The interview was conducted through the good offices of Total Stage Produce Inc.

Isao Yukisada is a prominent Japanese film director, screenwriter, and producer, born in 1968, in Kumamoto, Japan. He began his filmmaking career after studying at School of Imaging Technology in Japan (Toho Kakuen) where he developed his craft. Before stepping into the role of a director, Yukisada worked as an assistant director under Shunji Iwai, a highly respected filmmaker known for his poetic, emotionally rich films such as ‘Love Letter’ (1995) and ‘Swallowtail Butterfly’ (1996). His time working with Iwai helped him gain valuable insights into visual storytelling, pacing, and emotionally resonant character development, which would later become a hallmark of his own directing style.

Yukisada made his directorial debut with ‘Open House‘, a romantic drama about a woman navigating complex emotional relationships. The film was a relatively low-profile start to his career but set the foundation for his future works,...