Yoshihiro Nishimura, director of films such as “Tokyo Gore Police” and “Welcome to Japan,” passed away in Tokyo on Monday after being hospitalized for about two weeks due to liver disease. He was 59 years old.
Nishimura’s career began in the early 2000s, directing and creating effects for numerous short films, and directed his first commercial film Tokyo Gore Police in 2008. The film was screened at many international film festivals and is credited with opening the door to a new wave of Japanese ultra-violent horror and science fiction films.
Mr. Nishimura went on to direct such films as “Vampire Girl vs. Frankenstein Girl,” “Helldriver,” “Torakage Ninja Wars,” “Meatball Machine,” “Welcome to Japan,” and “Tokyo Dragon Chef.” He also worked on parts of the horror films “Mutant Girls Squad” and “The ABCs of Death.” At the time of his death, Nishimura was in post-production on his next film, Geisha War.
In addition to his work as a director, Mr. Nishimura established Nishimura Eizo Co., Ltd., a production and special effects company, and was involved in many popular films, including supervising the molding of Godzilla and serving as the special modeling producer for the 2016 film Shin Godzilla.
Mr. Nishimura was born on April 1, 1967 in Tokyo. As a child, he became obsessed with movies after watching George Lucas’s Star Wars, and went on to study law at Aoyama Gakuin University in Shibuya, Tokyo.
Nishimura wrote, directed, and did the special effects for the 1995 short film Anatomia Extinction, which received critical acclaim. The film won him an award at the Yubari International Fantastic Film Festival that year and launched his professional career.
Throughout his career, he regularly attended the New York Asian Film Festival, Austin’s Fantastic Fest, Montreal’s Fantasia International Film Festival, Dallas’ Texas Lightmare, and Pasadena’s Monsterpalooza. In recent years, Mr. Nishimura has taught film classes and art workshops around Tokyo and hosted gallery openings to display his and his students’ work.
Actress Eihi Shiina, who frequently collaborates with the director, said, “Horror has lost a true visionary, and I have lost a friend.”
