Rules were meant to be broken, and filmmaker Yuichiro SAKASHITA is here to lead the rebellion. His latest feature, Blonde, has sent shockwaves through the cinematic world, turning a seemingly quiet Japanese classroom into a battleground for a hilarious, socially charged student revolt.
Trading conventional drama for biting social satire, we sat down and exclusively talked with the visionary director SAKASHITA to unpack the inspirations behind the chaos in a Japanese school, working with a stellar cast, and why sometimes, a little rebellion is exactly what the system needs.
INSTYLEASIA: What was the main inspiration or driving force behind creating this film?
Sakashita: Before embarking on this project, I had just finished working on a movie with my producer. As we began brainstorming ideas for our next collaboration, we found ourselves drawn to the topic of school regulations. At the time, there was a lot of buzz in the news about how incredibly strict Japanese schools had become, which made us realize that this real-world issue could serve as a compelling foundation for a film. That was the exact moment we decided to anchor our theme around these strict regulations and bring the story to life on the screen.
INSTYLEASIA: How would you define your movie?
SAKASHITA: At its core, the film is a comedy. Rather than strictly micro-managing the characters or telling the actors exactly what to do, I preferred to give them the creative freedom to interpret and embody their roles naturally. My approach was simply to capture the authentic energy and performances they brought to the set.
INSTYLEASIA: Looking at the progression of your career, what do you consider to be the most significant turning point for you as a director?
SAKASHITA: Previously, I never had the opportunity to showcase my work at an international film festival. Having this film premiere on the global stage for the very first time is a massive milestone for me, and I truly believe it marks the definitive turning point in my career.
INSTYLEASIA: Could you tell us about the filming locations and why you chose those specific spots?
SAKASHITA: Since the story revolves around a school, finding the right campus environment was essential. We ended up splitting the production: we shot the interior classroom scenes at a school in Tochigi Prefecture, while the exterior shots such as the school gates and entrance were filmed at a location in Chiba Prefecture. The primary reason we chose these areas was logistical convenience, as our production company is based in Tokyo and these neighboring prefectures allowed for smooth travel and operations.
INSTYLEASIA: Could you share with us the reasoning behind your casting choice for the main character?
SAKASHITA: During the casting phase, my staff and I had extensive discussions at our meetings about who we should select to lead this project.
What makes Takanori Iwata so compelling is his incredible versatility, he is not only a talented actor, but he is also highly active as a singer and a dancer. There is a fascinating contrast, or a unique "gap," between the different creative disciplines he pursues, and we felt that this multi-faceted quality was a major strength. That unique charm was exactly what we were looking for, which is ultimately why we approached him for the role.
INSTYLEASIA: Why did you decide to connect the concept of blonde hair with the unyielding, strict rules found in Japanese schools?
SAKASHITA: Because this film is fundamentally a comedy, I wanted to find a clever way to address Japan's deep-rooted culture of rigid regulations. Dyeing one's hair blonde represents the ultimate visual defiance against those outdated rules. By introducing this heavy, somewhat dark societal pressure into a comedic framework, it allowed us to highlight the absurdity of the system and naturally generate a lot of humor.
In Japan, people are heavily conditioned to live strictly by the rules and conform to whatever the majority is doing. The moment anyone dares to step out of line, behave differently, or challenge the norm, society quickly alienates them and treats them like an outsider. Using comedy was the best way to unpack that intense reality.
INSTYLEASIA: What are your favourite scenes in this film?
SAKASHITA: The scene where the blonde hair students are walking along the corridor. This is the ideal scene I envisioned before making the film, and being able to bring it to life exactly as I imagined truly impressed me.
INSTYLEASIA: What were the difficulties you faced during the making of this film, and how did you resolve them?
SAKASHITA: I didn't have any major expectations for this film, and because it took a long time and we had excellent staffs, everything went well. There were no troubles at all, and production progressed exactly as planned.
INSTYLEASIA: What do you expect from the audience after they watch this film?
SAKASHITA: This film represents society and its weirdness. We made it as an entertaining film, and I want them to have fun with that legend.
INSTYLEASIA: What are your upcoming projects or plans after this film?
SAKASHITA: I haven't made any decisions yet, the situation is still not clear.
INSTYLEASIA: If you could make a new film, what kind of genre would you want to do?
SAKASHITA: Now that I have gained experience from international film festival (Tokyo International Film Festival), I am interested in working with foreign teams, directors, and overseas locations.
As our conversation winds down, it becomes clear that Blonde is far more than just a laugh-out-loud comedy about classroom chaos. Underneath the humor and the striking visual defiance lies a beautifully crafted mirror reflecting the heavy pressures of modern conformity.
Through his brilliant direction and an unforgettable performance by Takanori Iwata, Yuichiro Sakashita has created a cinematic wake-up call that challenges us to look closely at the invisible rules dictating our own lives.
He may have set out to make a comedy, but in doing so, he has delivered a beautifully bold anthem for the outsider in all of us. When the lights go down and the credits roll, one truth remains certain: cinema has a brave new visionary, and the rebellion has only just begun.
Text: INSTYLEASIA
Images: ©TIFFJP
CONTACT US