There is a mild, modest satisfaction when we ask Hikari how she feels about her career to date. “So far, so good,” she says briskly. It is a little more than that.
The Japanese-born director established her art-house credentials in 2019 with her prize-winning feature debut 37 Seconds. She went on to direct episodes of prestige American TV, including the water-cooler show Beef.
Now comes her second feature-length movie, Rental Family, a gentle, sometimes mournful Tokyo-set comedy that strikes a contemporary nerve. The film made its theatrical debut in Japan on February 27, following its successful North American roll-out in late 2025.
