Director Fujii is also the director of the popular AbemaTV drama "The Company Is Not a School." He has expanded his horizons beyond film to a variety of other genres. Director Fujii was so devoted to kendo that he practiced it 360 days a year until he was in high school. What did Director Fujii gain from kendo? We were able to hear his valuable story despite his busy schedule!

Profile
Michihito Fujii
Born in 1986.Born in Tokyo.
Graduated from the screenwriting course at Nihon University College of Art, Department of Film. Studied under screenwriter Kenji Aoki. Made his debut with "Oh! Father," based on the novel by Kotaro Isaka.
Since then, he has consistently released works such as "Phantom Limb" and "7s/Seventh." At the same time, he has also worked on advertising projects for the TV drama "Nostalgia," based on the novel by Kanae Minato, as well as Pokémon and American Express.
In 2017, he released the Netflix original series "Nobushi no Gourmet" (starring Naoto Takenaka and others) and "100 Million Yen Women" (starring Yojiro Noda of RADWIMPS and others).
Upcoming films include the Erina Mano film "Ao no Kaerimichi" and the Takayuki Yamada-produced film "Day and Night." "The Journalist" won three awards, including Best Picture at the 43rd Japan Academy Awards.

Sword ties in the entertainment industry

-You also practiced kendo at the dojo in Shibuya, right?
Fujii"I was a member of the Shibuya dojo for a short period of time. I was at the same dojo as actor Tasuku Emoto. When I met him on a drama last year, he asked me, 'Do you remember we were at the same dojo?' (laughs)"

-That's an amazing conversation (laughs). What was the reaction?
Fujii"I was surprised and said, 'Really?!'

I recently worked with his younger brother, Tokio Emoto, on the AbemaTV drama "The Company Is Not a School," and I also worked with his father, Akira Emoto, on "Oh Father," based on the novel by Kotaro Isaka. We have a connection."

-That's an interesting connection!
Fujii"I have met former kendo practitioners in the entertainment industry. One of them was Oishi-san, who was Okada Masaki's personal stylist at the time.

Nakamura Kazuto, who was the assistant producer for the recently released film "Bukkyo," also participated in the Inter-High School Championships while at Takanawa High School.

Kendo career

-There are many people involved in kendo in the entertainment industry! Could you tell us about your kendo history, Mr. Fujii?
Fujii"I have the impression that I gradually got weaker. I started kendo at the age of three, and attended Shudokan in Tokyo during my elementary and junior high school years, and when I was in the fifth grade of elementary school, I was the runner-up in the Tokyo tournament."

-Being the individual runner-up in Tokyo is an amazing achievement!
Fujii“In team matches, I was always the vanguard. The captain was my classmate, Nakamura Issei, who was a member of Takanawa High School that won the Inter-High School Championships.
When I went on to high school, I was fortunate enough to receive many scholarship offers, but most of the strong schools were boys' schools, so I had to turn them down (laughs). However, my dojo teacher was a graduate of Rissho High School, so I thought it was fate and decided to go to Rissho High School."

-That's an important issue during adolescence (laughs).
Fujii"In high school, the seniors in the year above me were really strong.Thanks to this, I was able to participate in the Kanto Tournament in my second year. My highest ranking in the Tokyo Tournament was the top four in the Autumn Freshman Tournament.For 360 days, it was like practicing kendo."

-So you competed in the Kanto Tournament in high school. You've achieved success in almost every age group! Why did you decide to become a film director when your life was immersed in kendo?
Fujii"I started watching movies every day when I was in high school. There was a TSUTAYA just a two-minute walk from my house, so it was the perfect environment for watching movies."

-When did you start thinking about becoming a film director?
Fujii"I think I started thinking about becoming a film director around my third year of high school. My father was a businessman, so I vaguely thought, 'I don't want to be a businessman.' I didn't think I could handle the lifestyle of getting up early in the morning and riding crowded trains."

-You went on to Nihon University College of Art.
Fujii"At university, I joined a film club and spent all my time making films.I'm a person who can only do one thing. Until I was 18, I only did kendo. From the age of 19 to 31, I only did filmmaking.I feel like I'm still working as an extension of my film club. The company I founded, BABEL LABEL, was created by gathering together friends from university."

-Starting a company right after graduating from university is an impressive feat!
Fujii"The company's management wasn't successful from the start. Now we have 25 employees, but at the time we had no money, no connections, and we were so focused on making films that we didn't know anything about management... There was a time when we were completely lost."

-I imagine you had some difficulties when you first started.
Fujii"I had zero know-how about running a company. That's how I started the company. It was full of ups and downs, but now a classmate of mine is running the company as president. I'm able to concentrate on creating my work."

-What kind of company is BABEL LABEL?
Fujii"We undertake all aspects of video production. We started out as a directors' company, but now we have six directors, so we do a lot of work as a commercial production company."

At the age of 27, he made his debut as a commercial film director.

Image source: BABEL LABEL (http://babel-pro.com/members/fujiimichihito/)

Fujii"I was 27 when Oh Father was released. At the time, I was working as a scriptwriter for a producer. I was about 23 when I wrote the script for Oh Father, and it was recognized by Kotaro Isaka, which led to my debut as a screenwriter. However, because of the earthquake disaster, I decided to wait a little while before making the film."

-You were originally planning to debut as a screenwriter.
Fujii"The story goes, the director stepped down six months before the release, and the offer suddenly came to me. I had directed many independent films, so I think the producer appreciated that kind of work."

-So you were prepared to respond if an opportunity arose.
Fujii"I made my debut as a commercial film director at the age of 26, but personally I have a lot to regret.
Of the 50 staff members, I am the third youngest. The cameraman is around 50 years old and a veteran. I didn't have the ability to bring such veterans together at 26 years old."

-It must be no easy task to bring together veterans who are more than twice your age...
Fujii"After directing 'Oh Father,' I intentionally stayed away from commercial films. I wanted to improve my skills by directing many independent films, and then do work that I could be satisfied with in commercial films."

- To make a big leap, you have to take a step back. Do you have any plans to direct major films in the future?
Fujii"Starting this year, I'll be doing more major work again."

-Having made many independent films, have you noticed anything?
Fujii"If I'm not in an environment where I can demonstrate my abilities, I won't be able to motivate the staff. I'm often asked to direct suddenly when there's little time, but I turn down those kinds of projects because I don't have any attachment to them.You can't motivate people unless you have beliefs, goals, and a vision. I think it's important to be prepared so that you can confidently say, "Follow me."'

-That's very encouraging! What specific skills does a film director need to have in terms of direction?
Fujii"It's the skill of being able to verbalize things like what color cup you need and how much water to pour into it.
Of course, everyone is human, so it's important to treat them in a way that makes them happy to be part of the Fujii Group. I didn't understand that at 26 years old."

-I see, that's very enlightening... The emotional aspect is very important, isn't it?
Fujii"Filmmaking is the process of putting your emotions into pictures. It's important to express your thoughts and beliefs.When you become a veteran director, the staff will read the mood and work without you having to verbalize it. I'm still a young director, so if I'm muttering, people will think, 'That young guy is no good after all' (laughs)."

-What specifically did you do?
Fujii"I did a variety of jobs, such as commercials and music videos. I think I was able to develop skills even in jobs outside of film."

The fun of filmmaking

Fujii"I find filmmaking fun because it's a process of creating something from scratch with my colleagues.We will encounter many obstacles, but we will share them as an organization and overcome them to grow. It's similar to a team match in kendo.
The process of creating a film while struggling with people who have completely different upbringings and ways of thinking is difficult, but fun. I'm really glad I entered the film industry."

-The process seems particularly rewarding! How do you feel after the film is released?
Fujii"I don't generally look back at the films I've made for other people. Even when I'm asked, 'What was your intention in shooting that scene?' I sometimes can't remember. I aim for 100 points at that time, with the passion I have at the time. I don't look back, I'm always looking forward."

-It's a Zen state of mind. You're focused only on the present moment.
Fujii"I don't do it consciously. I'm the type of person who can only focus on one thing at a time, so it just comes naturally."

-That's a testament to Director Fujii's talent.

What is good about doing kendo?

Fujii"If I hadn't practiced kendo, I don't think I would have had the opportunity to become a coach at such a young age. Because I practiced kendo, I naturally have a lot of respect for people.I've had the routine of bowing to others since I was three years old, so it comes naturally to me. I owe it all to kendo to be able to respect people from the heart, not in a contrived way."

-So you benefited from the aspect of courtesy. Is there anything else?
Fujii"I've gained patience. The hurdles for what I find difficult are so high that no matter what happens, I don't think it's difficult. Compared to training with a sword, it's nothing (laughs)."

Future goals

Fujii"In my 30s, I want to compete in Asia. As a first step, I have launched a new group called BABEL ASIA. This feeling may be related to my own Taiwanese roots.For a while, I had doubts about staying in Japan, but now I want to work with many people from different countries.The other day I shot a music video for a Taiwanese artist."

-Will your base of operations be mainly overseas from now on?
Fujii"I don't just want to be active overseas, but I also want to give back to the Japanese film industry the knowledge I've gained abroad. Director Kore-eda won the Palme d'Or at the Cannes Film Festival, and I think that will be a great inspiration for the Japanese film industry.
I hope to become someone who can spread Japanese culture to the world."

-What do you need to achieve this?
Fujii"I believe that you need talent and hard work to succeed. In terms of talent alone, I think the talent needed in the 1940s will be different from the talent needed in 2040.I think I've put in 100% effort so that I don't just blame it on my talent.Only God knows whether it will be successful or not.
I created BABEL ASIA in my 30s, so I would like to create BABEL EUROPE in my 40s.It would be fantastic if it could win the Academy Award for Best Foreign Language Film.If I win, I think I'll be approached by the US. The reason Japanese directors aren't successful in the US is because they aren't wanted. If they are wanted, there's a chance they could be successful. So it would be great if I could win an award that would get me approached by the US."

- In modern times, Director Koreeda is close to that status, but in the past, Director Akira Kurosawa was respected in the global film industry.
Fujii"Like my predecessors, I would like to be active around the world and spread Japanese culture."

BUSHIZO Ueshima's thoughts

- Director Fujii is the same age as me (Kamishima) (born in 1986), so I was really looking forward to interviewing him.
Although Director Fujii has achieved success at a young age, he is not at all arrogant, and it was easy to imagine that he is well-liked by the staff as a director.

I learned a lot from your idea of ​​not blaming your talent and instead putting in 100% effort.

I sincerely hope that Coach Fujii will continue to make great strides on the world stage. Thank you for today!

Director Fujii's latest work

"Newspaper reporter"

https://shimbunkisha.jp/

Starring: Tori Matsuzaka, Shim Eun-kyung, Tsubasa Honda

It won three awards, including Best Picture, at the 43rd Japan Academy Awards.

"Kendo was my everything" - An interview with actor Masahiro Komoto

"Even in comedy, unity of spirit, sword, and body is necessary" - Interview with talent Makita Sports

"I want to spread kendo through the mass media" - An interview with actor Hironari Amano