Movie director, cinematographer and theater producer, born 1946 in Tokyo. In his late teens, Hagiwara was working part time for Jazz Café Bizarre, where he met the controversial poet and writer Shuji Terajima. The encounter led to his participation in founding the independent theatre group Tenjo Sajiki. His first performance with Tenjo Sajiki was “The Hunchback of Aomori” in April 1964. The role of a beautiful boy in “Mink Marie,” where he appeared alongside drag performer Akihiro Miwa, gained him considerable attention. Hagiwara did not continue acting, but instead in 1968 directed his first play, “The Ulysses of Shinjuku,” transforming his role with Tenjo Sajiki into that of producer and director. In 1969, Hagiwara participated in the Festival of Experimental Theater in Frankfurt, Germany.

After leaving Tenjo Sajiki, he continued to work as an experimental video and movie artist, focusing of subject matter such as time and memory. In 1973, Hagiwara was invited from the U.S. State Department to visit the United States. Following his return to Japan, he lectured at the American Culture Institute about contemporary video art, while at the same time broadening his artistic range to include print and photography. In 1975, Hagiwara established his own company, Engine Room, and started to publish the magazine “Bikkuri House.”In 1978, he started to lecture at Image Forum in Shibuya. Since 1981, Hagiwara also taught at Tama Art University, leading to his appointment as a full professor in 1993. He is currently affiliated with the Department of Moving Images and Performing Arts.