▁studied ▁econom ics ▁at ▁Ky ush u ▁University , ▁but ▁dropped ▁out ▁to ▁purs ue ▁a ▁career ▁in ▁film . ▁In ▁ 1 9 5 9 ▁he ▁began ▁his ▁app rent ices hip , ▁serving ▁as ▁assistant ▁director ▁to ▁Ki y oshi ▁Sa ek i , ▁T ad ashi ▁I mai ▁and ▁Is ao ▁Y osh ida . ▁He ▁also ▁worked ▁as ▁a ▁cinemat ograph er ▁on ▁projects ▁for ▁various ▁stud ios , ▁mostly ▁for ▁educational , ▁children ' s ▁and ▁industrial ▁films . ▁During ▁this ▁early ▁period ▁in ▁his ▁career ▁he ▁hon ed ▁his ▁craft ▁and ▁became ▁known ▁as ▁a ▁top ▁cinemat ograph er . ▁ ▁Mu ka i ▁made ▁his ▁debut ▁as ▁a ▁director ▁in ▁ 1 9 6 2 ▁with ▁, ▁an ▁educational ▁film . ▁W ant ing ▁to ▁direct , ▁but ▁lack ing ▁the ▁educational ▁requirements ▁necessary ▁to ▁be ▁h ired ▁as ▁a ▁director ▁at ▁a ▁major ▁studio , ▁in ▁ 1 9 6 5 , ▁Mu ka i ▁moved ▁into ▁the ▁luc r ative ▁new ▁p ink ▁film ▁genre . ▁That ▁year ▁he ▁founded ▁Mu ka i ▁Produ ctions ▁and , ▁with ▁financial ▁backing ▁from ▁N ih on ▁Cinema , ▁directed ▁his ▁first ▁p ink ▁feature , ▁, ▁which ▁was ▁distributed ▁by ▁K ok ue i . ▁Though ▁the ▁film ▁was ▁a ▁plot less ▁series ▁of ▁scenes ▁in ▁the ▁life ▁of ▁a ▁prost itute , ▁Mu ka i ' s ▁technical ▁skill ▁im pressed ▁early ▁p ink ▁aud ien ces ▁and ▁critics , ▁and ▁he ▁quickly ▁became ▁a