Pop Culture Flashback: Hayao Miyazaki's 'Spirited Away' (July 20)

Hayao Miyazaki has written and directed many Japanese animated films but Spirited Away has been his most successful. Americans became aware of Miyazaki’s work thanks to another animator.

2001 – Japanese Animated ‘Spirited Away’ Gets a Big American Push

In 1979, Hayao Miyazaki co-wrote and directed the animated adventure comedy Lupin III: The Castle of Cagliostro. It was his first directorial debut and wasn’t a runaway hit. Since that time, Miyazaki has written and directed many other feature films. On this day in 2001, he released his most popular and successful film, Spirited Away.

The story is centered around Chihiro, a young girl who has moved into a new neighborhood with her parents and unknowingly becomes tangled into a world of kami. (Kami is often referred to as spirits of Japanese Shinto folklore.) After her parents get turned into pigs, it is up to Chihiro to rescue them in this new fantastical world.

It was former Pixar animator John Lasseter who led the way for more Americans to become aware of Miyazaki’s work. Lasseter convinced Walt Disney Studios to buy the North American distribution rights. Lasseter also served as executive producer of the English-dubbed version. He even went so far as to hire screenwriters to come up with English dialogue that would match the character’s facial movements.

Spirited Away became Japan’s highest grossing film of all time until it was surpassed by Demon Slayer: Kimetsu no Yaiba – The Movie: Mugen Train in 2020. The movie also won an Oscar for Best Animated Feature at the 75th Academy Awards.

OTHER EVENTS THAT HAPPENED ON THIS DAY:

1963 – ‘Surf City’ Becomes First Surf Song to Reach #1

Images of Jan and Dean — *(Wikimedia Commons)*

The story goes like this: Jan Berry and Dean Torrence, better known together as Jan and Dean, were at a party with fellow surfer, Brian Wilson where Wilson played for them his new song, “Surfin’ U.S.A.” The duo suggested that they all record the song, but Wilson said no, since he had intended it to for The Beach Boys.

However, he also shared with them Surf City and suggested that Jan and Dean record that instead since he himself had lost interest in the song. Berry and Torrence added to the lyrics, recorded the song, released it in May of ’63 and on this day, it became the first “surf” song to make it to #1 on national record charts.

While Wilson’s father, who was the manager of The Beach Boys, was upset that Brian “wasted” a song that should have been The Beach Boys, Wilson said that he was happy that another group had a hit song and that he was a part of it.

1984 – National Ice Cream Day

Scoops of ice cream — *(Silvaiarita/Pixabay)*

It’s strange to think, but nobody really knows who invented ice cream. Look up the origins of ice cream and you’ll find that it has a complicated history that goes back as far as 500 BC. When Quaker colonists moved to America in the 1650’s, they brought over their ice cream recipes and the first ice cream shops appeared in the New York City, among others, during the colonial era.

Some of the earliest partakers of the treat include Ben Franklin, Thomas Jefferson and George Washington. In fact, records have been found that showed that Washington spent about $200 on the treat during the summer of 1790. Dolley Madison, wife of President James Madison, served ice cream at her husband’s Inaugural Ball in 1813. The first small hand-cranked ice cream makers were invented during the 1840’s.

In 1984, President Ronald Regan proclaimed the month of July as National Ice Cream Month and established the third Sunday in July as National Ice Cream Day.