Zen and Ghibli: life lessons for lasting happiness from the legendary studio

By: Suzuki, Toshio

Published by G. P. Putnam's Sons, 2026-10-13

"In Zen and Ghibli, legendary Studio Ghibli producer Toshio Suzuki embarks on an intellectual journey with three leading Buddhist monks--Sokyu Gen'yu, Nanrei Yokota, and Shinsuke Hosokawa--to explore Zen themes woven into the universally treasured Ghibli films. In ways unpredictable and delightful, life-changing lessons are revealed, such as: zazen, redirecting our focus inward (Kiki's Delivery Service) kunjū, learning through observation (The Wind Rises) fushiki, strength in not knowing (Princess Mononoke) furyū monji, how to convey feelings that cannot be expressed into words (Howl's Moving Castle) From the skill of embodying nothingness as a form of worry relief, to why Kiki's black cat Jiji stopped talking, each conversation gradually reveals a basic principle that lies at the very heart of Zen Buddhism and Studio Ghibli--that we, and our world, are worth fighting for."-- Provided by publisher.