Misaki Setoyama was born in Tokyo in 1977. After graduating from the Waseda University’s School of Political Science and Economics, she worked as a freelance journalist before, and for a while after, starting Minamoza in 2001 — the theater company she founded on determinedly gender-blind, non-hierarchical principles.

Since then, as a writer and director, Setoyama has become well known for her socially aware works founded on detailed, journalistic-style research and interviews with people involved in controversial current events.

Representative works include “Emotional Labor” “Hot Particle”, “Fingers”, “Die Wolke / Invisible Clouds”, “Familiar”, “Their Enemy”.

In 2016, “Their Enemy” depicting the actual kidnapping incident of japanese university students in Pakistan won the 23rd Yomiuri Drama Award for Outstanding Works.

In 2019, she won Excellent Director prize at the 26th Yomiuri Theater Awards.

Misaki Setoyama also released critically acclaimed movies Japanese Girls Never Die (2016) and River's Edge (2018).

Member of the Japan Playwrights Association.

(japantimes, performingarts, minamoza)