Fans have been asking about Hayao Miyazaki‘s health for a while now. Miyazaki turned 85 in January 2026, and the worry has been building quietly in the background for some time. Well, Toshio Suzuki addressed it directly at a press event on March 17, 2026, and what he said is going to come as a relief.
Suzuki Did Not Dance Around It
Suzuki was straightforward about the whole thing. He confirmed that Miyazaki’s energy does go up and down depending on the day, but the overall picture is far better than the worst-case scenarios fans had been imagining.
“I thought he might be getting old soon, but that’s not the case at all; he’s incredibly energetic… Even though he’s 85, he still wants to make movies.” Suzuki told those present at the event.
He also gave a more honest look at what the day-to-day actually looks like. On bad days, Miyazaki loses motivation and says he does not feel like making movies anymore. On better days, he still wants to make them. Suzuki described it as a cycle, which is about as candid as it gets.
Goro Miyazaki was also at the event and had his own thing to add. “His blood test results are better than mine,” he said, which got a reaction out of the room.
Miyazaki announced his retirement in 2013. Then came back with The Boy and the Heron in 2023, which went on to win the Academy Award for Best Animated Feature at the 2024 ceremony. The pattern here is pretty well established at this point. Miyazaki says he is done, and then he is not done.
Suzuki and Goro Miyazaki were at the event to announce the Panorama Box, a three-dimensional art piece featuring hand-drawn illustrations from Miyazaki’s films. Spirited Away, Howl’s Moving Castle, and Kiki’s Delivery Service are all in there.
Kindergarten-aged children were also at the event and got to see the illustrations up close. Miyazaki apparently watched their reactions and was heard saying, “Ghibli for children has come back.” That one line says a lot about where his head is right now.
The Panorama Box goes on display at Ghibli Park’s Grand Warehouse in Nagakute, Japan, from July 8, 2026.
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