Takashi Miike

Takashi Miike has become synonymous with the promise of a unique onscreen experience, regardless of the genre. Highly prolific, Miike is credited with over 80 films since making his directorial debut in the early 90s.

Although his films are often associated with black humor, inventive violence and audacious style, Miike has shown his versatility in other genres: children's films (Zebraman), sensitive dramas (The Bird People in China), period pieces (Sabu) and even a horror musical (The Happiness Oof the Katauris).

Born in 1960 near Osaka, Miike harbored a passion for motorbike racing and a disdain for academics growing up. He attended the Yokohama Vocational School of Broadcast and Film and then worked for nearly a decade in television.

Miike became an assistant director in film to directors like Shohei Imamura and Hideo Onchi, and Japan's V-Cinema (direct to video) boom of the early 90s helped his break into directing his own films. For years, he alternated between V-Cinema and higher-budget productions.

In 2005, Miike directed Demon Pond, a Kabuki-style play. Miike has also occasionally appeared as an actor in his films as well as others', notably Eli Roth's Hostel.

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