Photo/Illutration The special exhibition “The Boy and the Heron Part 3: Background Art” at the Ghibli Museum, Mitaka in Tokyo on Nov. 22 (Ari Hirayama)

The Ghibli Museum, Mitaka is inviting visitors to explore the magical lands of Hayao Miyazaki’s stunning animated film “The Boy and the Heron,” with a special exhibition of the film’s background art.

“The Boy and the Heron,” which was both written and directed by Miyazaki, has won numerous awards, including the Oscar for Best Animated Feature.

At the special exhibition, “The Boy and the Heron Part 3: Background Art,” 120 background paintings of the fantastic worlds the characters inhabit are on display.

These paintings include scenes of a dusty old mansion, a cityscape sunk in the darkness of night, an otherworldly paradise, clouds, and other incredible landscapes.

There is also a panorama box titled “Parakeet Empire,” drawn by Miyazaki himself, on display.

Yoji Takeshige, Studio Ghibli’s art director, got his start at Ghibli by creating the background illustrations for “My Neighbor Totoro,” and later served as the art director of “Princess Mononoke” in 1997 and “Spirited Away” in 2001. He has explained that some unique color choices give “The Boy and the Heron” its character.

Takeshige revealed on a talk show on Nov. 22 that Miyazaki had told him, “I don’t want you to use the same green as you used to use” for “The Boy and the Heron.”

Since the film is set in Japan a year before the country’s defeat in World War II, Takeshige chose to use darker greens rather than his usual vivid and lively hues.

“I thought people’s bodies and minds were dry,” he explained.

The special exhibition is scheduled to be held until November 2025.

The first half of the exhibition will run until May 2025. In the second half, some of the background art will be replaced.

Entry to the museum is by reservation on a specific date and time. Details can be found on the museum’s website. www.ghibli-museum.jp/en/

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