Makoto Shinkai was born in 1973. He first gained attention as the director of the short film animation "Voices of a Distant Star" and went on to produce films such as "The Garden of Words" and "Children Who Chase Lost Voices," which received numerous awards in Japan. The book adaptations of his films, which he also authored, were likewise acclaimed. In 2016, he achieved international success as a writer and director with "Your Name." "Weathering With You" is his latest masterpiece and is already more successful than "Your Name.".