‘Irreplaceable’: will Hayao Miyazaki, Japan’s animation auteur, ever retire?

Miyazaki’s work is as ubiquitous as it is admired in Japan, where 95% of people aged 16-69 have watched at least one of his Studio Ghibli films. Photograph: Chris Pizzello/AP

It could have been the perfect send-off – recognition at the Academy Awards of the artistry of Japan’s peerless animator Hayao Miyazaki.

The moment The Boy and the Heron was named the winner of best animated feature in Los Angeles last weekend gave Japan a chance to reflect on Miyazaki’s towering influence, and contemplate whether the 83-year-old is truly finished making films.