Director of the original Japanese films Ring, Ring 2, and Dark Water, all of which were remade for American audiences.
He made his feature debut in 1996 with Ghost Actress.
He agreed to direct The Ring Two, which put him in the unusual situation of directing the sequel to a remake of his own film.
He grew up with one brother.
His hit Japanese film Ring was remade into 2002's The Ring starring Naomi Watts.
