In a dazzling ceremony at the Grand Prince Hotel New Takanawa in Tokyo on March 8, the 47th Japan Academy Film Prizes celebrated the pinnacle of cinematic excellence.
Notably, Hayao Miyazaki’s much-anticipated return to the director’s chair, “The Boy and the Heron,” secured the coveted Best Animation of the Year award.
Eligibility for the esteemed prize encompassed films released in Japan between January 1 and December 31, 2023. “The Boy and the Heron” emerged victorious from a distinguished lineup of Japanese anime films, standing tall among the five recipients of the Excellent Animation of the Year award.
The other four contenders included “Kitaro Tanjou: GeGeGe no Nazo” by Go Koga, “Totto-Chan: The Little Girl at the Window” directed by Shinnosuke Yakuwa, “Detective Conan: Black Iron Submarine” helmed by Yuzuru Tachikawa, and “BLUE GIANT,” another creation by Yuzuru Tachikawa.
“BLUE GIANT,” an anime film adaptation of Shinichi Ishizuka’s jazz-themed manga, clinched the Outstanding Achievement in Music award. The film’s soul-stirring soundtrack was curated by the Grammy Award-winning jazz pianist, Hiromi Uehara.
On another note, “Godzilla Minus One,” the 30th installment in Toho’s iconic Godzilla franchise, dominated the ceremony by clinching eight prestigious categories, including the highly coveted Picture of the Year.
The film’s wins extended to accolades for Screenplay of the Year, Outstanding Performance by an Actress in a Supporting Role (Sakura Ando), Outstanding Achievement in Cinematography (Kozo Shibasaki),
Outstanding Achievement in Lighting Direction (Nariyuki Ueda), Outstanding Achievement in Art Direction (Anri Jojo), Outstanding Achievement in Sound Recording (Hisashi Takeuchi), and Outstanding Achievement in Film Editing (Ryuji Miyajima).
The event’s full list of winners can be explored here.