News On Japan
Society

Studio Ghibli grants streaming rights to Netflix, but anime fans in thee key countries left out

Jan 21, 2020 | News On Japan

Jan 21, 2020 (soranews24.com) - Online streaming has been very good for the anime industry, opening flows of revenue both domestic and international by delivering the product to ravenous fans in the fastest manner possible. For a while, though, it looked like Studio Ghibli was going to stick to its “physical media-only” policy until the end of time.

However, the animation house that Hayao Miyazaki co-founded has just agreed to grant its anime films to the most powerful and influential video streaming service on the planet, as Netflix has announced that it’s secured streaming rights to almost the entire Ghibli animated collection (only Grave of the Fireflies is left out), and that users will be able to start watching them very soon.

Seven films will become available to stream on Netflix on February 1, mixing some of Ghibli’s most widely loved hits with its most unpopular work.

● Castle in the Sky

● My Neighbor Totoro

● Kiki’s Delivery Service

● Only Yesterday

● Porco Rosso

● Ocean Waves

● Tales from Earthsea

March 1 sees the addition of Hayao Miyazaki’s warrior princesses and Isao Takahata’s moon one.

● Nausicaa of the Valley of the Wind

● Princess Mononoke

● Spirited Away

● The Tale of the Princess Kaguya

● Arrietty

● The Cat Returns

● My Neighbors the Yamadas

And finally, April 1 rounds out the lineup with:

● Howl’s Moving Castle

● Pom Poko

● Whisper of the Heart

● Ponyo

● The Wind Rises

● When Marnie Was There

● From Up on Poppy Hill

Okay, time to slot those all into your viewing schedule for the next three months, right? Not so fast. In announcing the deal, Netflix says it’s looking forward to bringing Ghibli’s wonderful films to fans in roughly 190 countries in Europe, South America, and Asia. However, the company has specifically stated that it will not be streaming Ghibli anime in Japan, the U.S.A., or Canada.

News On Japan
POPULAR NEWS

Japanese Man Arrested as Mastemind of Cambodia-Based Scam Network

A Japanese man suspected of serving as a key coordinator for a Cambodia-based fraud syndicate that allegedly caused losses totaling billions of yen was arrested by Japanese authorities after being deported from Thailand on June 16.

Earthquake Shakes Gunma and Saitama, Reaching Lower-5 Intensity

A magnitude 5.5 earthquake struck eastern Japan at around 7:46 p.m., with a maximum seismic intensity of lower 5 recorded in parts of Gunma and Saitama prefectures, though no injuries or major damage had been confirmed and there was no risk of a tsunami.

Massive LED Canvas Unveiled at Ueno Station

JR Ueno Station has unveiled "Ueno Canvas," a new 75-square-meter LED display featuring videos that highlight the area's cultural attractions, tourism destinations, and artistic heritage as part of a station renovation aimed at connecting people and the city through culture.

Six Ice Cream Makers Investigated Over Price-Fixing

Japan's Fair Trade Commission has conducted on-site inspections of six major food manufacturers over suspicions they formed a cartel to coordinate ice cream prices, with authorities investigating whether the companies exchanged information and unfairly adjusted planned retail price increases in response to rising costs.

Bear Family Spotted Near Kyoto Nursery

A parent bear and two cubs were spotted near an interchange in Kyoto Prefecture, just a few minutes' drive from a nursery school, in one of many bear sightings reported across Japan in recent days.

MEDIA CHANNELS
         
MORE Society NEWS

Deadly House Fire in Hamamatsu Claims One Life

A man was found dead after a house fire destroyed a residence in Hamamatsu, Shizuoka Prefecture, early on June 16, after a police officer on patrol spotted smoke and flames rising from the property.

32-Year-Old Master Devotes His Life to Stone Skipping

A stone-skipping tournament on the Nagara River in Gifu Prefecture has drawn attention to 32-year-old Kosei Kigo of Nagoya, whose extraordinary dedication to the childhood pastime includes spending hours searching for the perfect stones, taking private coaching lessons, and competing against some of Japan's top athletes in pursuit of stone-skipping mastery.

Costco Food Poisoning in Nagoya Linked to High Roller Packs

More than 900 packs of the food linked to a food poisoning outbreak at a Costco store in Nagoya were sold over a two-day period, health authorities said.

The Dark Side of Influencer Accounts Exposed

Police in Osaka have arrested 41 men and women in a fraud case involving more than 600 million yen in suspected losses, uncovering what investigators believe was a scheme in which real influencer accounts were bought and used to impersonate their original owners and solicit followers into costly side-business programs.

How to Integrate 4 Million Foreign Residents Into Japanese Society

The number of foreign residents living in Japan surpassed 4 million for the first time by the end of 2025, reaching a record high and underscoring the increasingly important role foreign workers play in supporting the country's labor-short industries.

Former Sex Worker Gets Life for Orchestrating Murder

A court in Shiga Prefecture has sentenced a 29-year-old former sex industry employee to life imprisonment for the murder of a company president, the theft of his cash card, and the disposal of his body in Lake Biwa.

Hokkaido Charity Donations Go Missing

The Hokkaido Community Chest, which operates Japan's annual Red Feather Community Chest fundraising campaign, has revealed that approximately 180 million yen in donated funds are unaccounted for, with a senior official suspected of misappropriating the money over several years.

Japanese Imperial Couple Stroll Around Dutch Royal Villa

Emperor Naruhito and Empress Masako, who are visiting the Netherlands, took a stroll around the grounds of the Dutch royal family's residence where they are staying, revisiting places connected to a previous visit two decades ago.