Film Director: 429 people
Shirō Sano (佐野 史郎, Sano Shirō; born 4 March 1955) is a Japanese actor.
Yasuo Baba is a Japanese film director. He has produced programs for Japanese television and has directed six feature…
Yasuo Baba is a Japanese film director. He has produced programs for Japanese television and has directed six feature films, including Bubble Fiction: Boom or Bust (2007), which was selected for inclusion in the 31st annual Hong Kong International Film Festival, Messengers (1999), Embrace Me as Many Times as There Are Waves (1991), and Take Me Out to the Snowland (1987).
Kazuyoshi Sekine (関根和美 Sekine Kazuyoshi), also known as Kazumi Sekine, was a Japanese film director, a dramatist, and a…
Kazuyoshi Sekine (関根和美 Sekine Kazuyoshi), also known as Kazumi Sekine, was a Japanese film director, a dramatist, and a movie producer and the president of Sekine Production production company (関根プロ). He was born in Tokyo in 1954, and died in 2019. He mainly directs films produced by independent studios. He is married to the actress Izumi Aki, who has appeared in his films. Many of his films are urban love stories.
Katsuhiro Otomo (大友 克洋, Ōtomo Katsuhiro; born April 14, 1954) is a Japanese manga artist, screenwriter, animator, and…
Katsuhiro Otomo (大友 克洋, Ōtomo Katsuhiro; born April 14, 1954) is a Japanese manga artist, screenwriter, animator, and film director. He first rose to prominence as a pioneer founder of the New Wave in the 1970s. He is best known as the creator of Akira, both the original 1982 manga series and the 1988 animated film adaptation. In 2005, Otomo was decorated a Chevalier of the French Ordre des Arts et des Lettres, promoted to Officier of the order in 2014, and became the fourth manga artist ever inducted into the American Eisner Award Hall of Fame in 2012. Celebrated in Japan, he was also awarded the Purple Medal of Honor from the national government in 2013. In addition, Otomo later received the Winsor McCay Award at the 41st Annie Awards in 2014 and the 2015 Grand Prix de la ville d'Angoulême, the first manga artist to receive the award.
Izo Hashimoto (橋本 以蔵, Hashimoto Izō; February 21, 1954 – May 12, 2026) was a Japanese screenwriter and film director.
Masahiro Kobayashi (小林 政広, Kobayashi Masahiro; January 6, 1954 – August 20, 2022) was a Japanese film director.
Ryūichi Hiroki (廣木 隆一, Hiroki Ryūichi; born January 1, 1954) is a Japanese film director. He won critical acclaim for…
Ryūichi Hiroki (廣木 隆一, Hiroki Ryūichi; born January 1, 1954) is a Japanese film director. He won critical acclaim for 800 Two Lap Runners. Film critic and researcher Alexander Jacoby has described Hiroki as "one of the modern Japanese cinema's most intelligent students of character".
Osao Chosei Funahara (born December 10, 1953) is a musician and film director and producer. Born in Hyōgo Prefecture of…
Osao Chosei Funahara (born December 10, 1953) is a musician and film director and producer. Born in Hyōgo Prefecture of Japan, Chosei Funahara was educated in both the United States and Japan. He received his Bachelor of Fine Arts at the Nihon University College of Art's Cinema department in Tokyo. While pursuing New York University's NYU Graduate School of Arts and Science (Cinema Studies), he performed as bassist and founding member of the cult punk rock group the Plasmatics.
Kazuyuki Izutsu (井筒 和幸, Izutsu Kazuyuki; born 13 December 1952) is a Japanese film director, screenwriter and film…
Kazuyuki Izutsu (井筒 和幸, Izutsu Kazuyuki; born 13 December 1952) is a Japanese film director, screenwriter and film critic.
Yutaka Mizutani (水谷 豊, Mizutani Yutaka) is a Japanese actor and singer. He was born on July 14, 1952, in Ashibetsu…
Yutaka Mizutani (水谷 豊, Mizutani Yutaka) is a Japanese actor and singer. He was born on July 14, 1952, in Ashibetsu, Hokkaidō, Japan.
Kazuki Ōmori (大森 一樹, Ōmori Kazuki; 3 March 1952 – 12 November 2022) was a Japanese film director and screenwriter.
Ryū Murakami (村上 龍, Murakami Ryū; born February 19, 1952) is a Japanese novelist, essayist and filmmaker. His novels…
Ryū Murakami (村上 龍, Murakami Ryū; born February 19, 1952) is a Japanese novelist, essayist and filmmaker. His novels explore human nature through themes of disillusion, drug use, surrealism, murder and war, set against the dark backdrop of Japan. His best known novels are Almost Transparent Blue, Audition, Coin Locker Babies, and In the Miso Soup.
Hiroyuki Nasu (那須博之, Nasu Hiroyuki) (January 27, 1952 – February 27, 2005) was a Japanese film director. He won the…
Hiroyuki Nasu (那須博之, Nasu Hiroyuki) (January 27, 1952 – February 27, 2005) was a Japanese film director. He won the award for Best Director at the 8th Yokohama Film Festival for Be-Bop High School and Be-Bop High School: Kōkō yo Tarō aika.
Kaoru Adachi (安達かおる, Adachi Kaoru; born January 27, 1956) is a Japanese film director, producer and editor, and founder…
Kaoru Adachi (安達かおる, Adachi Kaoru; born January 27, 1956) is a Japanese film director, producer and editor, and founder of the Japanese documentary and adult video (AV) studio V&R Planning.
Isao Yamada (山田 勇男, Yamada Isao; born 1952 in Hokkaido) is a Japanese film director, graphic artist, and manga author.
Mamoru Oshii (押井 守, Oshii Mamoru; born 8 August 1951) is a Japanese filmmaker, television director and writer. Famous…
Mamoru Oshii (押井 守, Oshii Mamoru; born 8 August 1951) is a Japanese filmmaker, television director and writer. Famous for his philosophy-oriented storytelling, Oshii has directed a number of acclaimed anime films, including Urusei Yatsura 2: Beautiful Dreamer (1984), Angel's Egg (1985), Patlabor 2: The Movie (1993), and Ghost in the Shell (1995). He also holds the distinction of directing the first ever OVA, Dallos (1983). As a writer, Oshii has worked as a screenwriter, and occasionally as a manga writer and novelist. His most notable works as a writer include the manga Kerberos Panzer Cop (1988–2000) and its feature film adaptation Jin-Roh: The Wolf Brigade (1999). For his work, Oshii has received and been nominated for numerous awards, including the Palme d'Or and Leone d'Oro (Golden Lion). He has also attracted praise from many directors, including James Cameron, Steven Spielberg and The Wachowskis, especially for his work on Ghost in the Shell.
Shun Nakahara (中原 俊, Nakahara Shun; born May 25, 1951 as Toshihiro Nakahara (中原 俊弘, Nakahara Toshihiro)) is a Japanese…
Shun Nakahara (中原 俊, Nakahara Shun; born May 25, 1951 as Toshihiro Nakahara (中原 俊弘, Nakahara Toshihiro)) is a Japanese film director and a professor at the Japan Institute of the Moving Image. He began his career directing Roman Porno films, and since then he has dealt with a wide range of subjects regardless of genre. He won the award for Best Director at the 12th Yokohama Film Festival for Sakura no Sono.
Toshiharu Ikeda (池田敏春, Ikeda Toshiharu) (23 February 1951 – 26 December 2010) was a Japanese film director and…
Toshiharu Ikeda (池田敏春, Ikeda Toshiharu) (23 February 1951 – 26 December 2010) was a Japanese film director and screenwriter. He is best known for his films Mermaid Legend (1984) and Evil Dead Trap (1988). Ikeda became involved in filmmaking while still a university student, working as an assistant director for a small independent production company. He joined Nikkatsu in 1974, contributing to multiple Roman Porno movies. He debuted as a director in 1980 with the movie Sukeban Mafia, and later in the same year with Sex Hunter, which the studio criticized for being too rough and vulgar. His latest movie for Nikkatsu was the 1981 Angel Guts: Red Porno. He left the company after the shooting, feeling a lack of support. In 1982 Ikeda joined forces with other directors to found the Director's Company. His first film there was Mermaid Legend (1984), a cult movie that deals with revenge and anti-nuclear sentiment, for which he won Best Director at the 6th Yokohama Film Festival. In 1988 followed Evil Dead Trap, credited with being Japan's first modern horror. During the 90's Ikeda worked less in theatrical films, doing mostly V-Cinema action and erotic films. His latest film was Aki Fukaki (2008), a serious drama and a departure from his usual genre films. Ikeda drowned in 2010 in the sea near Shima in the Mie Prefecture. Speculations arose of the death being a suicide, him having struggled with suicidal thoughts since youth.
Itsumichi Isomura (磯村一路, Isomura Itsumichi) is a Japanese film director. He won the award for Best Director at the 20th…
Itsumichi Isomura (磯村一路, Isomura Itsumichi) is a Japanese film director. He won the award for Best Director at the 20th Yokohama Film Festival for Give It All. Isomura co-founded the Japanese film studio Altamira Pictures with fellow director Masayuki Suo, as well as producers Shoji Masui and Yuji Ogata.
Shūji Kataoka (片岡 修二, Kataoka Shūji) a.k.a. Yasui Shūchi is a Japanese director and screenwriter primarily known for…
Shūji Kataoka (片岡 修二, Kataoka Shūji) a.k.a. Yasui Shūchi is a Japanese director and screenwriter primarily known for his work in pink films but who has also worked in adult videos (AV) and in mainstream film.
Kichitaro Negishi (根岸吉太郎, Negishi Kichitarō) is a Japanese film director. Although his films are admired by critics in…
Kichitaro Negishi (根岸吉太郎, Negishi Kichitarō) is a Japanese film director. Although his films are admired by critics in Japan for their intelligence, Negishi has received little international recognition for his work. He has not been credited with a distinctive style but he has been called a subtle director who often elicits strong performances from his actors. He won the award for Best Director at the 3rd Yokohama Film Festival for Enrai and Crazy Fruit.
Bandō Tamasaburō V (五代目 坂東 玉三郎, Godaime Bandō Tamasaburō) (born 25 April 1950) is a Kabuki actor and the most popular…
Bandō Tamasaburō V (五代目 坂東 玉三郎, Godaime Bandō Tamasaburō) (born 25 April 1950) is a Kabuki actor and the most popular and celebrated onnagata (an actor specializing in female roles) currently on stage. He has also acted in several films.
Eiji Okuda (奥田瑛二, Okuda Eiji; born 18 March 1950) is a Japanese actor and film director. Born in Kasugai, Aichi, he was…
Eiji Okuda (奥田瑛二, Okuda Eiji; born 18 March 1950) is a Japanese actor and film director. Born in Kasugai, Aichi, he was nominated for the Best Actor award at the 1990 Japanese Academy Awards for his performance in Sen no Rikyu. He won the award for best actor at the 37th Blue Ribbon Awards for Like a Rolling Stone. He made his directing debut in 2001, and has taken leading roles in front of the camera in the three films he has directed as of 2006. He appeared in the Brazilian soap opera Morde & Assopra, of 2011, as a scientist in the first chapter. He also appeared in the film Dirty Hearts, also released in 2011, this time as the character Colonel Watanabe, officer of the Japanese Imperial Army, leader of Shindo Renmei and the great villain of the film.
Yoshimitsu Morita (森田 芳光, Morita Yoshimitsu; 25 January 1950 – 20 December 2011) was a Japanese film director. He was…
Yoshimitsu Morita (森田 芳光, Morita Yoshimitsu; 25 January 1950 – 20 December 2011) was a Japanese film director. He was known for his versatility, having directed satires, melodramas, crime thrillers, and pinku films. His most acclaimed films include The Family Game (1983), Sorekara (1985), Haru (1996), and Lost Paradise (1997).
Takao Okawara (大河原 孝夫, Ōkawara Takao; born December 20, 1949, in Tokyo) is a Japanese film director, writer, and…
Takao Okawara (大河原 孝夫, Ōkawara Takao; born December 20, 1949, in Tokyo) is a Japanese film director, writer, and producer.
Yōichi Sai (崔 洋一, Sai Yōichi; 6 July 1949 – 27 November 2022) was a Korean film director who worked in Japan. He was…
Yōichi Sai (崔 洋一, Sai Yōichi; 6 July 1949 – 27 November 2022) was a Korean film director who worked in Japan. He was the president of the Directors Guild of Japan.
Masato Harada (原田 眞人, Harada Masato; July 3, 1949 – December 8, 2025) was a Japanese film director, screenwriter…
Masato Harada (原田 眞人, Harada Masato; July 3, 1949 – December 8, 2025) was a Japanese film director, screenwriter, critic and occasional actor. He was nominated five times for the Japan Academy Film Prize for Best Director, among other accolades.
Satoru Mizushima (水島 総, Mizushima Satoru; born June 18, 1949 in Kakegawa, Shizuoka Prefecture) is a Japanese filmmaker.
Banmei Takahashi (高橋伴明, Takahashi Banmei) (or Tomoaki Takahashi) is a Japanese film director. Takahashi started his…
Banmei Takahashi (高橋伴明, Takahashi Banmei) (or Tomoaki Takahashi) is a Japanese film director. Takahashi started his career in the pink film industry, making his directorial debut in 1972 with Escaped Rapist Criminal. Due to a disagreement with his producer, Takahashi quit the film industry for a couple years. He joined pink film pioneer Kōji Wakamatsu's production studio in 1975, working as a script-writer until Wakamatsu produced Takahashi's second film, Delinquent File: Juvenile Prostitution (1976). For the next few years Takahashi averaged five films annually at Wakamatsu's studio, until Takahashi left to start his own production company in 1979. Takahashi married Nikkatsu Roman Porno and pink film actress Keiko Sekine who then changed her name to Keiko Takahashi and starred in several of Takahashi's films. Sekine appeared in Takahashi's Tattoo Ari (1982), a mainstream box-office hit which won Takahashi the award for Best Director at the 4th Yokohama Film Festival. With the success of this film, Takahashi dissolved Takahashi Productions to focus on mainstream filmmaking. Takahashi's 1994 film Ai no Shinsekai, inspired by photographer Nobuyoshi Araki's work, is significant as the first Japanese production to play uncensored and unfogged domestically.
Setsurō Wakamatsu (若松節朗, Wakamatsu Setsurō) is a Japanese film director. His film Shizumanu Taiyō won the Japan Academy…
Setsurō Wakamatsu (若松節朗, Wakamatsu Setsurō) is a Japanese film director. His film Shizumanu Taiyō won the Japan Academy Prize for Picture of the Year at the 33rd Japan Academy Prize.
Rumi Tama (珠瑠美, Tama Rumi) (also, 珠るみ, 珠ルミ) aka Rumi Kimata (木俣瑠美, Kimata Rumi) is a Japanese film director, actress…
Rumi Tama (珠瑠美, Tama Rumi) (also, 珠るみ, 珠ルミ) aka Rumi Kimata (木俣瑠美, Kimata Rumi) is a Japanese film director, actress, and screenwriter, known for her work in the pink film genre. After making her acting debut in 1965, she appeared in independent pink films throughout the rest of the decade, often for director Akitaka Kimata, whom she would later marry, and his son Seiji Izumi. Tama took a brief retirement in the early 1970s, then began appearing in films in Nikkatsu's Roman Porno series in 1975. She began directing in 1981, helming at least 80 films as of 2002.
Nobuyuki Ōura (大浦信行, Ōura Nobuyuki, born 1949, Toyama) is a Japanese artist and filmmaker who has been referred to in…
Nobuyuki Ōura (大浦信行, Ōura Nobuyuki, born 1949, Toyama) is a Japanese artist and filmmaker who has been referred to in English as Ohura Nobuyuki. He has been described as an artist who "constantly pushes the limits of expression," as his artworks and films delve into taboos within Japanese society. Ōura is best known for his controversial series of lithographs entitled Holding Perspective (1982–85), which include photographs of Emperor Hirohito, and have at been at the center of multiple high-profile censorship incidences in Japan since the mid-1980s.
Jun Ichikawa (市川 準, Ichikawa Jun; 25 November 1948 – 19 September 2008) was a Japanese film director and screenwriter.…
Jun Ichikawa (市川 準, Ichikawa Jun; 25 November 1948 – 19 September 2008) was a Japanese film director and screenwriter. He was first a director of television commercials before adding filmmaking to his creative activities. His most famous film outside Japan is Tony Takitani, an adaptation of a short story by Haruki Murakami. He died of a cerebral hemorrhage after suddenly collapsing at a restaurant, shortly before his latest film, Buy a Suit, was to premiere at the Tokyo International Film Festival.
Gō Takamine (高嶺 剛, Takamine Gō; born 12 November 1948 in Ishigaki, Okinawa Prefecture) (sometimes credited as Tsuyoshi…
Gō Takamine (高嶺 剛, Takamine Gō; born 12 November 1948 in Ishigaki, Okinawa Prefecture) (sometimes credited as Tsuyoshi Takamine) is an Okinawan director of fiction films, documentaries and experimental films. Born on Ishigaki Island and raised in Naha, Takamine went to university in Kyoto and there began making 8mm films. He made his feature film debut with Paradise View (1985) and won a number of awards for Untamagiru (1989), including the Caligari Film Award at the Berlin Film Festival, the best feature film award at the Hawaii International Film Festival, the Golden Montgolfiere at the Three Continents Festival, and the Hochi Film Award. That film also earned him the Directors Guild of Japan New Directors Award. Other works include the feature-length video Tsuru-Henry (1998) and documentaries on Okinawan performers such as Rinshō Kadekaru. His films have centered on the politics of Okinawan history and cultural identity, particularly by using the Okinawan language, music and folk legends.
Agata Morio (Japanese: あがた森魚, born 12 September 1948) is a Japanese folk rock singer-songwriter and actor. He also…
Agata Morio (Japanese: あがた森魚, born 12 September 1948) is a Japanese folk rock singer-songwriter and actor. He also directed three films.
Toru Muranishi (村西とおる, Muranishi Tōru; born 9 September 1948) is an innovative and controversial director of Japanese…
Toru Muranishi (村西とおる, Muranishi Tōru; born 9 September 1948) is an innovative and controversial director of Japanese adult videos (AV). Known in Japan as the "Emperor of Porn", he has been credited as one of the creators of the quasi-documentary style found in Japanese adult videos, a genre which has remained popular throughout the history of the adult industry in Japan. He was called "the dirtiest of the industry’s dirty old men" in a 1992 Tokyo Journal article by Kjell Fornander.
Yutaka Ikejima (池島ゆたか, Ikejima Yutaka; or 池嶋ゆたか; born March 30, 1948) is a Japanese film director, actor, and producer.…
Yutaka Ikejima (池島ゆたか, Ikejima Yutaka; or 池嶋ゆたか; born March 30, 1948) is a Japanese film director, actor, and producer. Considered the most successful filmmaker in the pink film genre in the 2000s, his films are popular with traditional pink film audiences, fans of cinema, and with critics. Because of his prolific contributions to the pink film he has earned the nickname "Mr. Pink".
Sachi Hamano (浜野佐知, Hamano Sachi) a.k.a. Sachiko Hamano (浜野佐知子, Hamano Sachiko) and Chise Matoba (的場ちせ, Matoba Chise)…
Sachi Hamano (浜野佐知, Hamano Sachi) a.k.a. Sachiko Hamano (浜野佐知子, Hamano Sachiko) and Chise Matoba (的場ちせ, Matoba Chise) (born March 19, 1948), is a Japanese film director. She is the most prolific and written-about female pink film director.
Mitsuo Shindō (信藤 三雄, Shindō Mitsuo; 1948 – 10 February 2023) was a Japanese art director, photographer, film director…
Mitsuo Shindō (信藤 三雄, Shindō Mitsuo; 1948 – 10 February 2023) was a Japanese art director, photographer, film director and producer, music video director and calligraphist. Shindō designed over 1000 albums and single cover art for artists including Kyary Pamyu Pamyu, Yumi Matsutoya, Pizzicato Five, Mr. Children, Misia, Hikaru Utada and Glay. He was also a frequent collaborator with Mr. Children and Misia, for whom he has directed several music videos. In 2010, Shindō became a board member of Mudef, a foundation established by Misia and Rhythmedia CEO Hiroto Tanigawa. Shindō died from stomach cancer on 10 February 2023, at the age of 75.
Shinji Sōmai (相米 慎二, Sōmai Shinji; 13 January 1948 – 9 September 2001) was a Japanese film director. He directed 13…
Shinji Sōmai (相米 慎二, Sōmai Shinji; 13 January 1948 – 9 September 2001) was a Japanese film director. He directed 13 films between 1980 and 2000 and was noted for his work within seishun-eiga, which include films such as the successful Sailor Suit and Machine Gun (1981) and critically acclaimed Typhoon Club (1985).
Shinya Owada (大和田 伸也, Ōwada Shin'ya; born October 25, 1947 in Tsuruga, Fukui) is a Japanese actor, voice actor and…
Shinya Owada (大和田 伸也, Ōwada Shin'ya; born October 25, 1947 in Tsuruga, Fukui) is a Japanese actor, voice actor and narrator. He is represented with Horipro Booking Agency. He rusticated from Waseda University First Literature Department.
Yoko Narahashi (奈良橋 陽子, Narahashi Yõko; born June 17, 1947) is a Japanese casting director, film producer and lyricist.…
Yoko Narahashi (奈良橋 陽子, Narahashi Yõko; born June 17, 1947) is a Japanese casting director, film producer and lyricist. She gained prominence due to her involvement with The Last Samurai, Babel, and Memoirs of a Geisha. The Japan Times, the only independent English-language newspaper in Japan, referred to her as an "all-round interpreter of Japan for U.S. movies".
Mitsuo Kurotsuchi (Japanese: 黒土三男, 3 March 1947 – 25 March 2023) was a Japanese director and screenwriter.
Haruhiko Arai (荒井 晴彦, Arai Haruhiko; born 1947) is a Japanese screenwriter and film director. He is also a publisher…
Haruhiko Arai (荒井 晴彦, Arai Haruhiko; born 1947) is a Japanese screenwriter and film director. He is also a publisher and an editor of the Eiga Geijutsu magazine and a professor of the Japan Institute of the Moving Image.
Genjirō Arato (荒戸 源次郎, Arato Genjirō; 10 October 1946 – 7 November 2016) was a Japanese film producer, actor and…
Genjirō Arato (荒戸 源次郎, Arato Genjirō; 10 October 1946 – 7 November 2016) was a Japanese film producer, actor and director.
Takashi Ishii (石井隆, Ishii Takashi; 11 July 1946 – 22 May 2022) was a Japanese film director, screenwriter and manga…
Takashi Ishii (石井隆, Ishii Takashi; 11 July 1946 – 22 May 2022) was a Japanese film director, screenwriter and manga artist. He directed several pinku eiga erotic films, but his most notable feature was the 1995 crime thriller Gonin starring Takeshi Kitano.
Ryudo Uzaki (宇崎 竜童, Uzaki Ryūdō; born February 23, 1946) is a Japanese musician, composer, and actor. His group, the…
Ryudo Uzaki (宇崎 竜童, Uzaki Ryūdō; born February 23, 1946) is a Japanese musician, composer, and actor. His group, the Down Town Boogie-Woogie Band, was one of the most prominent 1970s Japanese rock bands. He also composed many of Momoe Yamaguchi's songs with Yoko Aki. Uzaki has also worked as a film composer, providing the scores to such productions as The Miracle of Joe Petrel, Umi e, See You and Shaso. In addition, Uzaki has frequently worked as an actor, and he also directed the 1982 film Saraba aibo, aka So Long, My Partner: Rock Is Sex. He is married to lyricist and actress Yoko Aki.
Kazuhiko Hasegawa (長谷川 和彦, Hasegawa Kazuhiko; 5 January 1946 – 31 January 2026) was a Japanese film director. He won…
Kazuhiko Hasegawa (長谷川 和彦, Hasegawa Kazuhiko; 5 January 1946 – 31 January 2026) was a Japanese film director. He won the award for Best Director at the 1st Yokohama Film Festival for The Man Who Stole the Sun.
Mitsuo Yanagimachi (柳町光男, Yanagimachi Mitsuo; born November 2, 1945) is a Japanese screenwriter and film director.
Kōhei Oguri (小栗康平, Oguri Kōhei; born October 29, 1945 in Maebashi, Gunma, Japan) is a Japanese film director and…
Kōhei Oguri (小栗康平, Oguri Kōhei; born October 29, 1945 in Maebashi, Gunma, Japan) is a Japanese film director and screenwriter.