Born and raised in Yokohama (横浜), Japan, Tapio is a Japanese narrative filmmaker with his emphasis on directing and cinematography, based in L.A. Having graduated from School of Film and Television at Loyola Marymount University, he has joined multiple student film projects, semi-professional films, and commercials mainly as director, director of photography, and assistant camera, but also G&E team member, production sound mixer, and 1st assistant director, etc.

As DIRECTOR

“A life is a storytelling”

His childhood where he had to face loss of lives within his close relationship drives him to make films challenging the meaning and value of life, combined with experimentation with characters’ strong and various emotionality. His directing style has a huge influence from 1990s Japanese anime and LEGO stop-motion animation with which he started filmmaking. Many of his short films, such as TADAIMA and BLANK SLATE, were recognized in film festivals across the globe. Instructed by instructors and mentors like Michael King (Sundance Filmmakers Lab Fellow), Jason Rosenfield A.C.E., Kenji Shiratsuchi (commercial planner) and Mischa Livingstone, his recent directorial senior thesis film MINIFIG at LMU, an experimental drama short about teenage family loss, is currently in a film festival circuit. He is going to direct a new untitled drama short (tent. PLATFORM) in 2025.

As CINEMATOGRAPHER & ASSISTANT CAMERA

“Serving the story and emotionality”

Tapio has had long-lasting interest in filmmaking technology, which nurtured his visual language as a cinematographer with his directorial development. He recently DPed Phantom Heart (dir. Josephine Spanier), a magical rom-com, and Heirs (dir. Lisa Shiomi), a Japanese social drama, and is going to DP The Knife Man (dir. MP Hayes), a noir anti-hero suspense, in 2025. His cinematographic sophistication has been achieved through collaborations with talented cohorts, such as Matthew Cheung (DGA Student Award Winner), Thomas Bolles (ASC Heritage Award Winner), Milena Mooradian (Student Oscar Nominee), and Jason Yu (ASC Heritage Award Nominee), as an assistant camera and G&E team member.

As an FX6 owner and a contractor at SONY Digital Media Production Center, Tapio is experienced with SONY camera technology. His technical proficiency does not only cover various cinema cameras like ARRI Alexa Mini, Alexa 35, Canon C300, RED Komodo, Blackmagic Pocket Cinema Camera, but also extend to industry-standard camera accessaries, such as Preston Focus System, Tilta Nucleus System, and Teradek Wireless System. As a cinematographer, he was instructed by Amy Vincent A.S.C., David M. Mullen A.S.C., Natasha Braier A.S.C., Katie Eleneke (SONY DMPC), Al DeMayo (LiteGear Inc.), Aaron Saffa (Panavision), Sarah Galley (1st A.C.), Tommy-Maddox Upshaw A.S.C. and many more.

Awards & Recognitions

  • Official Selection (MINIFIG)

  • Official Selection (MINIFIG)

  • Official Selection (MINIFIG)

  • to the achievement and contribution for four years in the undergraduate production deparament Loyola Marymount University School of Film and Television

  • Scholarship at Loyola Marymount University

  • Official Selection (“1446”)

  • Official Selection (“Blank Slate”)

  • Semi-Finalist (“Blank Slate”)

  • Grand Prix (“1446”)

  • Best Sound Design Winner (“1446”)

    Cub Award Nominee (“1446”)

  • Best Director (“TADAIMA” / “A&B” / “CROSSING”)