‘How Do You Live?’: Studio Ghibli opts unique strategy to promote Hayao Miyazaki’s final film

Poster of ‘How Do You Live?’; Hayao Miyazaki
| Photo Credit: Studio Ghibli and Chris Pizzello/Invision/AP

Ahead of the release of How Do You Live?, filmmaker Hayao Miyazaki’s final directorial that is set to release in Japan in Summer, Studio Ghibli has announced that the film will take a different marketing strategy this time.

The studio’s Toshio Suzuki has decided not to release any details, including the trailer of the film, before the release of the film, something unimaginable in the digital era. The previously-released poster will remain the only material available out there, to further build the anticipation of the fans.

How Do You Live? is based on Genzaburo Yoshino’s 1937 novel of the same name. It follows a young high-schooler navigating the complexities of life after the loss of his father. “Koperu lives with his mother after his father passes away. He’s very close to his uncle, who visits him constantly and documents most of their interactions in a journal. The man hopes to give the record to Koperu when he’s older, so he can go down memory lane and re-visit some of their best moments together,” reads the description of the plot on Collider.

The story delves into the realities of human existence, and fans of both the original novel and Miyazaki can’t wait to see the magic on the screen. All the anticipation will only keep growing until How Do You Live? releases in theatres in Japan on July 14.