Miwa Nishikawa

Miwa Nishikawa (born July 8, 1974) is a Japanese film director and screenwriter. Born in Asaminami-ku, Hiroshima, she pursued her higher education at Waseda University. Nishikawa has established a career in the Japanese film industry, frequently writing the screenplays for her own directorial projects.

Career

Nishikawa made her directorial debut with Wild Berries (Hebi Ichigo) in 2003. Her subsequent works have received critical recognition within Japan. Notable films in her filmography include Sway (Yureru, 2006), Dear Doctor (Dia Dokuta, 2009), Dreams for Sale (Yume Uru Futari, 2012), The Long Excuse (Nagai Iiwake, 2016), and Under the Open Sky (Subarashiki Sekai, 2021). In addition to her directorial work, she has authored novels, including the source material for The Long Excuse.

Selected Filmography

Wild Berries (2003)
Female (2005, segment "Megami no kakato")
Ten Nights of Dream (2006)
Sway (2006)
Dear Doctor (2009)
Dreams for Sale (2012)
The Long Excuse (2016)
Under the Open Sky (2021)
Children Untold (2026)

Awards and Recognition

Nishikawa has received several accolades for her contributions to cinema. For her 2009 film Dear Doctor, she won the Japan Academy Prize for Screenplay of the Year in 2010, as well as Best Director awards at the 52nd Blue Ribbon Awards, the 22nd Nikkan Sports Film Awards, and the 34th Hochi Film Awards. She also received the Best Director award at the 49th Blue Ribbon Awards for her work on Sway (2006).