Matt Schley
July 13, 2015 
At 11am Monday morning, Hayao Miyazaki held a press conference at Studio Ghibli headquarters in western Tokyo. In the hours before the presser, there was speculation as to what exactly he would be announcing – a return from retirement? The closing of Ghibli? Or something else entirely?
In the end, the press conference was held largely to make a political statement, slamming prime minister Shinzo Abe’s recent attempts to “reinterpret” Japan’s constitution, which renounces the right to make war or use force to solve international disputes. Abe wants to expand Japan’s war-making abilities.
Miyazaki pulled no punches in his criticism of Abe, stating “I believe Prime Minister Abe wishes to leave his name in history as a great man who revised the Constitution and its interpretation, which I think is despicable.”
Photo: Toru Yamanaka/AFP/Getty Images
The Spirited Away director also called on Abe to uphold Japan’s previous apologies to its Asian neighbors for its conduct during WWII on the occasion of the 70th anniversary of the end of the war, which is upcoming.
Finally, Miyazaki touched on his opposition to the relocation of a U.S. military base in Okinawa. He has been a contributor to a fund against the move since May.
Aside from politics, Miyazaki also touched on his recently-announced CG short for the Ghibli museum, stating while his producer expects it to take three years, he hopes to finish it sooner.
Sources: Japan Times, Hollywood Reporter
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