Directed credits
30
Established
Strong directing catalog.
Director
Isao Takahata
Directing
Career Snapshot
ExplainedThese indicators come from TMDB. They are relative signals, not review ratings.
TMDB popularity
2.4
Moderate attention
TMDB internal trend index. Higher usually means more searches and page activity now.
Directed movies: 25Directed series: 5All crew credits: 45
TMDB ID: 628
IMDb ID: nm0847223
Known for: Directing
Born: October 29, 1935
Died: April 5, 2018
Age: 82
Place of birth: Ujiyamada [now Ise], Mie, Japan
Gender: Male
Adult content flag: No
Career span: 1961 - 2026
Years active: 66
Average TMDB rating: 7.35
Wikidata: Q178713
Also known as
Такахата Исао • たかはた いさお • Paku-san • 타카하타 이사오 • ایسائو تاکاهاتا
Frequent jobs
Director (23)Assistant Director (3)Co-Director (2)Music Director (1)Creator (2)Producer (2)Screenplay (2)Storyboard Artist (2)Concept Artist (1)Original Series Creator (1)Other (1)Production Assistant (1)
Biography
Isao Takahata (October 29, 1935 – April 5, 2018), co-founder of Studio Ghibli, was one of the most famous directors of Japanese animated films. Unlike most anime directors, he did not draw and never worked as an animator before becoming a director. For the first two decades of his career from the 1960s to the 1980s, Takahata worked primarily as director for anime television. In 1985 he and his long-time collaborative partner Hayao Miyazaki formed Studio Ghibli with Toshio Suzuki and Yasuyoshi Tokuma. From that point, his career transitioned into producing, directing, and writing films for Studio Ghibli. He is known for his five feature length anime films released under Ghibli, Grave of the Fireflies (1988), Only Yesterday (1991), Pom Poko (1994), My Neighbors the Yamadas (1999) and The Tale of the Princess Kaguya (2013).
Photos
Movies
Directed Movies
Movies directed by Isao Takahata.
The Story of Yanagawa Waterways
Director
2026 Movie
Winter Days
Director
2003 Movie
My Neighbors the Yamadas
Director
1999 Movie
Pom Poko
Director
1994 Movie
Heidi: Girl of the Alps: Heidi and Clara
Director
1993 Movie
Heidi: Girl of the Alps: Mt. Alm
Director
1993 Movie
Only Yesterday
Director
1991 Movie
Anne of Green Gables: Road to Green Gables
Director
1990 Movie
Kiki's Delivery Service
Music Director
1989 Movie
Gauche the Cellist
Director
1982 Movie
Chie the Brat
Director
1981 Movie
3000 Leagues in Search of Mother: The Movie
Director
1980 Movie
Gegege no Kitaro: The All Seeing Eye
Co-Director
1980 Movie
The Story of Heidi
Director
1979 Movie
Heidi in the City
Director
1977 Movie
Heidi in the Mountains
Director
1974 Movie
Panda! Go Panda!: Rainy Day Circus
Director
1973 Movie
Panda! Go Panda!
Director
1972 Movie
Panda! Go Panda!
Director
1972 Movie
Horus: Prince of the Sun
Director
1968 Movie
Spooky Kitaro
Co-Director
1968 Movie
Wolf Boy Ken: Scared by a Ghost: The Greatest Operation in the Jungle
Director
1964 Movie
Duel of the Underworld
Assistant Director
1963 Movie
The Little Prince and the Eight-Headed Dragon
Assistant Director
1963 Movie
Series
Directed Series
Series directed by Isao Takahata.
Chie the Brat
Series Director • 64 eps
1981 Series
Future Boy Conan
Director • 2 eps
1978 Series
3000 Leagues in Search of Mother
Director • 52 eps
1976 Series
Heidi: Girl of the Alps
Director • 52 eps
1974 Series
Lupin the 3rd
Director • 23 eps
1971 Series
Movies
Top Rated Movies
Highest rated movies linked with Isao Takahata.
Grave of the Fireflies
Screenplay
1988 Movie
The Tale of The Princess Kaguya
Screenplay
2013 Movie
Castle in the Sky
Producer
1986 Movie
Warriors of the Wind
Producer
1984 Movie
Toy Story 3
Thanks
2010 Movie
Kiki's Delivery Service
Music Director
1989 Movie
The Story of Heidi
Director
1979 Movie
The Kingdom of Dreams and Madness
as Self
2013 Movie
The Red Turtle
Other
2016 Movie
Only Yesterday
Director
1991 Movie
Gauche the Cellist
Director
1982 Movie
Pom Poko
Director
1994 Movie
Series
Top Rated Series
Highest rated series linked with Isao Takahata.
Future Boy Conan
Director • 2 eps
1978 Series
Lupin the 3rd
Director • 23 eps
1971 Series
3000 Leagues in Search of Mother
Director • 52 eps
1976 Series
Heidi: Girl of the Alps
Director • 52 eps
1974 Series
Movies
Most Popular Movies
Most viewed movie titles linked with Isao Takahata.
Toy Story 3
Thanks
2010 Movie
Warriors of the Wind
Producer
1984 Movie
Kiki's Delivery Service
Music Director
1989 Movie
Castle in the Sky
Producer
1986 Movie
Pom Poko
Director
1994 Movie
The Tale of The Princess Kaguya
Screenplay
2013 Movie
The Red Turtle
Other
2016 Movie
Only Yesterday
Director
1991 Movie
My Neighbors the Yamadas
Director
1999 Movie
Hayao Miyazaki and the Heron
as Self (archive fotage)
2024 Movie
Miyazaki, Spirit of Nature
as Self (archive footage)
2025 Movie
Isao Takahata and His Tale of The Princess Kaguya
as Self
2014 Movie
Series
Most Popular Series
Most viewed series linked with Isao Takahata.
Lupin the 3rd
Director • 23 eps
1971 Series
Kulturplatz
as Self • 1 eps
2004 Series
Anne of Green Gables
Series Composition • 50 eps
1979 Series
Future Boy Conan
Director • 2 eps
1978 Series
Heidi: Girl of the Alps
Director • 52 eps
1974 Series
Chie the Brat
Series Director • 64 eps
1981 Series
Laura, the Prairie Girl
Creator
1975 Series
10 Years with Hayao Miyazaki
as Self • 4 eps
2019 Series
母をたずねて三千里
Creator
1976 Series
NHK Educational TV Special
as Self • 1 eps
1985 Series
Movies
Other Crew Work in Movies
Additional movie credits for Isao Takahata.
The Red Turtle
Other
2016 Movie
Anne of Green Gables Digest Version
Storyboard Artist
2014 Movie
The Tale of The Princess Kaguya
Screenplay
2013 Movie
Toy Story 3
Thanks
2010 Movie
Marco: Carry a Dream
Original Series Creator
1999 Movie
Grave of the Fireflies
Screenplay
1988 Movie
Castle in the Sky
Producer
1986 Movie
Warriors of the Wind
Producer
1984 Movie
Future Boy Conan
Storyboard Artist
1979 Movie
Taro the Dragon Boy
Concept Artist
1979 Movie
Yuki's Sun
Writer
1972 Movie
Story of Iron
Production Assistant
1962 Movie
Series
Other Crew Work in Series
Additional series credits for Isao Takahata.
Anne of Green Gables
Series Composition • 50 eps
1979 Series
母をたずねて三千里
Creator
1976 Series
Laura, the Prairie Girl
Creator
1975 Series
Movies
Acting Appearances in Movies
Movie cast credits for Isao Takahata.
The Story of Yanagawa Waterways
as Self
2026 Movie
Miyazaki, Spirit of Nature
as Self (archive footage)
2025 Movie
Hayao Miyazaki and the Heron
as Self (archive fotage)
2024 Movie
2399 Days with Hayao Miyazaki & Studio Ghibli
as Self
2023 Movie
Hyohyo: Dear Mr. Yasuo Otsuka
as Self
2015 Movie
Isao Takahata and His Tale of The Princess Kaguya
as Self
2014 Movie
Ghibli Landscapes - Visit 'Japan' as Depicted by Isao Takahata
as Self
2014 Movie
The Kingdom of Dreams and Madness
as Self
2013 Movie
Ghibli Landscapes - A Journey to Encounter Directors Isao Takahata and Hayao Miyazaki's Starting Point
as Self
2011 Movie
Japanese Cinema: New Territories
as Self
2011 Movie
Ghibli's Bookshelf
as Self
2010 Movie
A Ghibli Artisan - Kazuo Oga Exhibition - The One Who Drew Totoro's Forest
as Self
2007 Movie
Series
Acting Appearances in Series
Series cast credits for Isao Takahata.
10 Years with Hayao Miyazaki
as Self • 4 eps
2019 Series
Kulturplatz
as Self • 1 eps
2004 Series
NHK Educational TV Special
as Self • 1 eps
1985 Series