I think the inner and outer aspects of the self together make one person.

People have two sides, and a person first becomes appealing when you discover both of those sides - and worlds work exactly the same way.

It struck me that when we read picture books to children, we parents, and people as a whole, do not appear in them very much, and that they are more constructed to be a world of children and animals.

I really am grateful to have so many people watch, and to be given the chance to create my next projects. I want to once again tackle the boundless possibilities of animated movies, and I hope to be able to create something that will leave both children and adults thinking that this world is a sparkling, brightly shining place.

We are on the verge of losing the traditional idea of the family, especially in Japan, where the declining birth rate shows no signs of stopping. This is precisely why I think we should consider with a sense of urgency what the new image of "family" should be like, and not fall into the nostalgism that days gone by were just better.

As far as CGI and hand-drawn animation, I consider them both nothing more than tools for drawing pictures, the same as crayons or oils. Which is why, to me, the most important thing is what it is you are drawing, and in the themes that I depict, I think hand-drawing is the most effective.

The process of producing a project is one long string of delight and anxiety, but I think the real thrill of animation would have to be drawing the pictures.