Hayao Miyazaki draws Year of the Dragon illustration for New Year’s card to Studio Ghibli fans

Anime studio’s New Year’s nengajo comes with a sweet message. 

On the first of January, people around the country receive nengajo (New Year’s cards) from friends, family, and people they may have done business with during the previous year.

Recently, it’s become customary for Studio Ghibli to send a nengajo of its own to fans, only instead of sending these New Year’s greetings through the post, the acclaimed anime studio opts to do it digitally, by publishing the “card” online on 1 January.

What makes this nengajo particularly special is the fact that it’s drawn by Ghibli co-founder and director Hayao Miyazaki, whose hand has created some of the studio’s most famous characters. For the first day of January, though, Miyazaki turns his hand to the year’s zodiac animal, giving us an insight into his creative mind with a very special character you won’t find anywhere else.

▼ As 2024 is the Year of the Dragon, Miyazaki has given us his version of the mythical beast, drawn in his signature style.

Along with the gorgeous artwork on the nengajo, which comes with the greeting “謹賀新年” (“Kingashinnen” or “Happy New Year”), is a message from the studio, which reads:

“To everyone,

We would like to express our sincere New Year’s greetings.
Thank you for always supporting Studio Ghibli.

Last July, for the first time in 10 years, we released a new film, The Boy and the Heron, directed by Hayao Miyazaki, and since then many audiences have viewed it. The production period lasted seven years, during which time major incidents such as wars and the pandemic continued, but we are very proud to have completed the movie for people all over the world to watch. It will continue to be screened over New Year’s, so we would be happy if you could visit movie theatres to watch it.

In addition, Ghibli Park has been opening sequentially since the year before last in Nagakute City, Aichi Prefecture, and once the Witch’s Valley opens in March, all areas will be complete. This is a project led by Director Goro Miyazaki, who has been promoting it for seven years since the concept was announced. We hope you can spare some time to come and see it.

In 2024, work at Studio Ghibli will begin on Friday, 5 January. On this day, Director Hayao Miyazaki will celebrate his 83rd birthday, and we are very happy that he is still working in the studio.

Thank you for your continued support of Studio Ghibli and Studio Ghibli’s films this year.

1.1.2024.”

It’s customary for nengajo to come with short messages relaying what one has been up to in the past year, and the above message from the studio reveals that 2023 was a big year for the company. Not only did Ghibli release its long-awaited movie from Miyazaki, which the director officially came out of retirement for in 2017, it also opened another highly anticipated area, Mononoke Village, at its theme park in Aichi Prefecture.

The studio isn’t resting on its laurels, though, with news that staff will be back at work in the studio from 5 January, which is incidentally Miyazaki’s birthday. With Miyazaki already bristling with ideas for another movie project, here’s hoping 2024 proves to be just as fruitful for the studio and its fans!

Source: Studio Ghibli
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Insert image: Studio Ghibli
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