Born in 1966 in Osaka Prefecture,
Okiura Hiroyuki is considered a natural talent in the world of animation, having started his professional career at the age of 16 with no academic background. His credits include some of the most sophisticated animated feature films produced in Japan:
Akira (1988, key animator),
Kidou Keisatsu Patlabor (1989, key animator),
Kidou Keisatsu Patlabor 2 the Movie (1993, assistant animation supervisor),
Memories (1995, key animator),
Koukaku Kidoutai (1995, character design, animation supervisor, layout artist),
Cowboy Bebop: Tengoku no Tobira (2001, opening credit sequence director and key animator) and Palm d'Or-nominated
Innocence (2004, character designer, animation supervisor). Okiura made his feature film directorial debut in 2000 with
Jin-Roh, which was selected for the 49th Berlin International Film Festival and won several recognitions in Japan and the world.
Momo e no Tegami is his second directorial effort, released in 2011 after more than a decade of hiatus.