Known for Art
Born 1967 in Hiroshima, Japan, Hidefumi Hanatani (花谷秀文) is a Japanese art director. He has received numerous awards, including the 39th Japan Academy Film Prize for Best Art Direction for 125 Years Memory.
Born
July 18, 1967 (age 59)
Birthplace
Hiroshima, Japan
Filmography
38 films


Until We Meet Again
2026 · 2h 4m
country: Japan
After failing to land a job, Shimizu Misora stumbles into an internship at funeral company Bando Kaikan and trains under the strict but compassionate Urushibara Reiji. As she learns to care for the bereaved, her discouragement turns into admiration, and a new sense of purpose.


Hero's Island
2025 · 3h 11m
country: Japan
Set in post-war Okinawa, Japan, Gusuku had 3 close childhood friends: On, Yamako and On's younger brother Rei. On was the oldest of the group and he was like a leader to everybody else. He was also a heroic figure to them. On led his friends into the U.S. military base and they stole supplies to give away to the local residents. Everybody in the neighborhood praised On. One night, they entered the U.S. military based to steal supplies. During their raid, On was chased by U.S. soldiers and went missing. Years later, Gusuku now works as a police officer. Yamako is an elementary school teacher. Rei is a member of the yakuza. These three people are still unable to get over the disappearance of On. They chase after the truth behind On's disappearance and uncover a shocking answer.


Drawing Closer
2024 · 1h 59m
country: Japan
With only a year left to live, 17-year-old Akito finds new meaning in life by bringing joy to a terminally ill girl who has just six months remaining.


Dear Family
2024
country: Japan
Nobumasa Tsuboi (Yo Oizumi) runs a small factory in a small town. He has a daughter Yoshimi Tsuboi (Riko Fukumoto) who suffers from a congenital heart disease. A doctor tells Nobumasa Tsuboi that his daughter will only live for about 10 more years. Nobumasa Tsuboi is devastated that his daughter won't live past the ago of 20. Nobumasa Tsuboi and his wife Yoko Tsuboi (Miho Kanno) cannot accept the diagnosis. Even though he has no medical knowledge or experience, Nobumasa Tsuboi begins to study about artificial hearts.


In Love and Deep Water
2023 · 2h 7m
country: Japan
On a massive luxury cruise ship while at sea, the loyal butler and a mysterious woman cross paths as they try to uncover a murder-mystery that occurs on the ship.


I Was a "Secret Bitch"
2019 · 1h 52m
country: Japan
Hiromi is a 26-year-old single woman. She is popular with guys. Her hobby and specialty is getting men to like her using small talk and a shy persona. If a guy confesses his feelings for her, Hiromi leaves them. Hiromi's sharehouse mate Akira and her friend Aya blame Hiromi, calling her "Kakure Bitch" (a type of women who uses innocence to flirt with men). Hiromi does not care. One day, she takes an interest in Tsuyoshi, who works in the same office. She becomes to like him sincerely.


Fortuna's Eye
2019 · 1h 50m
country: Japan
Shinichiro Kiyama is completely alone in the world. One day, he realizes he possesses "Fortuna's Eye", an ability through which people whose death is drawing near appear transparent to him. It is a gift that torments him. Then he meets a cheerful, optimistic girl Aoi Kiryu who makes him feel at ease. Shinichiro develops feelings for her, but after a brief period of happiness, Aoi's body suddenly starts turning transparent.


Kids on the Slope
2018 · 2h
country: Japan
Two different students—a successful but aloof academic and a rebellious but kindhearted delinquent—form a friendship through their love of jazz music.


Magic Kimono
2017 · 1h 35m
country: Japan
The story of middle-aged Japanese woman Keiko, who has been living in a shell for decades due to a family tragedy in Kobe. The modest act of eating and the sensations it gives us provided Keiko a lifeline to survive. Unwillingly, she joins a group of Japanese women traveling to Northern Europe to participate in a kimono show in the fairytale-like art nouveau world of Riga. During her performance, Keiko suddenly comes face to face with her husband, who disappeared twenty years ago and now wants to read-dress their relationship and who Keiko has become.


My Teacher
2017 · 1h 53m
country: Japan
Hibiki Shimada, a normal 17-year-old high-school student, still does not know how to fall in love—although surrounded by love "experts"—until one day she realizes she's fallen in love with her hot and nice 26-year-old teacher, Itō. She then takes a path to make her teacher understand how she feels for him.


My Tomorrow, Your Yesterday
2016 · 1h 51m
country: Japan
Takatoshi Minamiyama majors in art at an university in Kyoto. On the train to the school, he sees Emi Fukuju and falls in love with her at first sight. Gathering up all his courage, he speaks to her. They begin to date and enjoy happy days together, but Emi reveals her secret to him.


Yell for the Blue Sky
2016 · 2h 6m
country: Japan
As a child, Ono Tsubasa saw a Shirato baseball game on TV and was amazed at the Trumpet player in the band playing. Now, in order to play the Trumpet, she enters Shirato High School. There, she meets Yamada Daisuke, a catcher for the baseball team. With each others support, they go towards their dream of playing at Koushien.


Maniac Hero
2016 · 1h 49m
country: Japan
Nakatsu was laid off at his company and now works part-time at a convenience store. One day, Nakatsu forms a vigilante group to protect his town with Toshida, who has a mysterious physical ability, Kanari, who is a female high school student with excellent information gathering abilities, and Kusaki, who wields hammers under his sleeves. As they punish evil doers, the group gains popular support and flourish.


125 Years Memory
2015 · 2h 12m
country: Japan
Two historical incidents that deepened the friendship between Japan and Turkey are connected in this story of friendship and compassion: In the night of 16 September 1890 the Turkish frigate Ertuğrul is caught up in a typhoon and sinks off the Japanese coast. Risking their own lives, local villagers are able to rescue 69 Turkish sailors. Although being very poor and having hardly to eat, the villagers share what little they have with strangers from a country 9,000 kilometers away. 95 years later, during the Iran-Iraq War, more than 300 Japanese are stranded in Tehran. In the morning of 19 March 1985 a Turkish Airlines aircraft takes off for Tehran to evacuate the Japanese. But the remaining Turks at Tehran Mehrabad Airport still need to be convinced that they won't be able to board their own country's rescue flight.


Have a Song on Your Lips
2015 · 2h 12m
country: Japan
A young piano prodigy, Yuri Kashiwagi, returns to her hometown after several years and joins a middle school to mentor the choir group.


Blue Spring Ride
2014 · 2h 2m
country: Japan
In middle school, Futaba Yoshioka was madly in love with Tanaka Kou but he moves away with his mother. She is reunited with him later in life but he is not the same person anymore.


Hot Road
2014 · 1h 59m
country: Japan
Teenager Kazuki Miyaichi has always felt unloved by her mother due the circumstances surrounding her birth. Because she harbors anxiety and perceives herself as being worthless to others, she engages in acts of juvenile delinquency. One day, a transfer student from Yokohama named Eri introduces her to Hiroshi Haruyama, a reckless youth who’s a member of the “Nights” motorcycle gang. Kazuki finds herself increasingly drawn to Hiroshi over time, but he soon becomes leader of the Nights and gets caught up in a conflict with a rival gang.


The Girl in the Sun
2013 · 2h 8m
country: Japan
A new salesman named Kosuke Okuda happens to meet Mao Watarai, a friend from his middle school days. Back then, Mao was called stupid and bullied, but now she is an attractive woman. Kosuke and Mao fall in love and decide to marry, but Mao has a secret.


Until the Break of Dawn
2012 · 2h 9m
country: Japan
High school student Ayumi is trained by his grandmother to act as a "tsunagu," an intermediary for people who want to reach the dead.


We Were There: First Love
2012 · 2h 3m
country: Japan
We Were There follows the 10 year romance between Motoharu Yano & Nanami Takahashi. During their high school days, Motoharu Yano was the most popular boy in school, but can't get over the death of his girlfriend from a car crash. Nanami Takahashi falls in love with Motoharu Yano and must deal with his inability to let go of the past.


The Lady Shogun and Her Men
2010 · 1h 56m
country: Japan
In the year 1716 a mysterious epidemic stickens men in the country of Japan, dropping the population of men to 1/4th of its prior state. With the drastic reduction of men, the gender roles have become reversed in Japan. Woman become the dominant members of society and males are sought out for the ability to produce children. A young man named Unoshin Mizuno hopes to marry childhood sweetheart Onobu, but due to class differences realizes this is almost impossible. To raise his social status and also save his poor family, Unoshin Mizuno enters the Ohoku (inner chambers of the Shugun's castle) and attempts to vie among 3,000 other men for the affection of the female shogun. What Unoshin Mizuno quickly learns about the Ohoku is that the men there are all beautiful, but highly ambitious and conniving. In this environment, the 7th shogun Tokugawa passes away and the new shogun Yoshimune Tokugawa takes the thrown and enters the Ohoku.


Box!
2010 · 2h 6m
country: Japan
A shy high school student meets his childhood friend, who moved away years earlier, and who encourages him to join their school's boxing club.


The Vulture
2009 · 2h 14m
country: Japan
A Japanese company is being targeted by a Chinese financial group that takes advantage of weak and struggling firms - in other words, a vulture. A Japanese financier/former vulture Masahiko Washizu is recruited to fight the threat.


Gravity's Clowns
2009 · 1h 58m
country: Japan
On the outset, the Okunos seem like a normal happy family with father Tadashi and his two bright sons, genetics researcher Izumi and artsy Haru. When a series of arson attacks strike the neighborhood, clues left at the crime scenes seem to be somehow related to the Okunos. Izumi and Haru try to get to the bottom of mystery, slowly unveiling a tragic family secret that has come back to haunt them.


Cheer Cheer Cheer!
2008 · 1h 54m
country: Japan
Momoko (Yui Aragaki) is a quiet and lonely high school girl who's only passion is to cheer traditional cheer squad, but all she could gather were good for nothing guys, who could not find places in school. They start the cheer squad with a disaster, but when they finally find the true meaning of "cheering" someone, their passion becomes power and gives strength to those that are cheered.


Smile
2007 · 2h 4m
country: Japan
Heartwarming human drama about a former tap dancer who trades in his tap shoes to woo a figure skating instructor. But by a twist of fate, he finds himself coaching a local ice hockey team of hapless youths and leading them to a championship


Letters from Nirai Kanai
2005 · 1h 53m
country: Japan
Fuki who lives with her grandfather Shoei in Taketomi Island, Okinawa, dreams of becoming a photographer. In her childhood, her mother Masami left Fuki to live in Tokyo. Although Masami has not come back, Fuki receives birthday cards from Masami every year on her birthday. On Fuki's fourteenth birthday, Masami promises to confess everything when Fuki becomes 20 years old. After her graduation from high school, Fuki moves to Tokyo to work as a camera assistant. Fuki starts off her hectic life in Tokyo, and soon, her nineteenth birthday comes. As usual, she receives a birthday card from Masami. A year later...


Paradise Sea
1998 · 1h 30m
country: Japan
Japanese drama set in a southern Kyushu island where dance-troupe leader Shinji (Shinji Arano) stays on as his touring troupe departs. After Shinji moves in with an old man (Nobuyoshi Tanigawa) cared for by his granddaughter (Reiko Matsuo), he becomes an apprentice to the old man's construction of a wooden boat


Yoi Ko to Asobou
1994 · 43m
country: Japan
Five junior high school students in the city enjoy stealing as a game to pass the time. One day, a mysterious masked man suddenly appears in front of them and attacks them.


Talking Head
1992 · 1h 45m
country: Japan
After the director of a film in production dissappears, his replacement has to deal with the cast and crew being mysteriously killed off one by one.