TRANSCENDING DIMENSIONS

Born on 10 March 1969 in Osaka Prefecture, Toyoda was first a prodigy in the game of shogi or Japanese chess. He attended the Japan Shogi Association's apprenticeship (Shōreikai) from age 9 with the aim of becoming a professional player. But his interest turned to film and he quit when he was 17. Moving to Tokyo at age 21, he began working with producer ARATO Genjirō and director SAKAMOTO Junji, assisting the latter on the shogi-related film Ōte, for which he helped pen the script and also wrote the screenplay for SAKAMOTO's follow up Biriken.

He debuted as a director with the film Pornostar in 1999, a film that earned him the Directors Guild of Japan New Directors Award. His career continued to rise through films like Blue Spring and 9 Souls, but he suffered a setback when he was arrested on drug charges just before Hanging Garden was released in 2005. He resumed directing with the 2009 film The Blood of Rebirth. He has continued to make groundbreaking and internationally acclaimed works since.

KUBOZUKA Yosuke was born in 1979 in Yokosuka City, Kanagawa Prefecture, and made his acting debut in 1995. He rose to international acclaim for his performance in Go (2001), for which he won the Japan Academy Film Prize for Newcomer of the Year and, in a historic achievement, became the youngest-ever recipient of the Best Leading Actor award.

KUBOZUKA’s career expanded globally with his Hollywood debut in Martin Scorsese’s Silence (2016) and a main cast role in the acclaimed BBC/Netflix series Giri/Haji (2019).
A selection of his numerous film credits includes Deadman Inferno (2015), Alley Cat (2017), The First Supper (2019), Mio’s Cookbook (2020), First Love (2021), and Home Sweet Hom (2023). On television, he is known for roles in the classic series Great Teacher Onizuka (1998) and, more recently, Tokyo Vice (Season 2, 2024).

While renowned for his work in film and television, KUBOZUKA is also a prolific stage actor and a multi-talented artist active in music, modeling, and writing. He further channels his creativity into producing his own YouTube channel and a golf wear brand.