Hoshi wo katta hi

If it's a stretch to say this film alone is worth the price of a ticket to Japan, it's not a long stretch. "Hoshi wo Katta Hi" is one of the finest short animated films ever made. Unfortunately, unless you visit the Ghibli Museum in Mitaka in Western Tokyo, you will not be able to see it on the screen--or on a video--any time in the foreseeable future.

The story was written by Naohisa Inoue, the person who created the fantastical world seen in another Ghibli film, "Whisper of the Heart." It is about a boy named Nona, a city dweller who is presently living in the countryside with a mysterious woman named Nigna. While taking a cartload of very large turnips to market, he meets a pair of characters who offer to trade a gem for his produce. He takes the gem back home, plants it in a pot, and soon a tiny planet emerges. He tends to the planet and, after a few days' time, there are three moons orbiting it and life is springs forth. Soon, he is forced to return to the city and leaves the care of the planet in Nigna's hands. Subsequently, he is visited by the same characters who traded the gem. They have one final task for him...

Everything about this film is right--except it could have been a feature-length movie. It is a complete story, well written, and animated with all the attention to detail and gorgeous imagery that are hallmarks of the master. I wish Miyazaki would relent on his policy never to show his museum works outside the museum and send it to the Academy for Oscar consideration. The world needs to see it.

One of the reasons I went to Tokyo was to visit the Ghibli Museum. The museum ticket included a pass to view one of Miyazaki's short movies. Luckily they played "Hoshi wo katta hi" that day which was an amazing experience. Like every Miyazaki movie, he is able to pull off flawless character development in 16 minutes alongside his signature "goosebump moments". The animation & music mixed very well together, also cool was the dedicated movie theater for Ghibli movies the whole theater had a Ghibli atmosphere without spoiling too much. If you are planning a trip to Japan don't forget to stop by the Ghibli Museum, but remember to get your museum tickets before you go to Japan, they are extremely hard to come by!! It is a must see! Do note that the movie is in Japanese without subtitles.

This short film is just what the other reviewers have said: gorgeous, touching, memorable, all in too few minutes. I don't speak or read Japanese, so sometimes I had to guess about what was happening -- didn't matter. Still amazing. The museum is very strict in allowing each guest to see the film only once, so pay attention when you get the chance! Just adding to note that we saw the film on 19 September 2015 -- it's back and (if it's practical for you) worth a trip to Mitaka! But get your tickets in advance, as noted elsewhere. The sound track is available in the Museum store -- I'm listening as a write the review. Piano and strings with a bit of synthesizer, all lovely even if not by Mr. Hisaishi.

This film is one of my enduring memories of Tokyo and Japan, sitting in the museum watching this film is something so special that I think it should be kept there. I'm not elitist, but I think some gold pots need to stay at the end of the rainbow, I'm sure that's the way Miyazaki sees it. Anyone that makes that extra trip to the edge of tokyo deserves a treat to be found nowhere else on earth, and this is it. There are some who who will not get to see it for a while but in time I'm sure it will be released for all to see. The characters are endearing, funny and thought provoking and the storyline is of the highest quality, something we have come to expect from the worlds greatest animator. I hope lots of people will make the effort to get there if they set foot in Japan, it's worth the metro ticket, trust me.