For decades, Grave of the Fireflies has stood as one of Studio Ghibli’s most haunting and revered works. Directed by the late Isao Takahata, the 1988 film is a poignant portrayal of wartime survival and the human cost of conflict, based on Akiyuki Nosaka’s semi-autobiographical novel. Despite its critical acclaim and influence, it has long remained the only Ghibli feature not available to stream in Japan, until now.

On July 15, Grave of the Fireflies will finally join Netflix Japan’s lineup, marking a significant moment in the film’s history, according to Anime News Network. This release makes it the first full-length Studio Ghibli feature to stream domestically in Japan, a surprising first considering the studio’s immense cultural footprint. While short projects and documentaries have streamed in Japan before, such as Zen – Grogu and Dust Bunnies on Disney+ and the Ghibli Park documentary on Amazon Prime Video, this...