Painting the Worlds of Studio Ghibli

The definitive collection of background art from all of Studio Ghibli's theatrical releases.

This book features more than 800 pieces of background art from 27 theatrical releases from Nausicaä of the Valley of the Wind to the latest film The Boy and the Heron. This large volume with over 500 pages is the complete and enduring commemorative edition that allows you to thoroughly enjoy backgrounds from each and every scene from these masterpieces.

This book celebrates the background art that creates the worlds of Studio Ghibli's films, offering 844 representative pieces handpicked from the thousands of backgrounds created for each feature film. Art director Yoji Takeshige supervised the selection, which includes art from each of Studio Ghibli's twenty-seven films, from Nausicaä of the Valley of the Wind (1984) to The Boy and the Heron (2023).

These pages offer a glimpse into techniques that bring depth and life to these cherished cinematic worlds, quietly revealing mastery of brushwork, color, perspective, and the delicate balance of light and shadow.

Studio Ghibli is delighted to invite you to immerse yourself in Painting the Worlds of Studio Ghibli. Enjoy the view.

Featured in the book:
Nausicaä of the Valley of the Wind (1984)
Castle in the Sky (1986)
My Neighbor Totoro (1988)
Grave of the Fireflies (1988)
Kiki's Delivery Service (1989)
Only Yesterday (1991)
Porco Rosso (1992)
Ocean Waves (1993)
Pom Poko (1994)
Whisper of the Heart (1995)
On Your Mark (1995)
Princess Mononoke (1997)
My Neighbors the Yamadas (1999)
Spirited Away (2001)
The Cat Returns (2002)
the GHIBLIES episode 2 (2002)
Howl's Moving Castle (2004)
Tales from Earthsea (2006)
Ponyo on the Cliff by the Sea (2008)
Arrietty (2010)
From Up on Poppy Hill (2011)
The Wind Rises (2013)
The Tale of The Princess Kaguya (2013)
When Marnie Was There (2014)
The Red Turtle (2016)
Earwig and the Witch (2020)
The Boy and the Heron (2023)

Author: Yoji Takeshige
Publisher: Pie International
Published: 10/07/2025
Pages: 568
Binding Type: Hardcover
Weight: 5.75lbs
Size: 11.90h x 8.70w x 1.50d
ISBN: 9784756259547

About the Author
Takeshige, Yoji: - Born 1964 in Philadelphia, USA. Raised in Tokyo. Takeshige studied at the Tama College of Art and majored in oil painting. His first credit for a Studio Ghibli film was My Neighbor Totoro (1988) as a background artist. He served as art director for On Your Mark (1995), his first of many projects in that position for Studio Ghibli. He was awarded Best Production Design at the 9th Tokyo Anime Award for his work on Summer Wars (2009) and nominated for Annie Award for Best Production Design and for an ADG (Art Directors Guild) Award in the Animated Feature Film category for his work on The Boy and the Heron (2023).