Though he is not well-known outside Asia, Hayao Miyazaki is a household name in his homeland.

But, like a kindly schoolteacher, Miyazaki shows how hard graft and an innocent heart are the best defence against this curious world - and perhaps our own one as well.

It was used by Italian pilots during World War II in reference to their planes, and Miyazaki, who loves both flying and Italy, felt the name captured the spirit of his work.

This is a movie that Miya-san makes freely. It takes two years at least.

Among his other hobbies, Hatoyama enjoys watching movies in which the protagonists are animals or have sweet plots such as Hayao Miyazaki's animation classic "Princess Mononoke," she said.