Takashi Miike (Film director)

Takashi Miike is a Japanese film director from Osaka.

In the past, Miike had been known for churning out a prolific number of low-budget genre movies and original videos which combine comedy with extreme violence. However, his latest films have mostly been projects for major studios with more mainstream appeal.

Even so, Miike continues to maintain a very busy shooting schedule and typically directs several major films each year with very few breaks between projects.

Native name: 三池崇史 (MIIKE Takashi)
Occupation: Film director
Birthplace: Yao, Osaka
Born: August 23, 1960 (age 55)
Debuted: 1991

Filmography as director

Year	Movie
2015	Yakuza Apocalypse: The Great War Of The Underworld
2014	As the Gods Will
2014	Over Your Dead Body
2013	The Mole Song: Undercover Agent Reiji
2013	Shield of Straw
2012	Lesson of Evil
2012	For Love’s Sake
2012	Ace Attorney
2011	Ninja Kids!!!
2011	Hara-Kiri: Death of a Samurai
2010	13 Assassins
2010	Zebraman 2: Attack on Zebra City
2009	Crows Zero II
2009	Yatterman
2008	God’s Puzzle
2007	Crows Zero
2007	Detective Story
2007	Sukiyaki Western Django
2007	Yakuza: Like a Dragon
2006	Sun Scarred
2006	Waru: Kanketsu-hen
2006	Imprint
2006	Waru
2006	Big Bang Love, Juvenile A
2005	The Great Yokai War
2004	IZO
2004	Zebraman
2003	One Missed Call
2003	The Negotiator
2003	Yakuza Demon
2003	Gozu
2003	The Man in White
2002	Deadly Outlaw: Rekka
2002	Shangri-La
2002	Kumamoto Monogatari
2002	Takashi Miike’s Graveyard of Honor
2002	Sabu
2001	The Happiness of the Katakuris
2001	Agitator
2001	Ichi the Killer
2001	Family 2
2001	Visitor Q
2001	Family
2000	Dead or Alive 2: Birds
2000	The Guys From Paradise
2000	The City of Lost Souls
1999	White Collar Worker Kintaro
1999	Dead or Alive
1999	Audition
1999	Silver
1999	Ley Lines
1998	Young Thugs: Nostalgia
1998	Blues Harp
1998	Andromedia
1998	The Bird People In China
1997	Full Metal Yakuza
1997	Rainy Dog
1997	Jingi Naki Yabou 2
1997	Young Thugs: Innocent Blood
1996	Fudoh: The New Generation
1996	The Way to Fight
1996	Peanuts: Rakkasei
1996	Jingi Naki Yabou
1996	Shin Daisan no Gokudo II
1996	Shin Daisan no Gokudo: Boppatsu Kansai Gokudo Senso
1995	Shinjuku Triad Society
1995	Osaka Tough Guys
1995	Bodyguard Kiba: Combat Apocalypse 2
1995	Daisan no Gokudo
1994	Bodyguard Kiba: Combat Apocalypse
1994	Shinjuku Outlaw
1993	Oretachi wa tenshi ja nai 2
1993	Oretachi wa tenshi ja nai
1993	Bodyguard Kiba
1992	A Human Murder Weapon
1991	Red Hunter: Prelude to Murder
1991	Eyecatch Junction

Filmography as writer

Year	Movie
2012	Lesson of Evil
2007	Sukiyaki Western Django
2005	The Great Yokai War

Filmography as actor

Year	Movie	Role
2005	The Neighbor No. Thirteen	Kaneda
2004	Otakus in Love
2003	Last Life in the Universe	Yakuza
2002	Ichi the Killer: Episode Zero	Kakihara
2002	Takashi Miike’s Graveyard of Honor	Restaurant gunman
2001	Agitator	Shinozaki
1997	Young Thugs: Innocent Blood	Man getting beaten up by Riichi
1996	The Way to Fight	Stabbing victim
1995	Another Lonely Hitman	Drug dealer
1989	Black Rain	factory worker

Latest news

New image from Takashi Miike's "Yakuza Apocalypse"

Today a new image was released from Takashi Miike's upcoming gangster/vampire movie Yakuza Apocalypse: The Great War Of The Underworld (Gokudo Daisenso).The photo features a...

2 years ago
Sota Fukushi to star in Takashi Miike’s “Kamisama no Iutoori”

On Friday it was announced that Takashi Miike is directing a live-action film adaptation of the popular manga Kamisama no Iutoori. Sota Fukushi (20) will star alongside Hirona Yamazaki (19) and...

2 years ago
Junya Shiraishi and Ryohei Suzuki to star in “Higanjima” TV drama

Yesterday it was announced that Shunya Shiraishi (23) and Ryohei Suzuki (30) will co-star in a Higanjima, a late-night TV drama airing on TBS from October.The show is based on a popular survival...

3 years ago
Kou Shibasaki to co-star in Takashi Miike’s new "Yotsuya Kaidan" film

Film company Toei has revealed that Kou Shibasaki will co-star in Takashi Miike’s Shin-Yotsuya Kaidan, a new theatrical spin on the classic horror tale of betrayal and ghostly vengeance.Back in...

3 years ago
Tom Hardy to star in Takashi Miike’s English-language film “The Outsider” (UPDATE)

Deadline.com is reporting that actor Tom Hardy will star in The Outsider, an upcoming English-language film produced by Silver Pictures which Takashi Miike is currently in negotiations to...

3 years ago
Takashi Miike and Ebizo Ichikawa team up again for new "Yotsuya Kaidan"

On Tuesday it was announced that Takashi Miike will direct Shin-Yotsuya Kaidan, a new adaptation of one of the most famous Japanese ghost stories of all time. It was also revealed that kabuki actor...

3 years ago
Takashi Miike and Kankuro Kudo team up for live-action “Mogura no Uta” movie starring Toma Ikuta

On Monday in Japan it was revealed that Takashi Miike will be directing a live-action adaptation of Noboru Takahashi’s popular manga Mogura no Uta and 28-year-old actor Toma Ikuta will star.Ikuta...

3 years ago
More cast members revealed for Takashi Miike’s "Lesson of Evil"

Today more cast members were announced for Takashi Miike’s upcoming psychological thriller, Lesson of Evil (Aku no Kyoten).Most notably, Fumi Nikaido and Shota Sometani will once again appear...

4 years ago
Japanese movies at Cannes 2012

The 65th Cannes International Film Festival lineup has been announced, and although the list is a little light on Asian entries in general, Japan will be represented.Just a few days ago, Takashi...

4 years ago
New special video for Takashi Miike’s "For Love’s Sake"

Over the past two years, director Takashi Miike has hosted a series of live interview events to help promote upcoming movies. On Wednesday, he hosted one for his own movie, For Love’s Sake at...

4 years ago
Takashi Miike to direct "Lesson of Evil" starring Hideaki Ito

Takashi Miike is set to direct a film adaptation of Yusuke Kishi’s bestselling 2010 novel Lesson of Evil (Aku no Kyoten).The movie will star Hideaki Ito in a role quite a bit darker than what...

4 years ago
Trailer for Takashi Miike’s “13 Assassins” premieres on TV Asahi

On Sunday at 9:00pm, a 3-minute trailer for Takashi Miike's upcoming remake of 13 Assassins (Jūsan-nin no Shikaku) premiered on TV Asahi's "Nichiyo Yoga Gekijo" (Sunday Western Theater). The...

6 years ago
Takashi Miike directing live-action “Nintama Rantaro”

Earlier today it was announced that the NHK anime series “Nintama Rantaro” will be made into a live-action film directed by Takashi Miike. Miike of course has recent experience adapting a...

6 years ago
Press conference held for “Zebraman 2: Attack on Zebra City”

On October 19th, a press conference was held at Grand Prince Hotel Akasaka to announce production of Zebraman 2: Attack on Zebra City (Zebraman: Zebra City no Gyakushu). Show Aikawa was on the...

7 years ago
Review: Yatterman

Growing up in the 80s, there were a few Americanized imports of Japanese cartoons that captured my imagination as a kid; Voltron (1984-1985), Robotech (1985), G-Force: Guardians of Space (1986), and...

7 years ago
Review: God’s Puzzle (Kamisama no Puzzle)

For all you fervent Takashi Miike completionists out there who get upset that only most of his films get released in the west and not of all of them (yet), I offer up God’s Puzzle as irrefutable...

7 years ago
Takashi Miike directing live-action “Takeru”

Takashi Miike has signed on to direct a live-action film version of Buichi Terasawa’s digital manga, “Takeru”. The film is said to have a budget of $30m and producer Yoshiya Nagasawa is...

7 years ago
Takashi Miike remaking “Thirteen Assassins”

Takashi Miike is set to remake Eiichi Kudo's 1963 samurai film Thirteen Assassins (Jūsan-nin no Shikaku) for Toho and London-based HanWay Films. HanWay will be introducing buyers to the project...

7 years ago
Review: Crows Zero

Aside from “Be-bop High School”, Hiroshi Takahashi’s “Crows” is probably the most well-known juvenile delinquent shonen (boys’) manga in Japan. Therefore, making a live-action film...

7 years ago
Calling all skinheads, “Crows Zero II” is in need of your services

Any sort of info on Takashi Miike’s Crows Zero II has been slow to trickle out because it’s still so early in the production process, but a casting call was recently posted which gives away at...

8 years ago
Takashi Miike tries to make “God’s Puzzle” more accessible for us dummies

Takashi Miike’s new film, God’s Puzzle (Kamisama no Puzzle) opens in Japan this Saturday and I’m still having trouble wrapping my head around what it’s actually about. That puts me in good...

8 years ago
Details on Takashi Miike’s upcoming TV Tokyo drama “Keitai Sousankan 7”

TV Tokyo has a 51-episode drama entitled Keitai Sousakan 7 (Cellphone Investigation 7) in the works, with Takashi Miike serving as supervising director. Some of the other directors involved in the...

8 years ago
TV commercial for Miike’s Zatoichi stage play

I posted this commercial yesterday thinking it was just an advertisement for Takashi Miike’s Zatoichi stage play starring Show Aikawa. But it turns out it’s actually going to be broadcast in high...

8 years ago
Review: Imprint

Imprint was originally slated to be the 13th episode of season one of Showtime’s Masters of Horror series. The idea was to get some of the most influential horror directors of the past few decades...

10 years ago
Review: Ichi the Killer

Chances are if you’re a fan of the “new wave” of Japanese cinema you’ve at least heard of Ichi the Killer. Riding on the heels of the relative successes of Ring and Audition in the west,...

10 years ago
Review: IZO

First off, a little background info. IZO is based on real-life historical figure Okada Izo (1832–1865), who was was a poor swordsman that dreamed of becoming a respected samurai but didn’t even...

10 years ago