Takeshi Yagi(I)

Takeshi Yagi is a Japanese filmmaker, novelist, and special effects director, and one of Japan's leading filmmakers in the field of TOKUSATSU. He began his career at Tsuburaya Productions, the studio founded by special effects pioneer Eiji Tsuburaya, and developed his craft within the filmmaking tradition that grew directly from Tsuburaya's legacy. Working as a director, special effects director, producer, and series planner, Yagi became a key creative figure in a new generation of Japanese tokusatsu filmmakers. His major works include Ultraman Max, Ultraseven X, and the feature film Superior Ultraman 8 Brothers, which he directed and served on as special effects director. Yagi continues to explore TOKUSATSU not only as a production technique but as a distinctive form of cinematic expression. His original film AKARI had its international premiere at the Fantasia International Film Festival in Montreal in 2023. He also studies and teaches the history, aesthetics, and filmmaking techniques of TOKUSATSU, carrying forward the creative legacy that traces back to Eiji Tsuburaya. Alongside his filmmaking career, Yagi is also a novelist. His novel Night Train was published in 2025, and he continues to write and develop new fiction, extending his storytelling beyond the screen into literature.