Biography: Born in Tokyo in 1959. Began playing around with an 8mm camera in middle school. Won the Fuji 8mm Film Contest with The Happy Days of M ( " M-kun no shiawasena hibi " ) which he made while studying cultural anthropology at Hokkaido University. Has directed over fifty films including Memory of Seaside (1982), Ghosttown at Dawn (1983), Guiding Star (1987), The Cat Night (1992), Pu (1994). Publications include A Contextual Analysis of Canned Coffee and The Whereabouts of a Hero.