Directors Guild of Japan New Directors Award
Born in Ōita Prefecture, Yamamoto attended Meiji University but left early to concentrate on making independent 8mm films. His "Carnival in the Night" screened at the 1983 Berlin Film Festival and "Robinson's Garden" was given the Zitty Award at 1987 edition of the Berlinale. The latter film also earned him the Directors Guild of Japan New Directors Award. In 1998 he was given a research fellowship from Japan's Agency for Cultural Affairs to study in New York, during which time he set up screenings of his film "Junk Food" in America. Often filming those living on the margins of Japanese society, his film "Limousine Drive" was actually filmed in the United States. He has also acted in some films.