Takashi Yamazaki, right, smiles as he receives a bouquet from actress Minami Hamabe at Haneda Airport in Tokyo on Tuesday.
12:48 JST, March 13, 2024
“Godzilla Minus One” director Takashi Yamazaki, who returned to Japan on Tuesday with the Academy Award for Best Visual Effects, said he wants to take on many more challenges.
Yamazaki appeared at a press conference at Tokyo’s Haneda Airport holding the Oscar statue, which he said was “much heavier than I expected.”
Speaking about his speech in English to express his joy at the Academy Awards ceremony, he said: “I was very happy to see everyone watching my bad speech with a ‘go for it’ look on their faces . The atmosphere was pleasant and I thought it was a beautiful place where the best people came together.”
It was the first time a Japanese film won for best visual effects.
“That was a place we couldn’t even dream of, in a world where all the budgets and extensive visual effects were available. I am very happy that they opened the gate for us,” said Yamazaki.
“With this as a starting point, I would like to take on many more challenges,” he said.
Minami Hamabe, 23, who played the heroine in the film, also attended the press conference and shared his joy.
