It’s easy to get lost in the flying castles and forest spirits of Studio Ghibli. Honestly, that’s what most people go there for. But then you have Up on Poppy Hill, a movie that trades cat buses for tugboats and ancient curses for student activism. It’s quiet. It’s incredibly specific to 1963 Yokohama. And somehow, it feels more urgent than a war between gods and humans.
If you’ve ever felt like the world is moving too fast and leaving the best parts of the past behind, this movie hits like a ton of bricks. It’s not just a teenage romance. It’s a battle cry for preservation.
The Messy Reality of 1960s Japan
Most Western viewers see the lush landscapes of Up on Poppy Hill and think "nostalgia." But for Japan in 1963, this was a period of frantic, almost violent change. The 1964 Tokyo Olympics were looming. The country was desperate to scrub away the grime of the post-war era and show the world a shiny, modern face.
Umi Matsuzaki, our protagonist, lives in the middle of this tension. Every morning, she raises signal flags on a hill overlooking the harbor. It’s a ritual. It’s a way to talk to her father who was lost at sea during the Korean War.
Then you have the "Latin Quarter." It’s an old, decaying building that serves as the headquarters for the high school’s clubs. It’s a disaster zone. There are piles of old newspapers, chemistry experiments gone wrong, and floorboards that definitely aren't up to code. The school board wants to tear it down because, well, it’s an eyesore.
This is where the movie gets real.
The students, led by the charismatic Shun Kazama, don't just protest. They clean. They scrub floors. They fix the roof. They prove that something old has value if you’re willing to put in the work. It’s a direct middle finger to the "out with the old, in with the new" philosophy that defined the 60s.
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Why the Romance Isn't Actually Cringe
Let's talk about the elephant in the room. The "we might be siblings" plot point.
In a lesser film, this would be a soap opera disaster. But in Up on Poppy Hill, it’s handled with a strangely mature melancholy. It serves a narrative purpose beyond shock value. It forces Umi and Shun to confront the chaos of their parents' generation—a generation torn apart by war, shifting identities, and secret adoptions.
The confusion over their lineage reflects the confusion of the country. How do you move forward when your roots are tangled and partially buried?
The scene where they share a bowl of ramen in the rain while discussing the possibility of being related is surprisingly grounded. There’s no screaming. No histrionics. Just a shared sense of "well, this is complicated." It treats the audience like adults. Ghibli has always been good at that, but here, under Goro Miyazaki’s direction (with a script co-written by his father, Hayao), it feels uniquely restrained.
The Art of the Ordinary
You can’t talk about this movie without talking about the food. Ghibli food is a meme at this point, but in Up on Poppy Hill, the cooking scenes are foundational.
Umi isn't just a student; she runs a boarding house. We see the rhythm of her day:
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- Slicing ham.
- Frying eggs.
- Buying fresh fish at the market.
- Preparing rice for a house full of people.
These aren't filler scenes. They show us who Umi is. She is the glue holding her world together. While the boys are upstairs in the Latin Quarter debating philosophy and the future of the nation, Umi is downstairs making sure everyone is fed. It’s a subtle nod to the invisible labor that keeps society running while the "big events" happen elsewhere.
Goro Miyazaki’s Redemption Arc
For a long time, the narrative around Goro Miyazaki was... not great. Tales from Earthsea was widely considered a swing and a miss. People thought he was just living in his father’s shadow, trying to mimic a style he didn't quite understand.
Up on Poppy Hill changed that.
By stepping away from high fantasy and leaning into "slice of life," Goro found his voice. The film has a texture that feels different from Spirited Away or Howl’s Moving Castle. It’s more tactile. You can almost smell the sea salt and the floor wax. It’s a movie about the beauty of the mundane, and it’s arguably the most "human" film the studio has ever produced.
The Soundtrack is the Secret Sauce
Satoshi Takebe’s score is a departure from the sweeping orchestral themes of Joe Hisaishi. It’s heavy on jazz, accordion, and upbeat 60s pop. It captures that specific "New Japan" energy—optimistic but slightly nervous.
The theme song, "Sayonara no Natsu," is haunting. It perfectly encapsulates the feeling of standing on a hill, looking at the horizon, and waiting for someone who might never come back. It’s the sound of longing.
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What Most People Miss About the Ending
The ending of Up on Poppy Hill isn't a grand resolution. The Latin Quarter is saved, yes, but the world keeps turning. The Olympics still happen. The old ways continue to fade.
The victory isn't in stopping progress. It’s in deciding what parts of the past are worth carrying into the future. It’s about the signal flags. Umi keeps raising them. Not because she thinks her father is coming back, but because the act of remembering is a form of resistance.
It’s a quiet ending for a quiet movie.
How to Experience Poppy Hill Today
If you’re planning a rewatch or seeing it for the first time, don't just look at the characters. Look at the backgrounds. The attention to detail in the harbor scenes is staggering. Look at the way the light changes as the sun sets over Yokohama.
Actionable Takeaways for Fans
- Visit the Real-Life Inspiration: If you’re ever in Yokohama, visit the Minato-no-Mieru-Oka Park (Harbor View Park). It’s the spiritual home of the film. You can still feel that maritime breeze that Umi feels every morning.
- Context Matters: Watch a documentary on the 1964 Tokyo Olympics before your next viewing. Understanding what Japan was trying to prove to the world makes the struggle to save the Latin Quarter much more poignant.
- The "Slow Cinema" Approach: Don't watch this while scrolling on your phone. It’s a movie that requires you to sink into its atmosphere. Notice the sound design—the clinking of dishes, the distant ship horns, the scratch of pens on paper.
- Cook the Recipes: Many fans have recreated Umi’s breakfast or the croquettes she buys in the village. It’s a great way to bring a bit of that Ghibli warmth into your own kitchen.
Up on Poppy Hill reminds us that history isn't just something in a textbook. It’s in our buildings, our rituals, and our families. Sometimes, the most heroic thing you can do is refuse to let a piece of the past be forgotten. It’s a film that earns its emotions without ever having to raise its voice.
Next Steps for Your Ghibli Journey
To truly appreciate the "grounded" side of the studio, your next watch should be Only Yesterday or Whisper of the Heart. These films form an unofficial trilogy with Up on Poppy Hill, focusing on the internal lives of young people navigating the complexities of Japanese society without a single magic wand in sight. Pay close attention to how each film uses architecture to tell its story; the buildings often reflect the emotional state of the protagonists better than any dialogue ever could.