[1] He joined the Toei studio and worked as an assistant to such directors as Tadashi Imai and Miyoji Ieki.
[2] While starting in mostly yakuza film, Satō eventually became known for big budget spectaculars.
The Go Masters, a China-Japan co-production he co-directed with Duan Jishun, won the grand prize at the Montreal World Film Festival in 1983.
[3] He won the Japan Academy Prize for Director of the Year in 1989 for The Silk Road.
This article about a Japanese film director is a stub.