Sasabe's movie "Half a Confession" won the best picture award at the 28th Japan Academy Prize. His other best known work include "Hi wa mata noboru" (2002), "Chirusoku no natsu" (2003), "Half a Confession" (2004), "Deguchi no nai umi" (2006), "Town of Evening Calm, Country of Cherry Blossoms" (2007) and "Tsure ga Utsu ni Narimashite" (2011).