From Aichi, Japan, Yamashita studied at Osaka University of Arts, where he got his start working on Kazuyoshi Kumakiri's Kichiku Dai Enkai. His graduation project, Hazy Life, won the Off Theatre Competition Grand Prize at the 2000 Yubari International Fantastic Film Festival—a pretty big deal for a student film.

He's best known for his collaborations with screenwriter Kousuke Mukai, a partnership that's defined much of his work. The two's efforts paid off in 2007 when Yamashita took home Best Director at the 32nd Hochi Film Award for A Gentle Breeze in the Village and The Matsugane Potshot Affair.