Takashi Yamazaki

Takashi Yamazaki (山崎 貴, Yamazaki Takashi, born June 12, 1964) is a Japanese filmmaker and visual effects supervisor. Known for his blockbusters with advanced visual effects, Yamazaki is considered a leading filmmaker in the Japanese film industry. He is the recipient of multiple accolades, including an Academy Award, eight Japanese Academy Awards, five Nikkan Sports Film Awards, two Hochi Film Awards, and an Asian Film Award. His films have collectively grossed over $523 million worldwide. Yamazaki developed an interest in filmmaking and visual effects after watching Star Wars and Close Encounters of the Third Kind (both 1977). Starting his career in the industry at Shirogumi in 1986, he later made his feature film debut with Juvenile (2000). After directing Returner (2002), Yamazaki gained recognition with his third film, Always: Sunset on Third Street (2005), which won twelve awards at the 29th Japanese Academy Awards. He then moved onto direct several film adaptations of popular anime, novels, and manga, including Space Battleship Yamato ()