Famous Japanese T V & Movie Producers

Considered one of the most prominent filmmakers in the history of animated films, Hayao Miyazaki is a Japanese animator and manga artist. A co-founder of Studio Ghibli, Miyazaki has gained worldwide acclaim as a maker of animated films and a masterful storyteller. Miyazaki has served as an inspiration to several world-renowned animators and directors, including James Cameron and Wes Anderson.

Japanese filmmaker Takashi Miike is best known for his masterpieces such as the action-horror Ichi the Killer and the samurai film 13 Assassins. Though he initially wished to be a motorbike racer, he later joined a film school. His films are known for his controversial, violent, and sexually provocative themes.

Japanese filmmaker Isao Takahata is best known for his collaborations with Hayao Miyazaki, with whom he co-established Studio Ghibli. Born to an academician father, he had initially studied French literature. He is best remembered for his Oscar-nominated film The Tale of the Princess Kaguya. His signature plot includes a protagonist on a train.

Hironobu Sakaguchi is a Japanese writer, video game designer, producer, and director. Sakaguchi is credited with creating the popular anthology science fantasy media franchise Final Fantasy. He is also credited with selling more than 100 million units of video games worldwide. In 2004, Sakaguchi founded an independent video game development studio named Mistwalker Corporation.

Hirokazu Koreeda is a Japanese film director, producer, and screenwriter. He loved movies from an early age and began his career as an assistant director on documentaries for TV. Eventually, he turned to screenwriting and direction and found tremendous success. He is the recipient of numerous prestigious awards including the Cannes Film Festival’s Palme d'Or. 

Best known for creating the special effects in the Godzilla series of films, Japanese special-effects director Eiji Tsuburaya had earned the nickname The Father of Tokusatsu. He later formed his own SFX company, which created the Ultra of superhero TV shows. He also nursed a lifelong love for airplanes.

Ishirō Honda was a Japanese filmmaker with an extensive career spanning 59 years. Beginning his career as a third assistant director, he went on to make his directorial debut with the short documentary film Ise-Shima. With 44 films to his credit, he is counted amongst the most internationally successful Japanese filmmakers of the 20th century. 

Best known for his iconic movies such as The Naked Island and Children of Hiroshima, Japanese filmmaker Kaneto Shindo initially wanted to be a screenwriter. Part of the Japanese navy during World War II, he later often used themes of war and social realism in his films.

Best remembered for his Godzilla series of films, among more than 200 other films, which he made with Toho Studios, producer Tanaka Tomoyuki had also produced several films for Akira Kurosawa, including the Academy Award-nominated and Palme d'Or-winning Kagemusha. He was married to Japanese actor Chieko Nakakita.

Apart of being the daughter of legendary Japanese fashion designer Kansai Yamamoto, Mirai Yamamoto is also a popular actor in her own right. She is known for her roles such as those of Queen Kisara in the series Ultraman Ginga S and Yuki Ohsato in the film Who Am I?

Best remembered for his thrillers and film noir masterpieces, Japanese filmmaker Yoshitaro Nomura often made screen adaptations of novels by authors such as Agatha Christie. Apart from creating iconic films such as The Castle of Sand and The Demon, he also earned the Order of the Rising Sun.