Hiromasa Yonebayashi (米林 宏昌, Yonebayashi Hiromasa; born July 10, 1973 in Nonoichi, Ishikawa, Japan), nicknamed Maro (麻呂), is a Japanese animator and director, formerly for Studio Ghibli. After his directorial debut with Studio Ghibli (The Secret World of Arrietty), he became the youngest director of a theatrical film produced by the studio. He was nominated for the Academy Award for Best Animated Feature in 2015 for his second film, When Marnie Was There.
Together with Ghibli producer Yoshiaki Nishimura, Yonebayashi left Studio Ghibli in December 2014 after 18 years, and established Studio Ponoc in June 2015. His first film as director at Studio Ponoc is Mary and the Witch's Flower.
He studied at the Kanazawa College of Art, where he majored in commercial design.
Contents
Works
Films
Princess Mononoke (1997), in between animation, clean-up animation
Jin-Roh: The Wolf Brigade (1998), in between animation
My Neighbors the Yamadas (1999), in between animation
Spirited Away (2001), key animation
Mei and the Kittenbus (2003), animation director
Howl's Moving Castle (2004), key animation
Tales from Earthsea (2006), assistant animation director
Mizugumo Monmon (2006), key animation
Ponyo (2008), key animation
The Secret World of Arrietty (2010), director, storyboards, unit director
From Up on Poppy Hill (2011), key animation
The Wind Rises (2013), key animation
When Marnie Was There (2014), director, screenplay
Mary and the Witch's Flower (2017), director, screenplay
Modest Heroes (2018), director, screenplay
The Boy and the Heron (2023), key animation
Television
Serial Experiments Lain (1998), key animation
Ghiblies (2000 special), key animation
Monster (2004), key animation
Welcome to the Ballroom (2017), key animation
Original video animations
Nasu: A Migratory Bird with Suitcase (2007), key animation