Yōjirō Takita
In 1979, after the closing of his original Mukai Productions, Mukai started . The name "Shishi", meaning "Lion", was a pun on "4x4", indicating Mukai's ambition to foster the careers of 16 young directors. As producer, Mukai had an influence on the careers of the group of directors who came to prominence in the 1980s. Hisayasu Satō began working in the film industry through Shishi Productions in 1981, and had his directing debut there with (1985). He continued working with Mukai throughout the decade. Takahisa Zeze also gained his first film experience at Shishi, working as a screenwriter, and assistant directing for Satō. Through Shishi Productions Mukai gave Academy-Award-winning director Yōjirō Takita his first work in the film industry.