is a Japanese film director, film producer and screenwriter. He has directed over 100 feature film, video, and television productions since his debut in 1991. His films span a variety of different genres, ranging from violent and bizarre to dramatic and family-friendly movies. He is a controversial figure in the contemporary

Japanese cinema The , also known domestically as , has a history that spans more than 100 years. Japan has one of the oldest and largest film industries in the world; as of 2022, it was the fourth largest by number of feature films produced, producing 634 fi ...

industry, with several of his films being criticised for their extreme graphic violence. Some of his best-known films are ''Audition'', ''Ichi the Killer'', ''

Visitor Q is a 2001 Japanese erotic black comedy-horror film directed by Takashi Miike. It was filmed as the sixth and final part of the Love Cinema series consisting of six straight-to-video releases by independent filmmakers via a brief but exclusive ...

'', ''

Dead or Alive A wanted poster (or wanted sign) is a poster distributed to let the public know of a person whom authorities wish to apprehend. They generally include a picture of the person, either a photograph when one is available or of a facial composite ...

'', ''

One Missed Call One Missed Call may refer to: * One Missed Call (2003 film), ''One Missed Call'' (2003 film), a Japanese horror film, followed by two sequels * One Missed Call (2008 film), ''One Missed Call'' (2008 film), an American remake of the Japanese film * ...

'', and various remakes: ''13 Assassins'', ''

Hara-kiri , also known as , is a form of Japanese ritualistic suicide by disembowelment. It was originally reserved for samurai in their code of honor, but was also practiced by other Japanese people during the Shōwa era (particularly officers near t ...

'', and ''Graveyard of Honor''. He has also acted in more than 20 films.

Early life

Miike was born in Yao,

Osaka Prefecture is a prefecture of Japan located in the Kansai region of Honshu. Osaka Prefecture has a population of 8,778,035 () and has a geographic area of . Osaka Prefecture borders Hyōgo Prefecture to the northwest, Kyoto Prefecture to the north, Nara ...

. During

World War II World War II or the Second World War (1 September 1939 – 2 September 1945) was a World war, global conflict between two coalitions: the Allies of World War II, Allies and the Axis powers. World War II by country, Nearly all of the wo ...

, his grandfather was stationed in

China China, officially the People's Republic of China (PRC), is a country in East Asia. With population of China, a population exceeding 1.4 billion, it is the list of countries by population (United Nations), second-most populous country after ...

and

Korea Korea is a peninsular region in East Asia consisting of the Korean Peninsula, Jeju Island, and smaller islands. Since the end of World War II in 1945, it has been politically Division of Korea, divided at or near the 38th parallel north, 3 ...

, and his father was born in

Seoul Seoul, officially Seoul Special Metropolitan City, is the capital city, capital and largest city of South Korea. The broader Seoul Metropolitan Area, encompassing Seoul, Gyeonggi Province and Incheon, emerged as the world's List of cities b ...

in today's

South Korea South Korea, officially the Republic of Korea (ROK), is a country in East Asia. It constitutes the southern half of the Korea, Korean Peninsula and borders North Korea along the Korean Demilitarized Zone, with the Yellow Sea to the west and t ...

. His father worked as a welder and his mother as a seamstress. Although he claimed to have attended classes only rarely, he graduated from Yokohama Vocational School of Broadcast and Film (Yokohama Hōsō Eiga Senmon Gakkō) under the guidance of renowned filmmaker Shohei Imamura, the founder and Dean of that institution.

Career

Miike's first films were television productions, but he also began directing several

direct-to-video Direct-to-video or straight-to-video refers to the release of a film, television series, short or special to the public immediately on home video formats rather than an initial theatrical release or television premiere. This distribution strat ...

V-Cinema Direct-to-video or straight-to-video refers to the release of a film, television series, short or special to the public immediately on home video formats rather than an initial theatrical release or television premiere. This distribution strate ...

releases. Miike still directs V-Cinema productions intermittently, due to the creative freedom afforded by the less stringent

censorship Censorship is the suppression of speech, public communication, or other information. This may be done on the basis that such material is considered objectionable, harmful, sensitive, or "inconvenient". Censorship can be conducted by governmen ...

of the medium and the riskier content that the

producers Producer(s), The Producer(s), or co-producer(s) may refer to: Occupations *Producer (agriculture), a farm operator *Producer, a stakeholder of economic production * Film producer, supervises the making of films **Executive producer, contributes t ...

will allow. Miike's theatrical debut was the film ''The Third Gangster'' (''Daisan no gokudō''), but ''

Shinjuku Triad Society is a 1995 Japanese film directed by Takashi Miike. The film is one of the earliest examples of Miike's use of extreme violence and unusual characterization, two aspects he would become notorious for. The film is part of the ''Black Society'' tr ...

'' (1995) was his first theatrical release to gain public attention. The film showcased his extreme style and his recurring themes, and its success allowed him to work on higher-budgeted pictures. ''Shinjuku Triad Society'' was the first film in what is labeled his "Black Society Trilogy", which also includes ''

Rainy Dog is a 1997 Japanese film directed by Takashi Miike, completely set and filmed in Taipei, Taiwan. Although the movie contains a fair amount of controversial material, the overall theme of the movie concerns the unlikely relationships formed betwe ...

'' (1997) and ''

Ley Lines Ley lines () are straight alignments drawn between various historic structures, prehistoric sites and prominent landmarks. The idea was developed in early 20th-century Europe, with ley line believers arguing that these alignments were recognis ...

'' (1999). He gained international fame in 2000 when his romantic horror film ''

Audition An audition is a sample performance by an actor, singer, musician, dancer or other performer. It typically involves the performer displaying their talent through a previously memorized and rehearsed solo piece or by performing a work or piece gi ...

'' (1999), his violent yakuza epic ''

'' (1999), and his controversial adaptation of the manga '' Ichi the Killer'' played at international film festivals. He has since gained a strong

cult following A cult following is a group of fans who are highly dedicated to a person, idea, object, movement, or work, often an artist, in particular a performing artist, or an artwork in some medium. The latter is often called a cult classic. A film, boo ...

in the

West West is one of the four cardinal directions or points of the compass. It is the opposite direction from east and is the direction in which the Sun sets on the Earth. Etymology The word "west" is a Germanic word passed into some Romance langu ...

that is growing with the increase in

DVD The DVD (common abbreviation for digital video disc or digital versatile disc) is a digital optical disc data storage format. It was invented and developed in 1995 and first released on November 1, 1996, in Japan. The medium can store any ki ...

releases of his works. His film '' Hara-Kiri: Death of a Samurai'' premiered In Competition at the

2011 Cannes Film Festival The 64th Cannes Film Festival took place from 11 to 22 May 2011. American actor Robert De Niro served as the president of the jury for the main competition. American filmmaker Terrence Malick won the Palme d'Or, the festival's top prize, for t ...

. His 2013 film '' Straw Shield'' was nominated for the

Palme d'Or The (; ) is the highest prize awarded to the director of the Best Feature Film of the Official Competition at the Cannes Film Festival. It was introduced in 1955 by the festival's organizing committee. Previously, from 1939 to 1954, the festiv ...

at the

2013 Cannes Film Festival The 66th Cannes Film Festival took place from 15 to 26 May 2013. American filmmaker Steven Spielberg was the Jury President for the main competition. French actress Audrey Tautou hosted the opening and closing ceremonies. The French film ''Blu ...

Themes of his work

Miike achieved notoriety for depicting shocking scenes of

extreme violence Graphic violence refers to the depiction of especially explicit or detailed acts of violence in mass media. It may be real, simulated live action, or animated. Intended for viewing by mature audiences, ''graphic'' in this context is a synonym f ...

and sexual perversions. Many of his films contain graphic and lurid bloodshed, often portrayed in an over-the-top, cartoonish manner. Much of his work depicts the activities of

criminals In ordinary language, a crime is an unlawful act punishable by a state or other authority. The term ''crime'' does not, in modern criminal law, have any simple and universally accepted definition,Farmer, Lindsay: "Crime, definitions of", in Cane ...

(especially

yakuza , also known as , are members of transnational organized crime syndicates originating in Japan. The Japanese police and media (by request of the police) call them , while the yakuza call themselves . The English equivalent for the term ''yak ...

) or concern themselves with

gaijin is a Japanese word for foreigners and non-Japanese citizens in Japan, specifically being applied to foreigners of non-Japanese ethnicity and those from the Japanese diaspora who are not Japanese citizens. The word is composed of two kanji: a ...

, non-Japanese or foreigners living in Japan. He is known for his dark sense of humor and for pushing the boundaries of

as far as they will go. Miike has directed films in a range of genres. He has created lighthearted children's films (''

Ninja Kids!!! is a 2011 Japanese family-oriented comedy film directed by Takashi Miike. The film is live-action adaptation of the Japanese anime series ''Nintama Rantarō''. The film stars Seishiro Kato as Rantaro who is sent to a ninja training school by his ...

'', ''

The Great Yokai War is a 2005 Japanese fantasy film directed by Takashi Miike, produced by Kadokawa Pictures and distributed by Shochiku. The film stars Ryūnosuke Kamiki, Ryunosuke Kamiki, Hiroyuki Miyasako, Chiaki Kuriyama, and Mai Takahashi. The film focuses lar ...

''), period pieces (''Sabu''), a

road movie A road movie is a film genre, genre of film in which the main characters leave home on a road trip, typically altering the perspective from their everyday lives. Road movies often depict travel in the hinterlands, with the films exploring the the ...

(''

The Bird People in China is a 1998 Japanese comedy-drama film directed by Takashi Miike from a screenplay by his frequent collaborator Masa Nakamura. The film is considerably more mellow in tone compared to some of the director's more famous works. Plot When Mr. Okamu ...

''), a teen drama (''Andromedia''), a farcical musical comedy horror (''

The Happiness of the Katakuris is a 2001 Japanese musical comedy horror film directed by Takashi Miike, with screenplay by Kikumi Yamagishi. It is loosely based on the South Korean film '' The Quiet Family''. The film is a surreal horror-comedy in the farce tradition, which ...

''), video game adaptations (''

Like a Dragon , formerly known outside of Japan as ''Yakuza'', is a video game franchise by Sega. It incorporates elements of the action-adventure, beat 'em up, and role-playing genres. Each installment is typically a crime drama, with plot lines inspired ...

'', ''

Ace Attorney ''Ace Attorney'' is a visual novel franchise developed by Capcom. With storytelling fashioned after legal dramas, the first entry in the series, '' Phoenix Wright: Ace Attorney'', was released in 2001; since then five further main series game ...

''),

manga are comics or graphic novels originating from Japan. Most manga conform to a style developed in Japan in the late 19th century, and the form has a long history in earlier Japanese art. The term is used in Japan to refer to both comics ...

adaptations (''

Blade of the Immortal is a Japanese manga series written and illustrated by Hiroaki Samura. It was serialized in Kodansha's Seinen manga, manga magazine ''Monthly Afternoon'' from June 1993 to December 2012, with its chapters collected in 30 volumes. The ...

'', '' Jojo's Bizarre Adventure: Diamond Is Unbreakable'', '' Terra Formers'', '' The Mole Song'' Trilogy) and character driven crime dramas (''

'', '' Agitator''). While Miike often creates films that are less accessible and target arthouse audiences and fans of

extreme cinema Extreme cinema (or hardcore horror and extreme horror) is a subgenre used for films distinguished by its use of excessive sex and violence, and depiction of extreme acts such as mutilation and torture. The rising popularity of Asian films in the 2 ...

, such as ''

Izo ''IZO'' is a 2004 Japanese surrealist period horror film directed by Takashi Miike. The main character of the film is Izo Okada (1832–1865), the historical samurai and assassin in 19th-century Japan who was tortured and executed by beheadin ...

'' and the "Box" segment in '' Three... Extremes'', he has created several mainstream and commercial titles such as the

horror film Horror is a film genre that seeks to elicit physical or psychological fear in its viewers. Horror films often explore dark subject matter and may deal with Transgressive art, transgressive topics or themes. Broad elements of the genre include Mo ...

'' and the

fantasy Fantasy is a genre of speculative fiction that involves supernatural or Magic (supernatural), magical elements, often including Fictional universe, imaginary places and Legendary creature, creatures. The genre's roots lie in oral traditions, ...

drama ''The Great Yokai War''. Miike has cited ''

Starship Troopers ''Starship Troopers'' is a military science fiction novel by American writer Robert A. Heinlein. Written in a few weeks in reaction to the US suspending nuclear tests, the story was first published as a two-part serial in ''The Magazine of ...

'' as his favorite film. He expressed admiration for directors

Akira Kurosawa was a Japanese filmmaker who List of works by Akira Kurosawa, directed 30 feature films in a career spanning six decades. He is widely regarded as one of the greatest and most influential filmmakers in the History of film, history of cinema ...

Hideo Gosha was a Japanese director and screenwriter. He was the first Japanese director to make the transition from television to theatrical films, and is best known for his ''jidaigeki'' and yakuza films. Beginning with '' Three Outlaw Samurai'' in 196 ...

David Lynch David Keith Lynch (January 20, 1946 – January 16, 2025) was an American filmmaker, visual artist, musician, and actor. Widely considered one of the greatest filmmakers of all time, Lynch was often called a "visionary" and received acclaim f ...

David Cronenberg David Paul Cronenberg (born March 15, 1943) is a Canadian film director, screenwriter, producer and actor. He is a principal originator of the body horror genre, with his films exploring visceral bodily transformation, infectious diseases, and ...

, and

Paul Verhoeven Paul Verhoeven (; born 18 July 1938) is a Dutch filmmaker, who has worked variously in the Netherlands, the United States, and in France. He is known for directing genre films with strong satirical elements, often featuring graphic violence and ...

Controversies

Several of Miike's films have been subject to scrutiny due to heavy violence. His 2001 horror film '' Ichi the Killer'', adapted from a manga of the same name and starring

Tadanobu Asano better known by his stage name is a Japanese actor, director, and musician, who has had an extensive career working in both Japanese and international cinema. He has been nominated for five Japan Academy Film Prizes, twice for Best Actor and ...

as a

sadomasochistic Sadism () and masochism (), known collectively as sadomasochism ( ) or S&M, is the derivation of pleasure from acts of respectively inflicting or receiving pain or humiliation. The term is named after the Marquis de Sade, a French author known ...

enforcer, was highly controversial; during its international premiere at the

Toronto International Film Festival The Toronto International Film Festival (TIFF, often stylized as tiff) is one of the most prestigious and largest publicly attended film festivals in the world. Founded in 1976, the festival takes place every year in early September. The organi ...

in 2001, the audience received "barf bags" emblazoned with the film's logo as a promotional

gimmick A gimmick is a novel device or idea designed primarily to attract attention or increase appeal, often with little intrinsic value. When applied to retail marketing, it is a unique or quirky feature designed to make a product or service "stand out ...

. The

British Board of Film Classification The British Board of Film Classification (BBFC) is a non-governmental organization, non-governmental organisation founded by the British film industry in 1912 and responsible for the national classification and censorship of films exhibited ...

refused to allow the release of the film uncut in the United Kingdom, citing its extreme levels of

sexual violence Sexual violence is any harmful or unwanted Human sexual activity, sexual act, an attempt to obtain a sexual act through violence or coercion, or an act directed against a person's sexuality without their consent, by any individual regardless of ...

towards women; the film required 3 minutes and 15 seconds of mandated cuts to be allowed release. In

Hong Kong Hong Kong)., Legally Hong Kong, China in international treaties and organizations. is a special administrative region of China. With 7.5 million residents in a territory, Hong Kong is the fourth most densely populated region in the wor ...

, 16 minutes and 59 seconds of footage were cut. ''Ichi the Killer'' was also banned outright in Norway, Germany and Malaysia. In 2005, Miike was invited to direct an episode of the ''

Masters of Horror ''Masters of Horror'' is a horror anthology television series created by director Mick Garris for the Showtime cable network. Origin In 2002, director Mick Garris invited some director friends to an informal dinner at a restaurant in Sherm ...

'' anthology series. The series, featuring episodes by a range of established horror directors such as

John Carpenter John Howard Carpenter (born January 16, 1948) is an American filmmaker, composer, and actor. Most commonly associated with horror film, horror, action film, action, and science fiction film, science fiction films of the 1970s and 1980s, he is ...

Tobe Hooper Willard Tobe Hooper (; January 25, 1943 – August 26, 2017) was an American filmmaker, best known for his work in the horror film, horror genre. The British Film Institute cited Hooper as one of the most influential horror filmmakers of al ...

and

Dario Argento Dario Argento (; born 7 September 1940) is an Italian film director, screenwriter and producer. His influential work in the horror film, horror and giallo genres during the 1970s and 1980s has led him to being referred to as the "Master of the ...

, was supposed to provide directors with relative creative freedom and relaxed restrictions on violent and sexual content (some sexual content was edited from the Argento-directed episode "

Jenifer Jennifer or Jenifer may refer to: People *Jennifer (given name) *Jenifer (singer), French pop singer *Jennifer Warnes, American singer who formerly used the stage name Jennifer * Daniel of St. Thomas Jenifer * Daniel Jenifer Film and televisio ...

"). However, when the

Showtime Showtime or Show Time may refer to: Film * ''Showtime'' (film), a 2002 American action/comedy film * ''Showtime'' (video), a 1995 live concert video by Blur Television Networks and channels * Showtime Networks, a division of Paramount Global w ...

cable network acquired the rights to the series, Miike's episode, "

Imprint Imprint or imprinting may refer to: Entertainment * ''Imprint'' (TV series), Canadian television series * "Imprint" (''Masters of Horror''), episode of TV show ''Masters of Horror'' * ''Imprint'' (film), a 2007 independent drama/thriller film ...

", was deemed too disturbing for the network. Showtime cancelled it from the broadcast lineup even after extended negotiations, though it was retained as part of the series' DVD release.

Mick Garris Mick Garris (born December 4, 1951) is an American filmmaker, screenwriter and novelist born in Santa Monica, California. He is best known for his work in the horror film genre, as well as making Stephen King adaptations. Early life Garris was b ...

, creator and executive producer of the series, described the episode as "amazing, but hard even for me to watch... definitely the most disturbing film I've ever seen". While "Imprint" has yet to air in the United States, it has aired on

Bravo Bravo(s) or The Bravo(s) may refer to: Arts and entertainment Music Groups and labels * Bravo (band), a Russian rock band * Bravo (Spanish group), represented Spain at Eurovision 1984 * Bravo Music, an American concert band music publishing compa ...

in the United Kingdom, on FX in Mexico, South and Central America, the Dominican Republic, France, Israel, Turkey, on

Nelonen Nelonen may refer to: * Nelonen (TV channel), a Finnish television station * Nelonen (football), the fifth level in the Finnish football league system * Nelonen Media, a Finnish commercial broadcasting company {{Hndis, Nelonen ...

in Finland, and on

Rai Tre Rai 3 (formerly Rai Tre) is an Italian free-to-air television channel owned and operated by state-owned public broadcaster RAI – Radiotelevisione italiana. It was launched on 15 December 1979 and its programming is centred towards cultural a ...

in Italy.

Anchor Bay Entertainment The revived Anchor Bay Entertainment is an American independent film production and distribution company owned by Umbrelic Entertainment co-founders Thomas Zambeck and Brian Katz. Anchor Bay Entertainment markets and releases "new release genre ...

, which has handled the DVD releases for the ''Masters of Horror'' series in the US, released "Imprint" uncut on Region 1 DVD on September 26, 2006.

Filmography

Director

Music video * ''

Pandōra is a 2002 music video directed by Takashi Miike is a Japanese film director, film producer and screenwriter. He has directed over 100 feature film, video, and television productions since his debut in 1991. His films span a variety of differ ...

'' (2002)

Film

Television

TV movies * '' Last Run: 100 Million Yen's Worth of Love & Betrayal'' (''Shissō Feraari 250 GTO / Rasuto ran: Ai to uragiri no hyaku-oku en'') (1992) * '' The Making of 'Gemini''' (2000) (Documentary film, also producer) * '' Sabu'' (2002) * ''

Part-Time Detective Part-time may refer to: * Part-time job, a job that has fewer hours a week than a full-time job * Part-time student, a student, usually in higher education, who takes fewer course credits than a full-time student * Part Time (band), an American po ...

'' ''Pāto-taimu tantei'' (2002) * ''Negotiator'' ('' Kōshōnin'') (2003) * ''

Part-Time Detective 2 Part-time may refer to: * Part-time job, a job that has fewer hours a week than a full-time job * Part-time student, a student, usually in higher education, who takes fewer course credits than a full-time student * Part Time (band), an American po ...

'' (''Pāto-taimu tantei 2'') (2004) * ''

Shin Abarenbō Shogun Shin may refer to: Biology * The front part of the leg below the knee * Shinbone, the tibia, the larger of the two bones in the leg below the knee in vertebrates Names * Shin (given name) (Katakana: シン, Hiragana: しん), a Japanese giv ...

'' (2025) TV series

Acting roles

Stage plays

In 2005, Takashi Miike directed a

Kabuki is a classical form of Theatre of Japan, Japanese theatre, mixing dramatic performance with Japanese traditional dance, traditional dance. Kabuki theatre is known for its heavily stylised performances, its glamorous, highly decorated costumes ...

-style play titled '' Demon Pond''. The DVD recording of the performance was released by

Cinema Epoch Cinema may refer to: Film * Film or movie, a series of still images that create the illusion of moving image ** Film industry, the technological and commercial institutions of filmmaking ** Filmmaking, the process of making a film * Movie theate ...

. Takashi Miike directed the play ''

Zatoichi is a fictional character created by Japanese novelist Kan Shimozawa. He is an itinerant blind masseur and swordsman of Japan's late Edo period (1830s and 1840s). He first appeared in the 1948 essay ''Zatoichi Monogatari'', part of Shimozawa's '' ...

'' based on the character

. The stage production was performed and filmed on December 12, 2007, and the DVD was released on May 30, 2008.

References

Bibliography

*Mes, Tom. ''Agitator: The Cinema of Takashi Miike''. Godalming: FAB Press, 2003. *Williams, Tony. "Takashi Miike's Cinema of Outrage." cineACTION 64 (2004): 54–62 *"Izo: Takashi Miike's History Lesson." Asian Cinema 16.2 (2005): 85–109. *Gerow, Aaron. "The Homelessness of Style and the Problems of Studying Miike Takashi." Canadian Journal of Film Studies 18.1 (2009): 24–43 *

External links

*
Suicide is for the Birds: Takashi Miike's Tales of De-territorializing Flight at Fantasia 2003 and Beyond
* ttp://suicidegirls.com/interviews/Takashi+Miike+director+of+Gozu/ SuicideGirls interview with Miike by Daniel Robert Epstein*
Interview with Takashi Miike by Mark SchillingInterview with Takashi Miike
on

Midnight Eye Midnight Eye is a non-profit review website launched in 2001 by Tom Mes, Jasper Sharp, and Martin Mes. The website features reviews and analyses of Japanese films, as well as book reviews and interviews with filmmakers. In June 2015, it was announ ...

Interview with Miike regarding his Yakuza work on 1UP.com

Another Decade with Takashi Miike: An Introduction

PULP : : The Manga Magazine : : 6.01 What's No. 5?

PULP : : The Manga Magazine : : 5.07 Feature

PULP : : The Manga Magazine : : 5.07 Feature

PULP : : The Manga Magazine : : THE WOUNDED MAN INTERVIEW
{{DEFAULTSORT:Miike, Takashi 1960 births Living people Japanese fantasy film directors Japanese horror film directors Japanese male film actors Japanese male actors of Korean descent People from Yao, Osaka Samurai film directors Yakuza film directors