Before you read this I must warn you that it’s pretty cheezy and cliche!

At a wonderful surprise-birthday party last night, I made a pretty bad speech  since I was too surprised to say anything.  So this is my second take on the speech to describe exactly how I felt after 27 years of my life.

As you may know, I was born and raised in Japan and 8 years ago, I came here with no family, no friends and no money. I was a pretentious 19-year-old Japanese boy with full of dream and passion. Ever since I was 12, I’ve been making movies, but especially these 8 years at NYU, USC, and AFI, I’ve directed more than 40 films.  I am proud of them, but my biggest accomplishment in my life is not those movies, but the friends that I made through making those movies.  When I watch my old films, I see the faces of cast, crew, and supporters and remember the days that we struggled to make the day; my films consist of my memories with my friends.  There is no doubt that, without you, I wouldn’t have been able to come this far and as happy as I am now.

So those of you who took the time to send me birthday wishes through emails, Facebook, Twitter, Mixi, and even actual paper cards, I would like to take this moment to thank you for being a friend of mine.  The power, the pleasure and the emotion that I get from you is as constant as the speed of light. It will never be diminished, nor will my appreciation.