Directors Guild of Japan New Directors Award
Born in Osaka Prefecture, Toyoda was first a prodigy in the game of shogi or Japanese chess. He attended the Japan Shogi Association's apprenticeship (Shōreikai) from age 9 with the aim of becoming a professional player. But his interest turned to film and he quit when he was 17. Moving to Tokyo at age 21, he began working with producer Genjirō Arato and director Junji Sakamoto, assisting the latter on the shogi-related film "Ōte", for which he helped pen the script. He debuted as a director with the film "Pornostar" in 1999, a film that earned him the Directors Guild of Japan New Directors Award. His career continued to rise through films like "Blue Spring" and "9 Souls", but he suffered a setback when he was arrested on drug charges just before "Hanging Garden" was released in 2005. He resumed directing with the 2009 film "The Blood of Rebirth".