Also known as Sachi Hamano, Matoba is the most prolific female film director in Japan.
She worked for a while at Kōji Wakamatsu’s Wakamatsu Pro, then for other major pink film directors including Genji Nakamura. She made her debut as a director in 1971, with Million Film in “17-Year-Old Free Love Tribe.” As a producer and director, she has released over 300 films.

In 1998, with the financial support of over 12,000 donations from women throughout Japan, she made the film, In Search of a Lost Writer: Wandering the World of the Seventh Sense. The film was given the Amari Hayashi Prize at the 2000 Japanese Independent Film Festival. In 2001 she filmed Lily Festival (2001). The film was given the Best Feature Film award at the Philadelphia International Gay & Lesbian Film Festival in 2003.

You can see some of Matoba’s films here!