Photo: Dick Thomas Johnson from Tokyo, Japan / CC BY 2.0 (source: Wikimedia Commons)
Shunji Iwai is a screenwriter, film director and film editor, born on January 24, 1963 in Sendai, Miyagi Prefecture, Japan. Shunji Iwai is 63 years old as of 2026. Schooling on record includes Sendai Daiichi High School and Yokohama National University. Awards on record include Directors Guild of Japan New Directors Award (1994) and Nikkan Sports Film Award for Best Newcomer (1995).
My Take
Shunji Iwai is one of those filmmakers I genuinely revere. His command of light gives his films a quiet ache that lingers long after the credits, and the fact that he writes, edits, and scores his own work without ever seeming spread thin is remarkable. Since sweeping newcomer awards in the mid-1990s, he has owned the territory of adolescent longing, capturing both its sting and its beauty better than almost anyone. What I admire most is his refusal to chase trends; he simply keeps building his own world. Every new project from him makes me sit up a little straighter.
1. Profile
- Name (English)
- Shunji Iwai
- Name (Japanese)
- 岩井俊二
- Reading
- いわい しゅんじ
- Born
- January 24, 1963 (age 63)
- Zodiac / Chinese zodiac
- Aquarius / Rabbit
- Origin
- Sendai, Miyagi Prefecture, Japan
- Occupation
- screenwriter / film director / film editor / film producer / composer
2. Background
- High school
- Sendai Daiichi High School
- University
- Yokohama National University
Awards & achievements
- 1994 Directors Guild of Japan New Directors Award
- 1995 Nikkan Sports Film Award for Best Newcomer
3. Links
- Xhttps://x.com/sindyeye
- Wikipedia (English)https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Shunji%20Iwai
- Wikipedia (Japanese)https://ja.wikipedia.org/wiki/%E5%B2%A9%E4%BA%95%E4%BF%8A%E4%BA%8C
- Wikidatahttps://www.wikidata.org/wiki/Q1323347
4. About this entry
Tags
- Last updated
- 2026-06-21
Facts are limited to publicly available information up to 2024; non-public or unconfirmed items are omitted. English text is machine-assisted (facts translated by Sonnet, "My Take" written by Opus 4.8). The Japanese page is the source of record.
Frequently asked questions
When was Shunji Iwai born?
Born January 24, 1963 (age 63).
Where is Shunji Iwai from?
Shunji Iwai is from Sendai, Miyagi Prefecture, Japan.
What does Shunji Iwai do?
Shunji Iwai works as screenwriter, film director, film editor, film producer, composer.
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