Shunji Iwai

Shunji Iwai
is a Japanese filmmaker, video artist, writer and documentary maker.
Life and career
Iwai was born in Sendai, Miyagi, Japan. He attended Yokohama National University, graduating in 1987.
In 1988 he started out in the Japanese entertainment industry by directing TV dramas and music videos. Then, in 1993, his TV drama, Fireworks, brought him critical praise and the Directors Guild of Japan New Directors Award for his portrayal of a group of children in the town of Iioka.
In 1995 he went on to start his career in feature films, starting with the box-office hit Love Letter, in which he cast pop singer Miho Nakayama in dual roles. Love Letter also launched the movie career of Miki Sakai who won a Japanese Academy Award as 'Newcomer of the Year' for her portrayal of Itsuki Fujii as a young girl. Iwai collaborated with cinematographer Noboru Shinoda to produce a film praised for its evocative winter cinematography. Love Letter made an impact in other east Asian countries too, notably South Korea where the film's success helped break down the post-World War II barriers to Japanese films being shown there.
In 1996 came the commercial and critical success of Swallowtail Butterfly, a multifaceted story of the fictional Yen Town, a city of immigrants in search of hope and a better life with three separate and distinct main characters. Ageha (Ayumi Ito), an orphaned teenage girl, Glico (Chara), a prostitute turned pop star, and Feihong (Hiroshi Mikami), an immigrant who manages Glico's career and owns the Yen Town club. He also wrote the lyrics of a theme song for the film Swallowtail Butterfly (Ai no Uta) with Chara and Takeshi Kobayashi.
In 1998, Fine Line Features released Love Letter in the United States theatrically under the new title When I Close My Eyes; it was the first Iwai-directed film to be released in the United States theatrically.
Iwai enjoyed another kind of success with this film as well, having teamed up with Takeshi Kobayashi to create the music for the film and the Yen Town Band, headed by Pop star Chara. The band they created became a commercial hit in Japan. He would team up with Kobayashi again in 2001 for the harrowing High School Drama All About Lily Chou-Chou. Kobayashi would create the music for the titular pop star, Lily Chou-Chou (voiced by Japanese singer Salyu), that is spread through the film (as well as Debussy), and later be released as an album entitled Kokyu (Breathe).
In 2002 he released a short, ARITA, in which he composed his own film score for the first time. In 2004 Iwai released Hana & Alice, his first comedy. He once again composed the film score himself.
He has recently directed a commercial airing in Japan featuring Matsu Takako, whom he has not worked with since 1998.
October 2006 sees the Iwai-produced film Rainbow Song released in Japan. The film is directed by Naoto Kumazawa and was written by Ami Sakurai. It stars previous Iwai actors Hayato Ichihara, Yū Aoi and Shoko Aida. Also in 2006, Iwai spent time documenting and interviewing Kon Ichikawa while filming The Inugamis (Inugamike no ichizoku - 2006) to create a feature-length documentary about the director's life.
A more recent project, a piece he wrote about the Japanese indie rock scene in the early 1990s called Bandage, was released on January 16, 2010. Apart from being in charge of the music production, "Bandage" represents Takeshi Kobayashi's first time as a movie director. The project was originally taken by Ryuhei Kitamura, but was dropped in 2006. The filming started in 2008 and Kobayashi chose a completely different cast for the movie, casting j-pop singer Jin Akanishi and Kie Kitano for the main roles. It also included other actors who have worked with Iwai before, such as Ayumi Ito and Hideyuki Kasahara. The release of the horror film Vampire marked his English-language film debut.
Filmography
Film
Acting roles
M.B. Movie (1987)
Shiki-Jitsu (2000), main role as "The Director"
Ribbon (2021)
From the End of the World (2023)
Executive producer
Cities in Love (2015)
Short Film
Early independent films
Documentaries
Making-off appearances
YEN TOWN (1996)
Once Upon a Time Returning to my Hometown (2000)
All About "All About Lily Chou-Chou" (2001)
Filming Hana & Alice (2004)
Anno-San and Our Reckless Challenge: Japan Animator Expo (2015)
Television
TV Appearances
Friends After 3.11 (2011)
The movie continues to sound the alarm to the world (2012)
Shunji Iwai Film Festival Presents My Little Film Festival (2012)
Scola Ryuichi Sakamoto School of Music <Movie Music Edition> (2013)
Shunji Iwai MOVIE LAB (2015-2016)
3.26 "Rip Van Winkle's Bride" Commemorative 24-hour Whole Shunji Iwai (2016)
YEN TOWN BAND ・ Lily Chou-Chou Project ~Yento Space in Inujima~ (2016)
Nobuhiko Obayashi Film Festival! ～Flower basket flower language What I want to pass on now. Nobuhiko Obayashi x Shunji Iwai x Takako Tokiwa Special Trial Talk (2017)
Under this sky that two people can see Makoto Shinkai x Shunji Iwai (2020)
Let's change the future with movies ~ A message from Nobuhiko Obayashi to four directors (2020)
Close-up Gendai + Asked about "the power to change the future"-A testament from Nobuhiko Obayashi (2020)
Online Short Films
Producer only
Koibana-Watermelon and adhesive plaster (2009)
HaraI Monogatari: "One Night in Chengdu" (2013)
HaraI Monogatari: "Grandpa's Secret" (2013)
HaraI Monogatari: "Sayonara Hot Pot" (2013)
Music videos
Director
{|class="wikitable sortable"
! Year
! Title
! Artist
! Notes
|-
|rowspan=3|1988
|Someday Somewhere
|Keisuke Kutakawa
|
|-
|Girl
|Yuko Hara
|
|-
|How are you?
|Miko Morikawa
|
|-
|rowspan=6|1989
|April White Paper
|Sumika Yamakana
|
|-
|Why
|Sumika Yamanaka
|
|-
|J's Bar
|Hiroyuki Kurata
|
|-
|I'm Only Dreaming
|Miwa Kawagoe
|
|-
|Broken Heart
|Chami Satonaka
|
|-
|Shine the Most
|Miki Fujitani
|
|-
|rowspan=12|1990
|On a Sunny Slope
|Tokyo Boys
|
|-
|Key to the Heart
|Miwa Kawagoe
|
|-
|Umi
|Miyoko Yoshimoto
|
|-
|NEXT
|Rizzo Tachibana
|
|-
|Put me on Your Song
|Tokyo Boys
|
|-
|Midusummer Shadow
|Yuki Hoshino
|
|-
|1960's Gun
|Wells
|
|-
|Good-Bye
|Rie Sugimoto
|
|-
|Welcome Home Again
|The Shamrock
|
|-
|Present
|Tokyo Boys
|
|-
|LaPaPa
|The Shamrock
|
|-
|Shy Shy Japanese
|Tokyo Boys
|
|-
|rowspan=15|1991
|Good-Bye My Loneliness
|ZARD
|
|-
|Harmony
|Tokyo Boys
|
|-
|Five
|The Shamrock
|
|-
|Blue Light Yokosuka
|Mi-ke
|
|-
|I want to Change the Times
|Rikuo
|
|-
|It's Strange
|ZARD
|
|-
|Silent Mobius~Sailing
|Tokyo Boys
|
|-
|Fairy Sketch
|Rie Sugimoto
|
|-
|Whistling Way Home
|PAN PAN HOUSE
|
|-
|Love only for You
|FLYING KIDS
|
|-
|Don't Look it for Anymore
|ZARD
|
|-
|I Want to Give to You a Merry X'Mas
|Masami Inoue
|
|-
|BLANCIN' LOVE
|Masaki Inoue
|
|-
|Merry Christmas to You
|Maeda Wataru
|
|-
|White 2 White-Reef
|Mi-Ke
|
|-
|rowspan=20|1992
|Yumemiru JACK & BETTY
|rowspan=3|The 5 Teardrops
|
|-
|Goodbye, I Love You
|
|-
|I am your Santa Claus
|
|-
|Room Y-Shirt and Me
|Ari Hiramatsu
|
|-
|Don't Stop Spring
|Nagasawa Gijuku
|
|-
|Sad Teddy Boy
|Mi-Ke
|
|-
|Let's Sing a Song
|Important MAN Brothers Band
|
|-
|Surffing Japan
|Mi-Ke
|
|-
|SHULABA LA BAMBA
|Southern All Stars
|
|-
|Let's Dance Unitl Morning
|Mi-Ke
|
|-
|Magic Railway
|rowspan=3|Reimi
|
|-
|OCEAN
|
|-
|Last Fragance
|
|-
|I Have No Choice to Laugh
|Airi Hiramatsu
|
|-
|Let's Laugh
|BOO WHO WOO
|
|-
|Monkey's Tail
|Nagasawa Gijuku
|
|-
|Wonder Girl
|Reimi
|
|-
|Like Blue Moon
|Mi-Ke
|
|-
|Yokahama Boy Style
|Coco
|
|-
|Daiseki, I Love You
|BOO WHO WOO
|
|-
|rowspan=8|1993
|The Reason Why Love is Wonderful
|Masami Inoue
|
|-
|I Want to Live Forever with You
|TO BE CONTINUED
|
|-
|Single is Best?
|Ari Hiramatsu
|
|-
|Good Luck Angel
|UP-BEAT
|
|-
|Variation
|Ari Hiramatsu
|
|-
|Just Look At
|Ozo Jinnouichi
|
|-
|Nice Birdy (NO BIRDY)
|rowspan=2|Southern All Stars
|
|-
|Erotica Seven
|
|-
|1995
|Cheers for You
|Nakayama Miho
|
|-
|rowspan=2|1996
|Ai no Uta
|YEN TOWN BAND
| Single by the band formed by Iwai's film Swallowtail Butterfly
|-
|Knit Cap Man
|Moonriders| Special music video in celebration of the 20th Anniversary of the band
|-
| 1997
| Mirror of the Sky|rowspan=2|Takako Matsu
|
|-
|1998
|Stay with Me|
|-
|2000
|Gilde|rowspan=3|Lily Chou-Chou
|rowspan=3|Songs by the band formed by Iwai's film All About Lily Chou-Chou|-
|rowspan=2|2001
|Resonance (Empty Stone)|-
|Wings that Can't Fly|-
|2007
|Kumuriota|Ai Otsuka
|
|-
|rowspan=2|2010
|Sakura no Shiori|AKB48
|
|-
|Fluffy|Yui Makino
|
|-
|rowspan=3|2012
|Unrequited Love|miwa
|
|-
|Flowers Bloom|Flowers Bloom Project|
|-
|Why Not?|Ari Hiramatsu
|
|-
|rowspan=3|2013
|Crusising of the Sea of TV|Hana Kuorki & Yuiko Kariya
|
|-
|Circle of the Thanks| Ayaka
|
|-
|HOME| Furukawa Honpo
|
|-
| 2014
|The Wind's Blowing| rowspan=2| Hec & Pascal
|
|-
|rowspan=2|2015
|Fish in the Pool|
|-
|Ainone| YEN TOWN BAND
| Animated music videoSingle by the band formed by Iwai's film Swallowtail Butterfly|-
|rowspan=6|2016
|Cosmology|Cocco
|
|-
|My Town| YEN TOWN BAND
|Single by the band formed by Iwai's film Swallowtail Butterfly|-
|Bowknot|Aimer
|
|-
|Echo, Kotadama|Bank Band
|
|-
| Your Favourite Color| Hec & Pascal
|
|-
|Miracle|Illon
|-
|rowspan=2|2017
|Forever Friends| DAOKO
|
|-
|Goodbye My Love|ShiorI Niyama
|
|-
|rowspan=5|2018
|urar|Chima
|rowspan=2|General Director
|-
|Step|Hitsuji Bungaku
|-
|Break These Chains|Heku and Pascal
|
|-
|Before the Star Falls|JY
|
|-
|Appearance|Alive Year|
|-
|2019
|Tired of Seeing the Unknown World|ikire
|
|-
|rowspan=8|2020
|Kaeru No Uta|rowspan=3|Nanana Mori
|-
|Nice to Meet You|
|-
|Kaeru No Uta ("Last Letter" movie version)|Music video for the single for Iwai's film Last Letter|-
|Little Lie|rowspan=5|ikire
|
|-
|Connect|
|-
|Beautiful|
|-
|Letter|
|-
|Aoi|
|-
|rowspan=8|2021
|Flowers Bloom 2021|Flowers Bloom Project
|
|-
|Even If We Can Meet in a Dream Music Issue ~for rooftop~|Alexandros
|
|-
|Take me Fantagen| Kyoko Koizumi
|
|-
|Tomorrow's hot water will boil tomorrow|Moeka Hoshi
|
|-
|A Monster That Wants To Be Enough|rowspan=4|ikire
|
|-
|Next Door Monster|
|-
|A Monster, Not a Dream|
|-
|Hikari|
|-
|2022
|Another Day Goes By|Lizabet
|
|}
Producer
Commercials
Director
Live concerts
Director
Bibliography
Novels
Love Letter (1995)Swallowtail Butterfly (1996)Wallace Mermaid (1997)All About Lily Chou-Chou (2001)Watchdog Protects the Garden (2012)Vampire (2012)A Bride for Rip Van Winkle (2015)The Kids who Wanted to See the Fireworks from Another Perspective (2017)Last Letter (2018)Last Summer of Zero (2021)Kyrie's Song (2023)
Original workThe Murder Case of Hana & Alice [Author: Outsuchi] (2015)Fireworks, Should We See It form the Side or the Bottom? [Author: Hitoshi Onne] (2017)
Graphic novelsLove Letter VOL.1/VOL.2 (1995)Storyboards of Swallowtail Butterfly VOL.1/VOL.2 (1996)Hana & Alice (2004)
Original workThe Murder Case of Hana & Alice [Manga: Seimei Doman] (2015)Fireworks, Should We See It form the Side or the Bottom? VOL.1/VOL.2 [Manga: Makoto Fugetsu] (2017)
Essays/Interviews booksTrash Basket Theatre (1997)Magic Launcher (1998) NOW and THEN: Shunji Iwai (1998)Film Makers (2001)Don't Spell Words Lighter than the Silence (2012)Shunji Iwai: From "Love Letter" to "Last Letter" to "Chifa's Letter" (2020)
Kei Meno's Art Book Just as it was Before He Wrote Words (2021)
Photo albums
LETTERS in "Love Letter" (1995)
"Undo" Photo Album (1995)
Scrap of "Yentown" (1996)
"Picnic" Photo Album (1996)
April Front April Story(1998)
"Hana & Alice" Photo Gallery (2004)
Haru Kuroki's photo collection of the movie A Bride for Rip Van Winkle
Audiobooks
Eraser (2021)
Awards
Unknown Child
1991 - Galaxy Award, Dranma dos Award.
Fireworks
1993 - Directors Guild of Japan New Directors Award
Undo
1995 - Berlin International Film Festival, Forum of new cinema, Netpac Award.
Picnic
1996 - Berlin International Film Festival, Forum of new cinema Prize of the Readers of the Berliner Zeitung.
Love Letter
Montreal World Film Festival Audience Award.
20th Houchi Cinema Award: Best Director.
8th Nikkan Sports Movie Award: Best Newcomer.
69th Kinema Junpo Best 10: Reader's poll for Directors.
50th Mainichi Movie Competition: Best Japanese Movie.
17th Yokohama Film Festival: Production Award, Director Award.
21st Osaka Film Festival: Production Award, Best New Director.
19th Academy Award in Japan: Best Production.
6th ACA Film Award: Best Film Production.
46th Arts Recommendations: Newcomer Award from the Ministry of Culture.
10th Takasaki Film Festival: Grand Prix of young directors.
Swallowtail Butterfly
1998 - Fant-Asia Film Festival, Best Asian Film.
April Story
1998 - Pusan International Film Festival, Audience Award.
All About Lily Chou-Chou
2002 - Berlin International Film Festival: The C.I.C.A.E. Panorama Prize.
2002 - 6th Shanghai International Film Festival: Special Jury Award / Best Music.
Hana & Alice
Best Actress: Yū Aoi, 2005 - Japanese Professional Movie Award
See also
Cinema of Japan
Notes
References
External links
1963 births
Japanese film directors
Japanese video artists
Living people
People from Sendai
Yokohama National University alumni