Disney acquired the North American rights to Only Yesterday in 1996 and then shelved it for 25 years. The concern was the film's candid depiction of menstruation in its childhood flashback sequences.
The US home video release finally came in 2016. Now the film is returning to US theaters on August 9 as part of Studio Ghibli Fest 2026, its 35th anniversary.
The film itself is meticulous. Staff traveled to Yamagata prefecture specifically to study safflower fields. One crew member spent a full year drawing flowers. Voice recording was done before animation, the reverse of standard Japanese practice, so animators could sync movement to dialogue.
Directed by Isao Takahata in 1991. It was the highest-grossing Japanese film that year.
This is quieter Ghibli. No fantastical creatures or flying machines. A 27-year-old woman in Tokyo revisits childhood memories while traveling to the countryside.
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