is a Japanese filmmaker, video artist, editor, and composer.
Life and career Iwai was born in Sendai, Miyagi, Japan. He attended Yokohama National University, graduating in 1987.
In 1988, he started out in the Japanese entertainment industry by directing TV dramas and music videos. In 1993, his television drama, Fireworks, brought him critical praise and the Directors Guild of Japan New Directors Award for his portrayal of a group of children in the town of Iioka.
In 1995, he went on to start his career in feature films, starting with the box-office hit Love Letter, in which he cast pop singer Miho Nakayama in dual roles. Love Letter also launched the film career of Miki Sakai who won a Japanese Academy Award as 'Newcomer of the Year' for her portrayal of Itsuki Fujii as a young girl. Iwai collaborated with cinematographer Noboru Shinoda to produce a film praised for its evocative winter cinematography. Love Letter made an impact in other east Asian countries too, notably South Korea where the film's success helped break down the post-World War II barriers to Japanese films being shown there.
In 1996, came the commercial and critical success of Swallowtail Butterfly, a multifaceted story of the fictional Yen Town, a city of immigrants in search of hope and a better life with three separate and distinct main characters. Ageha (Ayumi Ito), an orphaned teenage girl, Glico (Chara), a prostitute turned pop star, and Feihong (Hiroshi Mikami), an immigrant who manages Glico's career and owns the Yen Town club. He also wrote the lyrics of a theme song for the film Swallowtail Butterfly (Ai no Uta) with Chara and Takeshi Kobayashi.
In 1998, Fine Line Features released Love Letter in the United States theatrically under the new title When I Close My Eyes; it was the first Iwai-directed film to be released in the United States theatrically.
Iwai enjoyed another kind of success with this film as well, having teamed up with Takeshi Kobayashi to create the music for the film and the Yen Town Band, headed by Pop star Chara. The band they created became a commercial hit in Japan. He would team up with Kobayashi again in 2001 for the harrowing high school drama All About Lily Chou-Chou. Kobayashi would create the music for the titular pop star, Lily Chou-Chou (voiced by Japanese singer Salyu), that is spread through the film, and later be released as an album entitled Kokyu (Breathe). Kobayashi also composed much of the soundtrack, incorporating the music of Claude Debussy, in particular Clair de lune.
In 2002, he released a short, ARITA, in which he composed his own film score for the first time. In 2004 Iwai released Hana & Alice, his first comedy. He once again composed the film score himself.
In 2006, he directed a commercial airing in Japan featuring Matsu Takako, whom he has not worked with since 1998.
October 2006 saw the Iwai-produced film Rainbow Song released in Japan. The film was directed by Naoto Kumazawa and was written by Ami Sakurai. It stars previous Iwai actors Hayato Ichihara, Yū Aoi and Shoko Aida. Also in 2006, Iwai spent time documenting and interviewing Kon Ichikawa while filming The Inugamis (Inugamike no ichizoku) to create a feature-length documentary about the director's life.
A more recent project, a piece he wrote about the Japanese indie rock scene in the early 1990s called Bandage, was released on January 16, 2010. Apart from being in charge of the music production, Bandage represents Takeshi Kobayashi's first time as a movie director."Keisha Castle-Hughes, Kristin Kreuk join Iwai Shunji's Vamprie" The project was originally taken by Ryuhei Kitamura, but was dropped in 2006. The filming started in 2008 and Kobayashi chose a completely different cast for the movie, casting J-pop singer Jin Akanishi and Kie Kitano for the main roles. It also included other actors who have worked with Iwai before, such as Ayumi Ito and Hideyuki Kasahara.http://bandage-movie.jp/ Bandage Official site The release of the horror film Vampire marked his English-language film debut.First Report, Images from Iwai Shunji's 'Vampire'
Filmography Film Year Title Director Writer Producer Editor Composer Notes 1995 Love Letter 1996 Picnic Arcri Swallowtail Butterfly 1998 April Story 2001 All About Lily Chou-Chou 2004 Hana & Alice Based on his short-film series of the same title 2006 Rainbow Song 2009 Halfway Also executive producer Baton 2010 Bandage 2011 Vampire Also cinematographer 2012 I Have to Buy New Shoes Also director of photography and executive producer 2013 Far Away, So Close 2015 The Case of Hana & Alice Animated prequel of Hana and Alice 2016 A Bride for Rip Van Winkle Also based on his novel 2018 Last Letter Chinese adaptation of his novelAlso executive producer2020 Last Letter Japanese adaptation of his novel The 12 Day Tale of the Monster that Died in 8 Also cinematographer, monster design and musical producer 2023 Kyrie Also based on his novel Acting roles M.B. Movie (1987) Shiki-Jitsu (2000), main role as "The Director" Ribbon (2021) From the End of the World (2023)
Executive producer Cities in Love (2015)
Short film Year Title Director Writer Editor Composer Notes 1994 Undo 1996 Knit Cap Man Short music videoclip to commemorate the 20th Anniversary of the band Moonriders1998Ikieta Nobunanga Short film within his film April Story 2002 ARITA Segment of Jam Films 2008Segment 3 Segment of the anthology film New York, I Love You Early independent films Year Title1982KajitshuoYubari SonataRequiemWhite Country, Summer Country1984Lemu (Rainy Day Labrinth)1986Mina's LegendHana1987Buro Popins Pocky PoppinsIndy Poppins Candy Poppins
Documentaries Year Title Director Writer Editor Notes 1999 Fireworks, Should We See It from the Side or the Bottom? Making-of documentary of his short film Fireworks (1993) Rockwell Eyes: Staff2002 Triumphal March and 30 Days of Their Own Documentary about the Japan national football team for Japan Football Association Shunji Iwai's WorksAlso producer All About "All About Lily Chou-Chou" Making-of documentary of his film All About Lily Chou-Chou Rockwell Eyes: Staff 2006 The Kon Ichikawa Story Documentary about Kon Ichikawa on the making of his last film The InugamisAlso composer
Making-of appearances YEN TOWN (1996) Once Upon a Time Returning to my Hometown (2000) All About "All About Lily Chou-Chou" (2001) Filming Hana & Alice (2004) Anno-San and Our Reckless Challenge: Japan Animator Expo (2015)
Television Year Title Director Writer Editor Notes1988Miko Morikahua: The DocumentTV Documentary Special1989Idol AquariumTV Special1990What is Bunchin Story?TV Documentary SpecialSeikimatsu Utahime AquariumTV Special1991 Unknown Child TV horror drama for Kansai TV's DRAMA DOS; available on Initial: the Shunji Iwai Collection DVD The Man Who Came to Kill available on Initial: the Shunji Iwai Collection DVD1992 Ghost Soup available on Initial: the Shunji Iwai Collection DVD Maria TV drama; available on Initial: the Shunji Iwai Collection DVD A Tin of Crab Meat Fuji TV's third series of Tales of the Unusual; available on Initial: the Shunji Iwai Collection DVD A Summer Solstice Story available on Initial: the Shunji Iwai Collection DVD Omelette TV special for Fuji TV's La Cuisine; available on Initial: the Shunji Iwai Collection DVD1993Jocx Midnight Music AestheticsTV Special Fireworks, Should We See It from the Side or the Bottom? Television play Fried Dragon Fish Final TV special for Fuji TV's La Cuisine; available on Initial: the Shunji Iwai Collection DVD The King of Snow TV drama; available on Initial: the Shunji Iwai Collection DVD 1994 Lunatic Love TV drama; available on Initial: the Shunji Iwai Collection DVD 2011 Friends After 3.11 Documentary that explores the aftermath of Japan's 2011 earthquake and tsunamiAlso producer and received a theatrical release in 20122014Mysterious Transfer Student Miniseries2017 A Bride for Rip Van Winkle: The Serial Edition Extended version of his film "A Bride for Rip Van Winkle" adapted into a miniseriesAlso based on his novel
TV appearances Friends After 3.11 (2011) The movie continues to sound the alarm to the world (2012) Shunji Iwai Film Festival Presents My Little Film Festival (2012) Scola Ryuichi Sakamoto School of Music <Movie Music Edition> (2013) Shunji Iwai MOVIE LAB (2015–2016) 3.26 "Rip Van Winkle's Bride" Commemorative 24-hour Whole Shunji Iwai (2016) YEN TOWN BAND ・ Lily Chou-Chou Project ~Yento Space in Inujima~ (2016) Nobuhiko Obayashi Film Festival! ～Flower basket flower language What I want to pass on now. Nobuhiko Obayashi x Shunji Iwai x Takako Tokiwa Special Trial Talk (2017) Under this sky that two people can see Makoto Shinkai x Shunji Iwai (2020) Let's change the future with movies ~ A message from Nobuhiko Obayashi to four directors (2020) Close-up Gendai + Asked about "the power to change the future"-A testament from Nobuhiko Obayashi (2020)
Online short films Year Title Director Writer Editor Notes2003Hana and AliceShort webseries later adapted into a feature length-film of the same nameAlso producer and composer 2014Town Workers Short animated webseries2017Chang-Ok's Letters Short miniseries commissioned by NestléAlso composerHalfway Road Also composer2018Wish Upon a Star Short webseriesEdited Episode 3: "1 Hour for a Shooting Star"2019Little Letter Short film commissioned by Nestlé2020The 12 Day Tale of the Monster that Died in 8Short webseries later adapted into a feature length-film of the same name Also cinematographerEven If I Could Find You In My DreamsAlso cinematographer 2023Lemon Dream
Producer only Koibana-Watermelon and adhesive plaster (2009) HaraI Monogatari: "One Night in Chengdu" (2013) HaraI Monogatari: "Grandpa's Secret" (2013) HaraI Monogatari: "Sayonara Hot Pot" (2013)
Music videos Director