She started her cinematic career from After Life (1999) by KORE-EDA Hirokazu. After working with many veteran directors, she made her directorial debut with Wild Berries (2003). Her second film, Sway (2006), was acclaimed at Cannes’ Director’s Fortnight, and her third film, Dear Doctor (2009), also enjoyed great success at the box-office in Japan, winning various awards, including Best Screenplay Award at the 2010 Annual Japan Academy Prize. Her novel The Long Excuse was nominated for the Naoki Literature Prize (2015).