Takashi Yamazaki facts for kids

Quick facts for kids Takashi Yamazaki
Yamazaki in October 2023
Born	(1964-06-12) June 12, 1964 (age 61) Matsumoto, Nagano, Japan
Alma mater	Asagaya College of Art and Design [ja]
Occupation	Film director screenwriter visual effects supervisor character designer producer
Years active	1984–present
Notable work	Returner (2002) Always: Sunset on Third Street (2005) The Eternal Zero (2013) Stand by Me Doraemon (2014) Lupin III: The First (2019) Godzilla Minus One (2023)
Spouse(s)	Shimako Satō ​ (m. 2012)​
Awards	Academy Award for Best Visual Effects Japan Academy Film Prize for Director of the Year Japan Academy Film Prize for Screenplay of the Year
Signature

Takashi Yamazaki (山崎 貴, Yamazaki Takashi, born June 12, 1964) is a Japanese filmmaker. He is also a visual effects supervisor, meaning he oversees all the special effects in movies. He is known for making big movies with amazing visual effects. Many people see him as a top director in the Japanese film industry.

Yamazaki has won many awards. These include an Academy Award (also known as an Oscar) and eight Japanese Academy Awards. His movies have earned over $523 million worldwide.

He started working at a special effects and animation studio called Shirogumi in 1986. He has worked there his whole career. His first movies as a director were the science fiction films Juvenile (2000) and Returner (2002). Because of these, some people called him the "Japanese James Cameron". He became even more famous in Japan by directing movies based on popular anime, books, and manga. These include Always: Sunset on Third Street (2005), Space Battleship Yamato (2010), The Eternal Zero (2013), and Stand by Me Doraemon (2014).

His 2023 movie, Godzilla Minus One, was a huge success. It became the most popular Japanese Godzilla film ever. Yamazaki and his visual effects team made history by becoming the first Japanese crew to win an Academy Award for Best Visual Effects. In 2024, he was named one of the "100 Most Impactful Asians" by Gold House. He is now working on another Godzilla film and his first Hollywood movie.

Early Life and Film Beginnings

Takashi Yamazaki was born on June 12, 1964, in Matsumoto, Nagano, Japan. His parents, Yoshisuke and Kikuko, let him explore his interests freely. He also has a younger sister named Satsuki.

He first discovered movies through a special program for kids. He thinks some of the first films he saw were monster movies like Matango (1963) and King Kong vs. Godzilla (1962). Growing up, he was inspired by monster movies and American science fiction films. These included Star Wars and Close Encounters of the Third Kind from 1977.

Yamazaki made his first movie when he was in junior high school. It was a science fiction short film called Glory (1979). He filmed it using an 8 mm camera with a friend's help. This film was lost for 43 years but was found again in 2022. It was then shown in his hometown.

Career Highlights

Starting His Film Journey

In 1984, Yamazaki began building miniature models for Tatsuo Shimamura. After finishing college in 1986, he joined Shimamura's special effects studio, Shirogumi, in Tokyo.

He worked on several films, including Eko Eko Azarak and Parasite Eve (1997). Later, he planned a big movie called NUE. It would have cost a lot of money, so his boss asked him to make a smaller film first.

First Movies and Big Success

After NUE was put on hold, Yamazaki created his first movie, Juvenile (2000). He directed, wrote, and led the special effects for this film. Juvenile is a science fiction story about elementary school kids who find a talking alien robot. This robot becomes their only hope to save Earth from alien invaders. The movie was a success, earning about $7.5 million. It was also shown at the Giffoni Film Festival.

His next film was the science fiction action movie Returner (2002). It tells the story of Milly, a young woman from a future at war. She teams up with a mysterious time traveler named Miyamoto. After this movie, Yamazaki wanted to make a sequel. However, his boss asked him to make a film set in an older time period instead.

Hidetaka Yoshioka, an actor who often stars in Yamazaki's films

Yamazaki became very famous with his third movie, Always: Sunset on Third Street (2005). This film was different from his earlier science fiction works. It was based on a manga series and told a heartwarming story about people living in Tokyo after World War II. The movie was loved by critics and earned a lot of money. It won twelve awards at the 29th Japanese Academy Awards, including Best Picture and Best Director.

He then directed Always: Sunset on Third Street 2 (2007), a sequel to the popular film. This movie starts with an exciting scene of Godzilla attacking Tokyo. Yamazaki is a big fan of the Godzilla movies. He said he wanted to surprise the audience with this opening. Even though Godzilla only appears for two minutes, it took half the crew six months to create that scene! This sequel became Yamazaki's biggest hit at the time.

Directing Popular Adaptations

Yamazaki in October 2016

In 2008, Yamazaki helped his future wife, Shimako Satō, with her action film K-20: Legend of the Mask. He worked on the special effects and screenplay. The movie is set in an alternate 1940s Japan and follows a masked hero who steals from the rich.

In 2009, Yamazaki directed and wrote Ballad [ja]. This romance film was based on an anime movie. He was inspired to make it after visiting the filming location of The Last Samurai (2003).

In 2009, he also started filming Space Battleship Yamato. This was his first science fiction film since Returner. It was based on a famous 1974 anime series. The movie had a huge budget and used a lot of computer-generated imagery (CGI). It was a big success in Japan.

Yamazaki co-directed his first animated film, Friends: Naki on Monster Island, in 2011. This movie was based on a children's book. It tells the story of a monster named Naki who protects a young boy lost on Monster Island from other monsters.

He then made Always: Sunset on Third Street '64 (2012), another sequel in the Always series. He said it was a very difficult movie to make.

Godzilla and Beyond

Yamazaki (right) with Godzilla Minus One star Ryunosuke Kamiki at the 36th Tokyo International Film Festival in October 2024.

In 2018, Yamazaki announced his next film, The Great War of Archimedes. This movie was about building the battleship Yamato. It was released in 2019 and was one of the highest-grossing Japanese films that year.

After this, Yamazaki was given the chance to make a Godzilla film. He spent three years writing the screenplay for Godzilla Minus One. The movie was released in November 2023 and became one of the most praised films in the Godzilla series. Yamazaki and his team made history by winning an Academy Award for Best Visual Effects for their work on the film. They were the first Japanese film crew to win this award.

In late 2023, Yamazaki started directing a short online film for a food company. It was later revealed to be called Foodlosslla and was produced by Ajinomoto.

In 2024, Yamazaki announced he has a new film in the works. He also joined a talent agency in America, which could help him work on Hollywood movies. He has turned down other offers to direct another Godzilla film. He is also set to make his Hollywood debut with a movie called Grandgear. He will write, direct, and produce this film.

Personal Life

Yamazaki is married to fellow filmmaker Shimako Satō. They met at college. The couple has several cats, and one of them even inspired Yamazaki while he was making Godzilla Minus One.

Filmography

Films

Other Works

• Commercials:

* Lotte: Airs (2006) * CR Neon Genesis Evangelion ~Apostle, Again~ [ja] (2007)

• Music Videos:

* Bump of Chicken: "Namida no Furusato" (2006) * Bump of Chicken: "Good Luck" (2012)

• Theme Park Attractions:

* Godzilla the Ride: Giant Monsters Ultimate Battle - Seibu-en (2021) * Ultraman the Ride: The Great Duel of the Century - Seibu-en (2023)

• Video Games:

* "Onimusha 3: Demon Siege" (Opening CG movie director) (2004)

Awards and Recognitions

Takashi Yamazaki has won many awards for his work. Here are some of his most notable achievements:

• Academy Award for Best Visual Effects: For Godzilla Minus One (2024)
• Japan Academy Film Prize for Picture of the Year: For Always: Sunset on Third Street (2006) and Godzilla Minus One (2024)
• Japan Academy Film Prize for Director of the Year: For Always: Sunset on Third Street (2006) and The Eternal Zero (2014)
• Japan Academy Film Prize for Screenplay of the Year: For Always: Sunset on Third Street (2006) and The Eternal Zero (2014)
• Nikkan Sports Film Award for Yūjirō Ishihara Award: For Always: Sunset on Third Street (2005) and The Great War of Archimedes (2019)
• Hochi Film Awards for Best Picture: For Always: Sunset on Third Street (2005)
• Hochi Film Awards for Best Director: For Godzilla Minus One (2023)
• Asian Film Award for Best Visual Effects: For Godzilla Minus One (2024)

He has also received many other nominations and awards from various film festivals and critics' associations around the world.

See also

In Spanish: Takashi Yamazaki para niños