Hayao Miyazaki's Reading List
The 5 books that shaped Hayao Miyazaki — filmmaker & animator.
Japan's greatest animator, whose films explore environmentalism, childhood, and the beauty of flight with unmatched artistry.
Influential Books
The Borrowers
Mary Norton(1952)
Norton's tiny people living under floorboards inspired Arrietty — Miyazaki's love of small worlds within big ones.
The Earthsea Trilogy
Ursula K. Le Guin(1968)
Le Guin's fantasy world shaped Miyazaki's own approach to magic, balance, and the natural world in animation.
The Little Prince
Antoine de Saint-Exupéry(1943)
Saint-Exupéry's blend of innocence, flight, and philosophical depth runs through all of Miyazaki's films.
Howl's Moving Castle
Diana Wynne Jones(1986)
Jones' inventive fantasy gave Miyazaki the source material for one of his most beloved films.
A Town Called Junk
Alistair MacLean(1959)
Miyazaki was a voracious reader of European adventure literature, which fueled his fascination with flight and machines.