Studio Ghibli unveils rare Miyazaki archive in new art book

Studio Ghibli is revisiting one of Hayao Miyazaki’s least accessible creative periods with a major archival release. The studio’s official merchandise storefront, Donguri Sora, has opened pre-orders for Hayao Miyazaki Image Board Collection Vol. 6, a large-format art book centred on two overlooked 1995 productions: Whisper of the Heart and “On Your Mark.”

Published by Iwanami Shoten with Studio Ghibli’s editorial oversight, the 140-page volume contains 178 Miyazaki drawings, many of which have never been publicly available. Drawn directly from the studio’s archives, the material represents what longtime fans may view as the official revival of a “lost” body of Miyazaki’s work, as per foreign media reports.

The collection includes 21 illustrations from Whisper of the Heart and 157 from “On Your Mark,” the experimental seven-minute short Miyazaki wrote and directed as a music video for the Japanese duo Chage and Aska. Although both projects debuted in 1995, neither has received the sustained attention of major Ghibli titles like Princess Mononoke or Spirited Away.

Rather than reproducing familiar promotional imagery, the book compiles image boards, storyboards, and developmental sketches that reveal how the productions were built. According to the publisher, the drawings were scanned using a high-precision process designed to preserve the original color, texture, and brush detail of Miyazaki’s hand-drawn work. Most pieces are reproduced close to their original size in a modified B4 format (350 mm by 257 mm), giving the book the feel of a production archive rather than a standard art collection.

The release places particular emphasis on “On Your Mark,” one of the most elusive works in Miyazaki’s filmography. Set in a dystopian future, it follows two officers who rescue a winged girl from state captivity after discovering her inside a religious compound, delivering dense worldbuilding and a haunting conclusion within seven minutes.

Whisper of the Heart, directed by Yoshifumi Kondo and written by Miyazaki, follows 13-year-old Shizuku Tsukishima as her relationship with aspiring violin maker Seiji Amazawa inspires her to pursue writing. Miyazaki’s screenplay and storyboards remain central to the film.

The volume also features a new interview with Studio Ghibli president Toshio Suzuki, adding insight into Miyazaki’s creative process. Priced at 6,160 yen (about $39), the book is set to ship in early to mid-June 2026.

By Tamilla Hasanova