Why is Studio Ghibli deleting its X (Twitter) account?

Three years ago, Studio Ghibli fans were gifted with a new and official X (Twitter) account showing the behind-the-scenes process of everyone’s favorite comfort films. Today, we say goodbye to that exact account.

Despite being one of the most famous – if not the most famous – Japanese animation institutions, Studio Ghibli always remained very traditional in its marketing. More often than not, the studio relied on letting its work speak for itself, without a significant social media presence to support its promotional efforts. The decision to close the account came just a month away from the release of Hayao Miyazaki’s The Boy and the Heron, but what could have possibly led to this decision?

What happened to the Studio Ghibli Twitter account?

Unfortunately, the Studio Ghibli account is no longer active on the social media platform. According to a now-deleted tweet, the company announced that it would cease its Twitter activity on Nov. 3 at midnight. Although the tweet did not provide a detailed explanation for this decision, the studio did continue to honor the upcoming Western release of its most celebrated director.

As of November 3 at midnight, Studio Ghibli’s official Twitter page will be closed. We want to thank all of the people who supported this account which began three years ago in preparation for the premiere of director Hayao Miyazaki’s How Do You Live (The Boy and the Heron). We sincerely thank you. The film will continue to screen through the year-end and New Year holidays.

As of the time of writing, it is well past midnight in Japan, marking the end of the Studio Ghibli Twitter/X account. While the animation studio has yet to offer fans an explanation, one can surmise that social media was never a priority for the company. So much so, that its first social media account was only created in 2020.

However, even if the Twitter account was made to promote the new film, Toshio Suzuki – who works closely with Miyazaki – acknowledged that this marketing approach is fundamentally different from the American one. Ultimately, they aimed to create a direct antithesis to counter the exhaustion derived from excessive promoting strategies in America, with Hollywood’s numerous trailers and posters.

Historically, the company has always directed its focus toward the films and the audience, a strategy that has consistently proven successful for Studio Ghibli. For now, we eagerly await the release of the film The Boy and the Heron in theaters in the U.S. on Dec. 9.