Yōjirō Takita (滝田 洋二郎 Takita Yōjirō, born December 4, 1955) is a Japanese filmmaker. Takita received an Oscar for Best Foreign Language Film for his 2008 drama Departures. It marked the first time a Japanese film won the award after the category first became competitive in 1957.

Career

Yōjirō Takita entered the film industry through Mukai Productions, where he served as an assistant director. Takita first came to prominence with the long-running, popular light-comic pink film Molester's Train (痴漢電車) series, started by Shin'ya Yamamoto in 1975, and which Takita began directing in 1982 at Shintōhō Eiga. Later, for the Nikkatsu studio, Takita filmed similar Molester's films as part of that studio's Roman Porno line. Molester's School Infirmary (1984), Molester's Tour Bus (1985) and Molester's Delivery Service (1986) are some of these titles. Takita's 1986 mainstream comedy, No More Comic Magazines! received critical praise, and he has produced several popular films since then. Yomiuri Shimbun writes that Takita's films usually have, "a warm tenderness, reflecting his bright and upbeat personality". In 2001, he directed Onmyoji, an original work by Baku Yumemakura. It became an international hit and received a prize at The Neuchâtel International Fantastic Film Festival in 2002. He directed Onmyoji 2 in 2003. His 2008 film Departures (おくりびと) won the Best Foreign Language Film at the U.S. 81st Academy Awards. He also won the 2009 Japan Academy Prize for Director of the Year, among other accolades, for the film.

Filmography as director

Pink Films

Filmography as assistant director