Miyazaki derived the film's title from writer Genzaburou Yoshino's 1937 masterpiece of the same name. He added that this book is a story that has great meaning to the protagonist of his film. Yoshino's book centers around a man named Koperu and his uncle, and through Koperu's spiritual growth, it discusses how to live as human beings.
How Do You Live?; 君たちはどう生きるか The Boy and the Heron
