TOKYO — Studio Ghibli prexy Toshio Suzuki stepped down on Friday, turning over the reins of the megahit toon house to Koji Hoshino, former prexy of Walt Disney Japan.

A former editor-in-chief of Animage magazine, Suzuki began his professional association with Studio Ghibli co-founder Hayao Miyazaki more than two decades ago, working with him on the comic version and, as a production committee member, on the 1984 feature version of “Nausicaa of the Valley of the Wind” — the sci-fi toon that made Miyazaki’s international reputation.

Suzuki joined Ghibli in 1989 and has since served as producer on all of its films, including the Miyazaki megahits “Princess Mononoke,” “Spirited Away” and “Howl’s Moving Castle.” He took over the post of prexy in 2005.

His successor, Koji Hoshino, was born in 1956 and joined Walt Disney Japan in 1990. In 2000 he was appointed prexy and in June of last year, chairman. Hoshino has long had a working relationship with Suzuki and Ghibli, deepening when then Ghibli parent company Tokuma Shoten inked a ground-breaking partnership deal with Walt Disney Co. in 1996. Hoshino took an active role in promoting Ghibli videos and, later DVDs in the Japanese market, while serving as executive producer on the Ghibli toons “Spirited Away” and “The Cat Returns.”

As Ghibli’s new prexy, Hoshino is expected to use his expertise in merchandising to revitalize the toon house’s character goods biz, which has lagged relative to its huge B.O. numbers. Another pressing task is to find successors to Miyazaki, whose latest feature, “Ponyo on a Cliff,” is skedded for a major summer release, but at 67 may finally make good on his many hints at retiring.

Suzuki will remain with Ghibli as a producer and board member.