–The film “Tatsumi,” currently in theaters, is your first new work in eight years since your previous film, “Ken and Kazu” (2016).

Hiroshi Koji (same below): It’s not like I took a long break. I did a lot of location scouting and auditions, then filmed it, then edited it over two or three years, did some additional filming, and now eight years have passed.

–That’s the kind of time and effort that would be impossible to put into a commercial work.

I guess that would be impossible (in a normal commercial film). I’ve never worked with a super popular actor, so I don’t know. If it took eight years, I’d get scolded (laughs).

–However, you also serve as a director on TV Tokyo dramas.

That is separate from my own movies, and I’ve completely accepted it. I have to earn money to make a movie, and it’s also a good experience for me. I’m doing my best despite being scolded by a veteran assistant director.

–If it’s a drama, they probably can’t do additional filming.

But in Hollywood movies, additional filming is common. For that reason, the set is left as it is even after filming is finished. It costs a lot of money, but it is made with additional filming in mind. I wonder which Japanese directors can afford to spend that kind of time and money.

–It would be difficult unless you’re a very big name.

When you become a big shot, you have to give orders to people, right? I can’t do that.

–With that kind of personality, why do you make movies that are full of violence?

There’s nothing but orders, unreasonableness, and violence (laughs). It’s purely a hobby. I like noir films as a genre movie.