Yoshimitsu Banno's journey in the world of cinema began at Toho, where he studied under the guidance of renowned directors such as Hiromichi Horikawa, Mikio Naruse, Kengo Furusawa, and Seiji Maruyama. By the year 1970, Toho deemed him ready to take on the role of a full-fledged director, and his first project, "Birth of the Japanese Islands" (1970),premiered at Osaka's Expo 70, captivating a record-breaking audience.
This early success caught the attention of Gojira series producer Tomoyuki Tanaka, who enlisted Banno's help to revitalize the franchise. The outcome was the infamous "Gojira vs. Hedora" (1971),a film that was both avant-garde and passionately radical. Unfortunately, this bold approach left producer Tanaka so horrified that Banno's directorial privileges at Toho were temporarily suspended.
However, Banno managed to redeem himself by rewriting and directing second unit for "Nosutodoramusu no Daiyogen" (1974). Despite this, his ideas for future Gojira movies continued to be deemed too radical for the studio, leading to his resignation as a director and his subsequent promotion to executive in charge of project development.
In recent years, Banno has overseen the JAPAX Project, a 70mm process designed to compete with the Imax format. This ambitious endeavor showcases his continued dedication to pushing the boundaries of filmmaking.
