The studio was founded in 1985 by producer Toshio Suzuki, and directors Isao Takahata, and Hayao Miyazaki. The word “ghibli” was derived from the Libyan-Arabic word for “hot desert wind” and also harkens back to Hayao Miyazaki’s love for planes as the name refers to an Italian aircraft used in World War II. The name Studio Ghibli was chosen based on the founders’ intentions to “blow new wind through the anime industry.”
The founding of the Studio followed the success of the feature film Nausicaä Valley of the Wind (1984), written and directed by Hayao Miyazaki. Suzuki, who had worked with Miyazaki on Nausicaä as a producer, brought Takahashi on board to form the studio. Hayao Miyazaki is the most prolific figure under the Ghibli enterprise with his work making up the majority of the work produced by the studio. Over the years, Studio Ghibli films have garnered nominations and awards including 5 Academy Awards and many Animage Anime Prix awards.