Oscar Noms for Miyazaki’s Boy and the Heron, Godzilla

Hot on the heels of its victory at the Golden Globes, Miyazaki’s The Boy and the Heron receives an Oscar nomination, alongside Godzilla Minus One and Perfect Days.

So far, the 2023 awards season has been kind to Japanese cinema — especially that of the animated variety. Miyazaki Hayao’s vaunted (potential) swan song, The Boy and the Heron (「君たちはどう生きるか」), took home Best Animated Film at the Golden Globes. It accomplished this amidst stiff competition, especially from the popular and well-regarded second Spider-Verse film. In doing so, it became the first anime film to ever win a Golden Globe. But for many, the true prize is an Oscar — and now we know which Japanese films have a chance to take home one of those famed statuettes.

This morning, US-time, stars Zazie Beetz and Jack Quaid officiated a live ceremony announcing the nominations. Amongst the major Hollywood films (Oppenheimer, Barbie, Killers of the Flower Moon, Poor Things), nominated for numerous categories, were the names of three Japanese films (although none were in direct competition with the aforementioned, nor with each other).

Two were potential surprises. Godzilla Minus One, a breakout financial and critical hit, managed to make its way to the Oscars with a nomination in the Visual Effects category. More unknown is Perfect Days. A quiet…