Studio Ghibli president Koji Hoshino has stepped down from his position and will leave the company this summer. Ghibli co-founder and former president Toshio Suzuki has taken over as president.
What they’re saying In a letter posted on the Studio Ghilbi website (translated by Google), Hoshino explained:
I, Koji Hoshino, will resign as a director of Studio Ghibli and leave Ghibli at the conclusion of the Annual General Meeting of Shareholders in June.
Prior to that, I will be retiring from my position as Studio Ghibli’s president and chairman at the end of March, but I will continue to serve as a representative until the general meeting of shareholders.
Since taking office in February 2008, I have been striving to manage the studio for 15 years. With the completion of the work How do You Live?, I decided that this was the only time to leave Ghibli. From now on, I hope that I will entrust management to my successor and lead the new Ghibli.
On a personal note, I Hoshino will turn 67 this May. In the future, I intend to take on challenges in new fields by making use of my experience and personal connections.Studio Ghibli
Representative Director Koji Hoshino
Hoshino’s background: Hoshino was formerly president of Walt Disney Japan before taking over as president of Studio Ghibli in 2008 and becoming the company’s chairperson in 2017. From 2017-2019, Kiyofumi Nakajima served as president, but Hoshino returned to the role in 2021.
