Animated Feature, nomination, for The Wind Rises (along with Hayao Miyazaki.)
• 89th Academy Awards: Best Animated Feature, nomination, for The Red Turtle (along with Michaël Dudok de Wit.)
• 96th Academy Awards: Best Animated Feature, win, for The Boy and the Heron (along with Hayao Miyazaki.)
  • However, he would not appear in person at the Oscar ceremony to accept the award, with Studio Ghibli chief operating officer Kiyofumi Nakajima claiming this was due to his "age bracket."

Other recognitions

In 2014, at the 64th Annual MEXT Art Encouragement Prizes Toshio Suzuki was awarded the Grand Prize for his involvement as producer in The Wind Rises and The Tale of the Princess Kaguya.

In 2022, Suzuki received the Winsor McCay Award which is presented at the annual Annie Awards.

Filmography

Year	Title	Japanese Name	Role(s)
1984	Nausicaä of the Valley of the Wind	風の谷のナウシカ	Production committee
1985	GoShogun: The Time Étranger	戦国魔神ゴーショーグン 時の異邦人	Publication producer
1986	Castle in the Sky	天空の城ラピュタ	Production committee
1987	Digital Devil Story: Megami Tensei	デジタル・デビル物語 ストーリー 女神転生	Producer
1988	Grave of the Fireflies	火垂るの墓	Production committee
	Legend of the Galactic Heroes: My Conquest Is the Sea of Stars	銀河英雄伝説: わが征くは星の大海	Publication producer
	My Neighbor Totoro	となりのトトロ	Production committee
1989	Kiki's Delivery Service	魔女の宅急便 Majo no Takkyūbin	Associate producer
1991	Only Yesterday	(おもひでぽろぽろ	Producer
	The Heroic Legend of Arslan	アルスラーン戦記	Producer
1992	Porco Rosso	紅の豚	Producer
1993	Ocean Waves	海がきこえる	Producer
1994	Pom Poko	平成狸合戦ぽんぽこ	Producer
1995	On Your Mark	オン・ユア・マーク	Producer
	Whisper of the Heart	耳をすませば	Producer, character
1997	Princess Mononoke	もののけ姫	Producer
1999	My Neighbors the Yamadas	ホーホケキョとなりの山田くん	Producer
2000	Ghiblies	ギブリーズ	Producer
	Shiki-Jitsu	式日	Producer
2001	Recess: School's Out	リセス ぼくらの夏休みを守れ!	Producer, uncredited
	Spirited Away	千と千尋の神隠し	Producer
2002	Ghiblies Episode 2	ギブリーズ二	Producer
	The Cat Returns	猫の恩返し	Producer
2003	Killers: .50 Woman	キラーズ	"Wicked producer"
2004	Howl's Moving Castle	ハウルの動く城	Producer
	Innocence: Ghost in the Shell	攻殻機動隊 イノセンス	Producer
2006	Tachiguishi-Retsuden	立喰師列伝	Hiyashi Tanuki no Masa
	Tales from Earthsea	ゲド戦記	Producer
2008	Ponyo on the Cliff by the Sea	崖の上のポニョ	Producer
2010	The Secret World of Arrietty	借りぐらしのアリエッティ	Producer
2011	From Up on Poppy Hill	コクリコ坂から	Producer
2013	The Kingdom of Dreams and Madness	夢と狂気の王国	Himself
	The Wind Rises	風立ちぬ	Producer
2014	When Marnie Was There	思い出のマーニー	Executive Producer
2016	The Red Turtle	レッドタートル ある島の物語	Producer
2017	Mary and the Witch's Flower	メアリと魔女の花	With appreciation to
2020	Earwig and the Witch	アーヤと魔女	Producer
2023	The Boy and the Heron	きみたちはどういきるか	Producer

Publications in English

• Suzuki, Toshio (2018). Mixing Work with Pleasure : My Life at Studio Ghibli (First English ed.). Tokyo: Japan Publishing Industry Foundation for Culture. ISBN 978-4-86658-022-7.

External links

• Miyazaki Quote from Nausicaa.net (an extensive English language source on Ghibli's films and other related anime works.)
• Toshio Suzuki at IMDb
• Toshio Suzuki at Anime News Network's encyclopedia