Japanese residents and foreign visitors gather to see the restored Zero fighter. Many claim this popularity and the fact that it is finally restored, after so many years, is helped by the story’s revival, brought by Hayao Miyazaki’s Kaze Tachinu.

Thanks to Studio Ghibli’s Kaze Tachinu, the interest in the Zero Fighter – one of the Japanese revolutionary planes was reborn. The movie tells the story of this craft’s creator and engineer Jiro Horikoshi. He was worker in the Mitsubishi Heavy Industries and exactly MHI has restored the famous craft. This specific airplane was shipped from Micronesia and is currently on display in Japan.

Takashi Amano, the current director of MHI’s archives, said that “there are no aircraft that have a smoother and more beautiful body than the Zero fighter.” The staff also commented that right after the Kaze Tachinu was released in theatres (20th July, 2013), there was a 300% increase in the plant’s showcase visitors. The obvious influence was shown by the fact that, instead of the usual plane enthusiasts who are mainly adult males, the ones who visit the displays after Miyazaki’s movie are also new faces – females and young boys and girls.

Source: Asahi Shimbun

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