Studio Ponoc (株式会社スタジオポノック) is a Japanese independent animation studio based in Musashino, Tokyo, Japan. The company was founded in April 2015 by Yoshiaki Nishimura, former lead film producer of Studio Ghibli, with its first feature film, Mary and the Witch's Flower, being released on July 8, 2017 throughout Japan. The film's main character, Mary Smith, serves as the company's mascot in their logo, similar to Studio Ghibli's mascot, Totoro.[1]
History
Yoshiaki Nishimura founded Studio Ponoc on April 15, 2015, and gained the support of several animators previously working under Studio Ghibli, including director Hiromasa Yonebayashi.[2][3][4]