This book celebrates the background art that creates the worlds of Studio Ghibli's films, offering 844 representative pieces handpicked from the thousands of backgrounds created for each feature film. Art director Yoji Takeshige supervised the selection, which includes art from each of Studio Ghibli's twenty-seven films, from Nausicaä of the Valley of the Wind (1984) to The Boy and the Heron (2023).

These pages offer a glimpse into techniques that bring depth and life to these cherished cinematic worlds, quietly revealing mastery of brushwork, color, perspective, and the delicate balance of light and shadow.

Featured Titles

Nausicaä of the Valley of the Wind (1984)

Castle in the Sky (1986)

My Neighbor Totoro (1988)

Grave of the Fireflies (1988)

Kiki's Delivery Service (1989)

Only Yesterday (1991)

Porco Rosso (1992)

Ocean Waves (1993)

Pom Poko (1994)

Whisper of the Heart (1995)

On Your Mark (1995)

Princess Mononoke (1997)

My Neighbors the Yamadas (1999)

Spirited Away (2001)

The Cat Returns (2002)

the GHIBLIES episode 2 (2002)

Howl's Moving Castle (2004)

Tales from Earthsea (2006)

Ponyo on the Cliff by the Sea (2008)

Arrietty (2010)

From Up on Poppy Hill (2011)

The Wind Rises (2013)

The Tale of The Princess Kaguya (2013)

When Marnie Was There (2014)

The Red Turtle (2016)

Earwig and the Witch (2020)

The Boy and the Heron (2023)