Koji Hoshino

Koji Hoshino (星野 康二, Hoshino Koji , was born on May 7, 1956, in Sapporo, Japan) is the former president and chairperson of Studio Ghibli. He also served as director of the Tokuma Memorial Animation Cultural Foundation and was a former president of Walt Disney Japan. From 2017-2019, Kiyofumi Nakajima served as president, but Hoshino returned to the role in 2021.

In addition to holding top-level management positions in the animation industry, Hoshino established the Hoshino Fund (星野基金) for his alma mater, Sōka University.

Early life
Born on May 7, 1956, in Sapporo, Japan. Hoshino attended Asahigaoka High School and graduated from Sōka University, one of the country's top global schools, in 1981. He studied his MBA in the State University of New York.

He joined Walt Disney Japan in 1990 and became head of the Home Entertainment division in 1993. In addition to expanding Disney's domestic home entertainment business, he successfully engineered the international distribution deal with Tokuma Shoten, former parent company of Studio Ghibli, in 1996.

Career
Upon completion of the film, Hayao MiyazakiIn 2000, as President of Walt Disney Japan, he oversaw the consolidation of Disney's Japanese businesses and was charged with planning and executing Disney's strategies for developing new regional business opportunities. Under his tenure, Disney Japan had its best fiscal results in consecutive years. In 2007, he was named Chairman of Walt Disney Japan.

In 2008, Hoshino became Studio Ghibli's president, succeeding Toshio Suzuki who remains as the producer of Studio Ghibli's award-winning films including Spirited Away, directed by Hayao Miyazaki, which won the U.S. Academy Award for Best Animated Feature in 2003. Hoshino is the Executive Producer of Studio Ghibli films including Ponyo（2008, The Secret World of Arrietty（2010), From Up on Poppy Hill (2011), The Wind Rises (2013), The Tale of the Princess Kaguya (2013) and When Marnie Was There (2014). In November 2017, Hoshino took on the role of Chairman of Studio Ghibli with a mandate to expand international businesses including merchandise licensing and exhibition events.

Resignation
On March 28, 2023, Hoshino announced he is set to step down from his dual positions of president and chairperson, with Ghibli co-founder and former president Toshio Suzuki taking over the position once again.

Japanese publication Shujo Prime broke the news of Hoshino’s departure and was shortly confirmed by the studio on the same day. The cause, according to the outlet, stems from a confrontation between the now-former president and Studio Ghibli co-founder and producer Toshio Suzuki regarding misappropriated funds.

On April 11, 2023 the Shūkan Josei tabloid published an article about Hoshino's resignation and retirement. Shūkan Josei's report (uncorroborated by the studio or Oricon) cited the studio's "internal turmoil" as a major contributing factor. According to an anonymous source interviewed by the tabloid, Hoshino objected to Suzuki's favoritism toward a woman in professional matters. He allegedly admonished Suzuki to "properly separate his private and public life." Although the source claimed that there were other factors leading to their falling out, this issue was the trigger that prompted Suzuki to "remove Hoshino from his position as president."

In a letter posted on the Studio Ghilbi website (translated by Google), Hoshino explained:

""I, Koji Hoshino, will resign as a director of Studio Ghibli and leave Ghibli at the conclusion of the Annual General Meeting of Shareholders in June. Prior to that, I will be retiring from my position as Studio Ghibli’s president and chairman at the end of March, but I will continue to serve as a representative until the general meeting of shareholders. Since taking office in February 2008, I have been striving to manage the studio for 15 years. With the completion of the work How do You Live?, I decided that this was the only time to leave Ghibli. From now on, I hope that I will entrust management to my successor and lead the new Ghibli. On a personal note, I Hoshino will turn 67 this May. In the future, I intend to take on challenges in new fields by making use of my experience and personal connections.""

- Representative Director Koji Hoshino.

On April 2023, Hoshino assumed the role of representative director, but he will retire from the company entirely during the regular shareholders' meeting in June of the same year.

When the entertainment industry news source Variety reached out to the studio for further comment, a spokesperson responded, "The reason for Mr. Hoshino's resignation is as stated on the website. We have nothing to add to his comment." They also denied a connection between the media allegations and Hoshino’s exit. “His resignation has nothing to do with the article about Mr. Suzuki to which you have referred,” the spokesman added.