Rest in peace to the woman behind Kiki’s Delivery Service 🕊️
Akiko Hayashi, the legendary Japanese picture-book author and illustrator, passed away at the age of 81. While anime fans may know Kiki’s Delivery Service through Studio Ghibli’s 1989 film, Hayashi was the artist behind the illustrations of the novel, giving readers one of the earliest printed images of Kiki and Jiji before the story became an anime classic.
Hayashi was best known for her warm, delicate portrayals of childhood in books like Miki’s First Errand, Good Evening Mr. Moon, Aki and the Fox, and There’s a Hippo in My Bath! Her work captured small emotions with rare tenderness: a child’s nervous first step, a quiet moment under the moon, or the courage hidden in everyday life.
Her illustrations helped shape the visual memory of generations, from picture-book readers in Japan and Korea to fans who later discovered Kiki’s story through Ghibli.
Rest in peace, Akiko Hayashi 🌙