[I show him the app. He says he must have it.]

If the scholars is doing this, I can’t criticize ScoresesHe is the second God. The first is George Miller.

He asks film directors four of his favorite films. What are you?

I say that I cannot answer it all the time. It changes. 2001: A Space Odyssey, Taxi driver, Mad Max 2Akira Kurosawa high and lowI keep a memorandum.

[He shows me his film diary on iOS Notes. A thumbs up emoji or two = a like or love. An eye emoji = no comment. A heart emoji = he watched with his sons.]

How did parents change, how do you make games?

It is like a baton or loop of life – first, children are the center of the family. There is a point where you do not have the center of gravity. And sometimes people get divorced because they lose it. I still have the center of gravity called Kama.

And the work gives you the field?

When I was single in my 20s, I just worked and worked. 20 hours a day, even on weekends. it was so fun. When you have a family, you can’t. This is the most important time – do everything in those ten years. In all other years, they will start ignoring you. [Laughs.] Now, my sons are independent, I am back again in my 20s. But the time is running short. I think an hour really goes quickly. One day really goes quickly.

Do your sons play your games?

Elder son, yes. The younger son only reads books!

Coincidence and travel are very important for living beings. For example, migratory birds can take the disease as a trip, but by traveling, they are capable of developing. And so if we join only through the Internet, we will lose it.

How do you feel about AI and automation?

I am not negative towards AI, but I am not sure how much life will change because of this.

You talked about the age of 30 years. And then it turned 60 years old. Can you see yourself making games at 90?

I go to museums almost every weekend. And you see, like [he imitates a brushstroke with a flick of his hand] a brush. I could have done this when I become 90 years old. But with sports, you have to burn your mind. How old i will be after finishing Physicslate sixties? I really said nothing about future projects – I have thoughts – but I am thinking that I should direct after a film Physics Because I will get very old in future.

Will you still make a game while shooting?

Yes, this is my ideal. “Hey, make the game,” and I stopped and shot. And when I come back, I will do another new project.

Do you think you can really back down like this?

When I did this in conmi, I had all these flops. I will not name the title. If it is a sequel, it is quite easy. But a game that no one has ever seen before? Even if I write something, people will not understand it.

You have talked about passing the baton in the loop of life. How do you remember Hideo Kojima when you pass it?

I am not going to pass the baton to anyone. I will rather crush the baton … [Laughs.] I do not need to give anyone “hideo kojima”. If I pass the baton to my employees and tell them that I ask to make things in the same way, the company will not succeed and will go out of business.

What do you mean by this?

Every day, if I tweet something that I like, an actor or an actor or a musician contacts me. He says, “I am a manufacturer because of your games.” But he did not get the baton of Hideo Kojima. They got my small fire. They are not copying me. They are not trying to be me. They have this fire, and they bring themselves to light. And they will probably give it to someone else. When I was a boy, I was a legendary comic book artist. I did not become a comic book artist – I was inspired by them, I was impressed.

You took his small fire.

Absolutely.

This conversation was edited for brevity and clarity. A version of the story has appeared in various global Giku Magazines.

photography by Kazuhiro Fujita
Styling by Kentaro Taksugi
Decorate Nanako Azuma