The 66th Annual Ramon Magsaysay Awards was held at the Metropolitan Theater in Manila, Philippines on November 16, the Ramon Magsaysay Award is Asia’s most prestigious and premier prize was awarded to Japanese Animation Director, and Co-Founder of Studio Ghibli, Hayao Miyazaki.
The Awards Foundation praised Hayao Miyazaki and the work he has done, his films that tackled complex issues such as environmental protection, protection of women’s rights, and war, trying to teach children through his work. Miyazaki wasn’t able to attend the event unfortunately, but Yoda Kenichi, Vice President for Events and Exhibitions for Studio Ghibli was in attendance to accept the award on Miyazaki’s behalf. In the letter that Miyazaki wrote, Kenichi read aloud to the audience and the Awards Foundation, saying that the Japanese must not forget war atrocities it has committed.
In 2016, the former Emperor and Empress visited Manila, which was the setting of urban warfare during World War II, to pay their respects to thousands who have lost their lives.
Hayao Miyazaki, Co-Founder of Studio Ghibli
The Japanese did a lot of terrible things back then.
They killed many civilians.
The Japanese people must not forget this.
It will always remain.
Over the years, Hayao Miyazaki has always been vocal about his views on things, the animation industry, critical of Japanese Animation, being a feminist, and war. For example, Miyazaki would not attend the 75th Annual Academy Awards in 2003 when Spirited Away was nominated, he refused to attend in protest of the United States’s involvement in the Iraq War, and later said he “didn’t want to visit a country that was bombing Iraq.” In 2015, he disapproved of Japan’s former Prime Minister, Shinzo Abe’s denial of Japan’s military aggression, stating Japan “should clearly say that [they] inflicted enormous damage on China and express deep remorse over it.”
Hayao Miyazaki is a masterful storyteller, the creator of Japanese Animated Films, and the co-founder and honorary chairman of Studio Ghibli, which he co-founded Studio Ghibli in 1985. He has won numerous awards for his work, including winning the Academy Award for Best Animated Feature for The Boy and the Heron in March 2024.
Source: Ramon Magsaysay Awards Website, NIPPON TV NEWS 24
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