Makoto Shinkai first caught the attention of the animation world in 2002 with his short film Voices of a Distant Star, which he produced almost single-handedly. His later films, The Place Promised in Our Early Days, 5 Centimeters Per Second, Children Who Chase Lost Voices, The Garden of Words, and your name., have earned him numerous awards both in Japan and abroad as well as critical acclaim as one of Japan's most successful and innovative directors for his stories about longing and loneliness. His latest work, Weathering With You, has been a runaway success and earned rave reviews from audiences and critics.
