Makoto Shinkai

Makoto Shinkai
新海 誠
Born
Makoto Niitsu

(1973-02-09) February 9, 1973 (age 51)
Koumi, Japan
EducationChuo University
Occupations
Years active1996–present
Known forYour Name
Weathering with You
Suzume
SpouseChieko Misaka [ja]
ChildrenChise Niitsu [ja]
Japanese name
Kanji新海 誠
Kanaしんかい まこと
Transcriptions
RomanizationShinkai Makoto
Websiteshinkaimakoto.jp[dead link]
shinkaiworks.com
Signature

Makoto Niitsu (新津 誠, Niitsu Makoto, born February 9, 1973), known as Makoto Shinkai (新海 誠, Shinkai Makoto), is a Japanese filmmaker and novelist. He is known for his anime feature films produced with studio CoMix Wave Films.

Shinkai began his career as a video game animator with Nihon Falcom in 1996, and gained recognition as a filmmaker with the release of the original video animation (OVA) She and Her Cat (1999). Shinkai then released the science-fiction OVA Voices of a Distant Star in 2002 as his first feature with CoMix Wave, and followed this with his debut feature film The Place Promised in Our Early Days (2004).

Shinkai's films have consistently received highly positive reviews from both critics and audiences, and he is considered to be one of Japan's most commercially successful filmmakers.[1] His three most recent films Your Name (2016), Weathering with You (2019), and Suzume (2022) are all among the highest-grossing Japanese films of all time both in Japan and worldwide at the time of their release.[2][3][4]

  1. ^ Schilling, Mark (February 20, 2023). "'Suzume' Director Shinkai Makoto on Hand-Drawn Animation and the Importance of Original Stories". Variety. Retrieved February 7, 2024.
  2. ^ Shepherd, Jack (January 17, 2017). "'Your Name' beats 'Spirited Away' to become highest-grossing anime ever". The Independent. Archived from the original on December 10, 2017. Retrieved May 10, 2017.
  3. ^ "Makoto Shinkai – 'Distant Star' creator now in view". Variety. May 5, 2016. Archived from the original on May 13, 2016. Retrieved May 10, 2016.
  4. ^ Brzeski, Patrick (March 27, 2023). "China Box Office: Makoto Shinkai's Anime Hit 'Suzume' Soars With $50M Opening". The Hollywood Reporter. Retrieved March 28, 2023.