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 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'', ''

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'', and various remakes: ''13 Assassins'', '' Hara-kiri'', 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 will allow. Miike's theatrical debut was the film ''The Third Gangster'' (''Daisan no gokudō''), but '' Shinjuku Triad Society'' (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'' (1997) and '' Ley Lines'' (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 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 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 (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, 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!!!'', ''

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''), a teen drama (''Andromedia''), a farcical musical comedy horror ('' The Happiness of the Katakuris''), video game adaptations ('' Like a Dragon'', '' Ace Attorney''),

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'', '' Jojo's Bizarre Adventure: Diamond Is Unbreakable'', '' Terra Formers'', '' The Mole Song'' Trilogy) and character driven crime dramas ('' Ley Lines'', '' Agitator''). While Miike often creates films that are less accessible and target arthouse audiences and fans of extreme cinema, such as '' Izo'' 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 ...

'' One Missed Call'' 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'' 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,

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, 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. 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'' 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"). However, when the Showtime cable network acquired the rights to the series, Miike's episode, " Imprint", 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, 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 in the United Kingdom, on FX in Mexico, South and Central America, the Dominican Republic, France, Israel, Turkey, on Nelonen in Finland, and on Rai Tre 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'' (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'' ''Pāto-taimu tantei'' (2002) * ''Negotiator'' ('' Kōshōnin'') (2003) * '' Part-Time Detective 2'' (''Pāto-taimu tantei 2'') (2004) * '' Shin Abarenbō Shogun'' (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. Takashi Miike directed the play '' Zatoichi'' based on the character Zatoichi. 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
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