Director Makoto Sato died on Tuesday afternoon at a Tokyo hospital. He was 49.

Sato had been repeatedly admitted into a hospital for depression since last year. On Tuesday, he reportedly jumped from the stairs of an apartment building. He died shortly after being taken to the hospital.

Sato was best known for "Agano ni Ikiru," which was a grand prize runner-up at the 1993 Yamagata International Documentary Film Festival. His other works include "Mahiru no Hoshi" and "Out of Place: Memories of Edward Said."