NHK Documentary on Isao Takahata’s ‘Grave of the Fireflies’ Adapted Into Book – Release June 24
A new book based on an NHK documentary explores Isao Takahata's 'Grave of the Fireflies' via rare notebooks and script drafts. Out June 24, 2026.
2026-06-09OkabeRintarou2 min read
A new book shedding light on the production of the acclaimed anime film Grave of the Fireflies will hit Japanese shelves on June 24, 2026.
Titled Isao Takahata and ‘Grave of the Fireflies’: Deciphering the ‘Phantom Script’ and the ‘Seven Notebooks of Conception’, the volume is based on the NHK ETV special ‘Grave of the Fireflies and Isao Takahata and the Seven Notebooks’.
The author is NHK director Terakoshi Yooko, who produced the original television documentary. During a two-and-a-half-year on-site interview for the production of The Tale of the Princess Kaguya, Terakoshi heard director Isao Takahata remark, ‘I never really finished Grave of the Fireflies before its release.’ That comment set her on a mission to understand what he meant. She gained access to seven notebooks held as art treasures, tracked down former staff and experts, and pieced together how the film was created from the original novel.
Rare Materials Revealed
One key feature of the book is its inclusion of the seven notebooks and numerous other rare production documents, along with photographs relating to Isao Takahata. An eight-page color frontispiece displays 13 items, including scene stills and two previously unpublished documents.
The renewed interest in Grave of the Fireflies owes partly to its 2024 global streaming debut on Netflix, followed by a domestic release in Japan. The film has also seen multiple theatrical re‑releases around the world. The book aims to answer why, 38 years after its original release, the story of Seita and Setsuko continues to move audiences – even those who have already seen it – offering a fresh perspective on Takahata’s work.
Product Details
Title
Isao Takahata and ‘Grave of the Fireflies’: Deciphering the ‘Phantom Script’ and the ‘Seven Notebooks of Conception’
