Yuya Ishii

Yuya Ishii is a Japanese film director, writer, editor, producer and actor best known for his 2013 movie The Great Passage for which he won best director at the 2013 Japanese Academy Awards.

Sawako Decides (2010)

After 5 years in Tokyo, 5 part-time jobs, 5 boyfriends, Sawako's life is going nowhere. When her father gets seriously ill, she has to take over his struggling factory. Gradually she becomes the decider of her own life.  (more)

DIRECTION:  Yuya Ishii
CAST:  Hikari Mitsushima  •  Kotaro Shiga  •  Ryo Iwamatsu  •  Kira Aihara

After 5 years in Tokyo, 5 part-time jobs, 5 boyfriends, Sawako's life is going nowhere. When her father gets seriously ill, she has to take over his struggling factory. Gradually she becomes the decider of her own life.  (more)

DIRECTION:  Yuya Ishii
CAST:  Hikari Mitsushima  •  Kotaro Shiga  •  Ryo Iwamatsu  •  Kira Aihara

The Great Passage (2013)

Majime, an eccentric man in publishing company, who has unique ability of words, joins the team that will compile a new dictionary, ‘The Great Passage.’ In the eclectic team, he becomes immersed in the world of dictionaries. But the team is overwhelmed with ...  (more)

DIRECTION:  Yuya Ishii
CAST:  Ryuhei Matsuda  •  Aoi Miyazaki  •  Joe Odagiri  •  Haru Kuroki

Majime, an eccentric man in publishing company, who has unique ability of words, joins the team that will compile a new dictionary, ‘The Great Passage.’ In the eclectic team, he becomes immersed in the world of dictionaries. But the team is overwhelmed with ...  (more)

DIRECTION:  Yuya Ishii
CAST:  Ryuhei Matsuda  •  Aoi Miyazaki  •  Joe Odagiri  •  Haru Kuroki

Mitsuko Delivers (2011)

Mitsuko is 24, heavily pregnant and estranged from the American father of her child. Her parents believe she is happy and successful in America and are unaware that she has secretly returned to Tokyo. Making the biggest decisions on the slightest whim, she moves ...  (more)

DIRECTION:  Yuya Ishii
CAST:  Riisa Naka  •  Aoi Nakamura  •  Ryo Ishibashi  •  Miyoko Inagawa

Mitsuko is 24, heavily pregnant and estranged from the American father of her child. Her parents believe she is happy and successful in America and are unaware that she has secretly returned to Tokyo. Making the biggest decisions on the slightest whim, she moves ...  (more)

DIRECTION:  Yuya Ishii
CAST:  Riisa Naka  •  Aoi Nakamura  •  Ryo Ishibashi  •  Miyoko Inagawa

Our Family (2014)

The emotional journey of a four-member family that fails to recognize that it is rapidly growing apart until the mother is diagnosed with terminal cancer.  (more)

DIRECTION:  Yuya Ishii
CAST:  Satoshi Tsumabuki  •  Mieko Harada  •  Sosuke Ikematsu  •  Kyōzō Nagatsuka

The emotional journey of a four-member family that fails to recognize that it is rapidly growing apart until the mother is diagnosed with terminal cancer.  (more)

DIRECTION:  Yuya Ishii
CAST:  Satoshi Tsumabuki  •  Mieko Harada  •  Sosuke Ikematsu  •  Kyōzō Nagatsuka

The Vancouver Asahi (2014)

In pre-WWII Vancouver, second-generation Japanese immigrants had it tough. Daily, they faced discrimination, hatred and injustice at the hands of their Caucasian counterparts. But one thing made their lives worth living: baseball. They may be the underdogs, but the ...  (more)

DIRECTION:  Yuya Ishii
CAST:  Satoshi Tsumabuki  •  Kazuya Kamenashi  •  Ryo Katsuji  •  Yusuke Kamiji

In pre-WWII Vancouver, second-generation Japanese immigrants had it tough. Daily, they faced discrimination, hatred and injustice at the hands of their Caucasian counterparts. But one thing made their lives worth living: baseball. They may be the underdogs, but the ...  (more)

DIRECTION:  Yuya Ishii
CAST:  Satoshi Tsumabuki  •  Kazuya Kamenashi  •  Ryo Katsuji  •  Yusuke Kamiji

A Man with Style (2011)

Miyata lost his wife early on and single-handedly raised their two children. One day he notices a change in his physical condition, and decides that it must be stomach cancer.  (more)

DIRECTION:  Yuya Ishii
CAST:  Tomorowo Taguchi  •  Tatsuya Fujiwara  •  Ken Mitsuishi  •  Shota Sometani

Miyata lost his wife early on and single-handedly raised their two children. One day he notices a change in his physical condition, and decides that it must be stomach cancer.  (more)

DIRECTION:  Yuya Ishii
CAST:  Tomorowo Taguchi  •  Tatsuya Fujiwara  •  Ken Mitsuishi  •  Shota Sometani

Sachiko and her Homely Angels (2010)

A girl dreams of angels.  (more)

DIRECTION:  Yuya Ishii
CAST: 

A girl dreams of angels.  (more)

DIRECTION:  Yuya Ishii
CAST: 

To Walk Beside You (2009)

A 17-year-old country boy named Norio decides his only option is to follow his late parents’ example and commit suicide. After failing even at that, his 34-year-old English teacher Akemi convinces him that he should instead move to Tokyo with her and become a ...  (more)

DIRECTION:  Yuya Ishii
CAST:  Toshiki Fujikawa  •  Sachiko Katsumata  •  Tomoya Maeno  •  Maki Meguro

A 17-year-old country boy named Norio decides his only option is to follow his late parents’ example and commit suicide. After failing even at that, his 34-year-old English teacher Akemi convinces him that he should instead move to Tokyo with her and become a ...  (more)

DIRECTION:  Yuya Ishii
CAST:  Toshiki Fujikawa  •  Sachiko Katsumata  •  Tomoya Maeno  •  Maki Meguro

Song of 198x (2009)

Short film about youth in the 80s.  (more)

DIRECTION:  Yuya Ishii
CAST: 

Short film about youth in the 80s.  (more)

DIRECTION:  Yuya Ishii
CAST: 

The Tokyo Night Sky Is Always the Densest Shade of Blue (2017)

Mika works as a nurse by day; by night she entertains covetous men at a girls’ bar. Shinji is blind in one eye and ekes out a living as a construction worker. Young and grown-up at the same time, they both lead a lonely existence, but somehow their paths keep ...  (more)

DIRECTION:  Yuya Ishii
CAST:  Shizuka Ishibashi  •  Sosuke Ikematsu  •  Ryuhei Matsuda  •  Mikako Ichikawa

Mika works as a nurse by day; by night she entertains covetous men at a girls’ bar. Shinji is blind in one eye and ekes out a living as a construction worker. Young and grown-up at the same time, they both lead a lonely existence, but somehow their paths keep ...  (more)

DIRECTION:  Yuya Ishii
CAST:  Shizuka Ishibashi  •  Sosuke Ikematsu  •  Ryuhei Matsuda  •  Mikako Ichikawa

The World of Machida-kun (2019)

High school boy Machida is a loner who is not particularly good at his studies or extracurricular activities. He does seem to have his heart in the right place however. When he is injured at school instead of the school nurse at the infirmary a school-mate tends to ...  (more)

DIRECTION:  Yuya Ishii
CAST:  Kanata Hosoda  •  Nagisa Sekimizu  •  Atsuko Maeda  •  Mitsuki Takahata

High school boy Machida is a loner who is not particularly good at his studies or extracurricular activities. He does seem to have his heart in the right place however. When he is injured at school instead of the school nurse at the infirmary a school-mate tends to ...  (more)

DIRECTION:  Yuya Ishii
CAST:  Kanata Hosoda  •  Nagisa Sekimizu  •  Atsuko Maeda  •  Mitsuki Takahata

When a Tree Falls (2019)

A young couple is devastated when their son is killed by a falling tree during a windstorm. As the distraught father begins to look for answers into his son’s death, what appears to be a tragic accident turns out to have been the result of multiple blunders by ...  (more)

DIRECTION:  Yuya Ishii
CAST:  Satoshi Tsumabuki  •  Mao Inoue  •  Masato Hagiwara  •  Yukiya Kitamura

A young couple is devastated when their son is killed by a falling tree during a windstorm. As the distraught father begins to look for answers into his son’s death, what appears to be a tragic accident turns out to have been the result of multiple blunders by ...  (more)

DIRECTION:  Yuya Ishii
CAST:  Satoshi Tsumabuki  •  Mao Inoue  •  Masato Hagiwara  •  Yukiya Kitamura

Girl Sparks (2007)

Saeko is a normal schoolgirl who just happen to witness two rockets collide in the sky one day. Finally, this is something out of the ordinary. She attends school, but it is dull. Life is boring. The teacher has other things on his mind. Her father stinks. Her ...  (more)

DIRECTION:  Yuya Ishii
CAST:  Ayuko Ikawa  •  Toshiaki Inomata  •  Satoshi Shiomi

Saeko is a normal schoolgirl who just happen to witness two rockets collide in the sky one day. Finally, this is something out of the ordinary. She attends school, but it is dull. Life is boring. The teacher has other things on his mind. Her father stinks. Her ...  (more)

DIRECTION:  Yuya Ishii
CAST:  Ayuko Ikawa  •  Toshiaki Inomata  •  Satoshi Shiomi

Bare-assed Japan (2008)

Taro, who recently graduated from high school, doesn't know what he wants to do. He rents a house and plot of land in the country-side determined to make a living in agriculture. His expectation is great as the girl he likes, Yoko, will also go with him, but his ...  (more)

DIRECTION:  Yuya Ishii
CAST:  Yuichi Toyone  •  Rumi Ninomiya  •  Tombo Katsura  •  Emi Makino

Taro, who recently graduated from high school, doesn't know what he wants to do. He rents a house and plot of land in the country-side determined to make a living in agriculture. His expectation is great as the girl he likes, Yoko, will also go with him, but his ...  (more)

DIRECTION:  Yuya Ishii
CAST:  Yuichi Toyone  •  Rumi Ninomiya  •  Tombo Katsura  •  Emi Makino

Of Monster Mode (2008)

A young man in a green Martian costume allows himself to be dragged hither and thither by a bossy housewife. In this way the film swerves between deceptively ordinary realism and a fantastic absurdism. The housewife Junko (Otori Rei) has started to behave ...  (more)

DIRECTION:  Yuya Ishii
CAST:  Satoshi Shiomi  •  Tatsuaki Hôjô  •  Miyoko Inagawa  •  Yuya Ishii

A young man in a green Martian costume allows himself to be dragged hither and thither by a bossy housewife. In this way the film swerves between deceptively ordinary realism and a fantastic absurdism. The housewife Junko (Otori Rei) has started to behave ...  (more)

DIRECTION:  Yuya Ishii
CAST:  Satoshi Shiomi  •  Tatsuaki Hôjô  •  Miyoko Inagawa  •  Yuya Ishii

The Asian Angel (2021)

Aoki is a failing novelist, and Sol is a failing pop singer. Encountering each other in South Korea, speaking different languages, they and their families somehow end up in a truck heading off into the Korean countryside.  (more)

DIRECTION:  Yuya Ishii
CAST:  Sosuke Ikematsu  •  Joe Odagiri  •  Choi Hee-seo  •  Kim Min-jae

Aoki is a failing novelist, and Sol is a failing pop singer. Encountering each other in South Korea, speaking different languages, they and their families somehow end up in a truck heading off into the Korean countryside.  (more)

DIRECTION:  Yuya Ishii
CAST:  Sosuke Ikematsu  •  Joe Odagiri  •  Choi Hee-seo  •  Kim Min-jae

All the Things We Never Said (2020)

Atsuhisa Yamada is an ordinary man, with a wife and a 5-year-old daughter. He is close to his childhood friend Takeda. One day, Atsuhisa Yamada leaves his office during work hours and goes back home early. There, he witnesses his wife and an unknown man having sex, ...  (more)

DIRECTION:  Yuya Ishii
CAST:  Taiga Nakano  •  Oshima Yuko  •  Park Jung-bum  •  Katsuya Maiguma

Atsuhisa Yamada is an ordinary man, with a wife and a 5-year-old daughter. He is close to his childhood friend Takeda. One day, Atsuhisa Yamada leaves his office during work hours and goes back home early. There, he witnesses his wife and an unknown man having sex, ...  (more)

DIRECTION:  Yuya Ishii
CAST:  Taiga Nakano  •  Oshima Yuko  •  Park Jung-bum  •  Katsuya Maiguma

Uta Monogatari: Cinema Fighters Project (2018)

Six Stories based on Six Songs.  (more)

DIRECTION:  Yuya Ishii  •  Isamu Hirabayashi  •  Momoko Ando  •  Daishi Matsunaga  •  Yuki Saito  •  Tsukasa Kishimoto
CAST:  Sho Aoyagi  •  Sei Ashina  •  Kumiko Aso  •  Masaya Kato

Six Stories based on Six Songs.  (more)

DIRECTION:  Yuya Ishii  •  Isamu Hirabayashi  •  Momoko Ando  •  Daishi Matsunaga  •  Yuki Saito  •  Tsukasa Kishimoto
CAST:  Sho Aoyagi  •  Sei Ashina  •  Kumiko Aso  •  Masaya Kato

A Madder Red (2021)

7 years ago, Yoichi died in a traffic accident. His wife Ryoko did not receive compensation from her husband's death. She has since raised her son Junpei by herself. Junpei is now a middle school student. Ryoko also cares for her father-in-law, who lives in a ...  (more)

DIRECTION:  Yuya Ishii
CAST:  Machiko Ono  •  Iori Wada  •  Yuki Katayama  •  Joe Odagiri

7 years ago, Yoichi died in a traffic accident. His wife Ryoko did not receive compensation from her husband's death. She has since raised her son Junpei by herself. Junpei is now a middle school student. Ryoko also cares for her father-in-law, who lives in a ...  (more)

DIRECTION:  Yuya Ishii
CAST:  Machiko Ono  •  Iori Wada  •  Yuki Katayama  •  Joe Odagiri