While Studio Ghibli films like My Neighbor Totoro and Spirited Away are readily available on digital streaming platforms like Netflix and HBO Max internationally, this is not the case at home. Currently, Japanese viewers’ only options are to catch a TV broadcast by Nippon TV (the broadcasting network than owns Studio Ghibli as of 2023) or buy DVDs.
Due to both television and DVD viewership rapidly declining in recent years in favor of on-demand streaming, this extremely limited availability of Ghibli works has prompted concern about the studio’s legacy potentially slipping into obscurity among younger generations. Nippon TV was recently questioned about this issue by shareholders, but the company doesn’t seem to be open to expansion to streaming platforms any time soon.
As reported by Oricon, during a shareholders meeting held on May 25, Nippon TV’s president and CEO Hiroyuki Fukuda said, “At present, we are proceeding with the understanding that Nippon TV and Studio Ghibli will continue to prioritize broadcasting films on the terrestrial TV slot ‘Friday Roadshow,’ just as we have done in the past.”
He added that the company is aware of the “various requests and opinions regarding streaming” and promised to keep future discussions open, but the reluctant stance has been met with mixed reactions. Given that Nippon TV owns the streaming platform Hulu domestically, it doesn’t seem like the company’s apparent aversion to expanding the availability of Ghibli anime is related solely to maintaining exclusivity. Japanese author and journalist Soichiro Matsutani offered the analysis that the company may be attempting to defend the weakening position of television through rare (and thus highly profitable) film broadcasts, resulting in a kind of hostage situation.
Japanese users on X were not happy with Fukuda’s answer. As one popular response says, “I don’t think we’re in an era where we need to cling to TV anymore. I think that kind of strange fixation actually reduces the opportunities to engage with artistic works, which ultimately shortens their lifespan.” Others also pointed out that if Nippon TV is adamant in sticking to its TV-only model, it should at least diversify its broadcast beyond Ghibli’s most mainstream titles.
“I get that they’re keeping the shows to themselves as they’re the ones investing in them, but if that’s the case, they should at least air shows like My Neighbors the Yamadas and Only Yesterday once a year or so. It’s a total waste of potential. If they’re only going to air shows that are likely to fetch good ratings, they could at least make the ones they don’t air available for streaming, like Grave of the Fireflies, and make some money that way,” another user noted.
