Masahiko Kinoshi (喜熨斗 政彦, Kinoshi Masahiko; December 9, 1939 – September 13, 2023), better known by his stage name…
Masahiko Kinoshi (喜熨斗 政彦, Kinoshi Masahiko; December 9, 1939 – September 13, 2023), better known by his stage name Ichikawa Ennosuke III (三代目 市川 猿之助, Sandaime Ichikawa Ennosuke; Japanese pronunciation: [i.tɕi̥.kaꜜ.wa (|) en.no.sɯ̥.ke]), was a Japanese kabuki actor, famous for his love of keren (stage tricks). He was considered the king of chūnori; he flew out over the audience, held aloft on strings, over 5000 times.
Japanese people database × places of origin
Famous Japanese People: Stage Director
Stage Director: 166 people
Shin Kishida (岸田 森, 17 October 1939 – 28 December 1982) was a Japanese television, film, and stage actor.
Yoshisada Sakaguchi (坂口 芳貞, Sakaguchi Yoshisada; 2 October 1939 – 13 February 2020) was a Japanese actor and voice…
Yoshisada Sakaguchi (坂口 芳貞, Sakaguchi Yoshisada; 2 October 1939 – 13 February 2020) was a Japanese actor and voice actor from Tokyo. He was a professor at J. F. Oberlin University, and was affiliated with Bungakuza. He was best known for dubbing over Morgan Freeman and Chief Inspector Japp (in the television series Agatha Christie's Poirot).
Tadashi Suzuki (鈴木 忠志; born June 20, 1939) is a Japanese avant-garde theatre director, writer, and philosopher. He is…
Tadashi Suzuki (鈴木 忠志; born June 20, 1939) is a Japanese avant-garde theatre director, writer, and philosopher. He is the founder and director of the Suzuki Company of Toga (SCOT), and organizer of Japan’s first international theatre festival (Toga Festival). With American director Anne Bogart, he co-founded the Saratoga International Theatre Institute (SITI) in Saratoga Springs, New York. He is the creator of the "Suzuki method" of actor training, which emphasizes stylized body work and physicality drawing from dance and elements of traditional Japanese theater. Suzuki was the general artistic director of Shizuoka Performing Arts Center (SPAC) (1995–2007), an international committee member of the Theatre Olympics; a founding member of the BeSeTo Festival (演劇祭), jointly organized by leading theatre artists from Japan, China and Korea; and, chairman of the Board of Directors for the Japan Performing Arts Foundation, a nationwide network of theatre professionals in Japan.
Akio Jissoji (実相寺昭雄, Jissōji Akio; March 29, 1937 – November 29, 2006) was a Japanese television and film director best…
Akio Jissoji (実相寺昭雄, Jissōji Akio; March 29, 1937 – November 29, 2006) was a Japanese television and film director best known outside Japan for the 1960s tokusatsu TV series Ultraman and Ultraseven, as well as for his auteur erotic ATG-produced Buddhist trilogy Mujo (無常), Mandala (曼陀羅), and Uta (哥). He was also known for his film adaptations of Japanese horror author Edogawa Rampo. Jissoji possessed a very distinctive visual style that was notable even in Japanese cinema which is known internationally for its visual style. Every project he directed, from children's action shows to disturbing adult films had an uncompromising approach to cinematic story telling. His episodes of the Ultraman TV shows are unique and quite unusual for children's television. His career is also unusual in that he went back and forth from children's television to film projects that were sexually provocative in some way or another. It is perhaps this aspect of his work that has prevented wider distribution of his films. Sadomasochistic and non-consensual sexual practices are featured in many of his film works with women receiving the brunt of the abuse. Most of his work is not available outside Japan or with English subtitles. Other notable films include: Utamaro: Yume to Shiriseba (歌麿 夢と知りせば; Utamaro's World, 1977), a visually sumptuous telling of the famed Japanese printmaker's life centering on the years he was forced to make pornographic prints for a living. Tokyo: The Last Megalopolis (帝都物語, Teito Monogatari; 1988), a live-action science fiction/horror film. Rampo Jigoku (乱歩地獄; 2005), Jissoji directed the lead segment of this horror anthology. Yume Jū-ya (ユメ十夜; Ten Nights of Dreams, 2006), Jissoji contributed a selection in this anthology of short films based on the writings of Natsume Sōseki. He died of stomach cancer, aged 69, in his birth city of Tokyo in 2006 just after starting work on a revival of his Silver Mask live action children's show.
🎓 Waseda University📅 Born March 29🎂 Born 1937💼 Film Director💼 Stage Director💼 Screenwriter💼 Writer・Novelist
🌐 Wikipedia in other languages:Japanese (ja) ↗Chinese (zh) ↗Korean (ko) ↗Spanish (es) ↗Italian (it) ↗French (fr) ↗Russian (ru) ↗
Hidekatsu Shibata (柴田 秀勝, Shibata Hidekatsu; born March 25, 1937) is a Japanese actor, voice actor and narrator from…
Hidekatsu Shibata (柴田 秀勝, Shibata Hidekatsu; born March 25, 1937) is a Japanese actor, voice actor and narrator from Asakusa, Tokyo who is affiliated with Aoni Production. He was a classmate of former prime minister Yasuo Fukuda at Azabu High School. Shibata is married to fellow voice actor Akiko Sekine. He is most known for his roles in Mazinger Z (as Baron Ashura), Great Mazinger (as Kenzo Kabuto), Galaxy Express 999 (as Count Mecha), Kamen Rider Stronger (as General Shadow), and Seijuu Sentai Gingaman (as Captain Zahab). He is also mostly known for giving his voice to some iconic powerful old characters such as in One Piece (as Monkey D. Dragon), Naruto (as Hiruzen Sarutobi), Fullmetal Alchemist (as Führer King Bradley) and Fairy Tail (as Igneel and the narrator).
🌐 Wikipedia in other languages:Japanese (ja) ↗Chinese (zh) ↗Spanish (es) ↗Italian (it) ↗French (fr) ↗
Kunio Shimizu (清水 邦夫, Shimizu Kunio) (17 November 1936 – 15 April 2021) was a Japanese playwright. Niigata is his…
Kunio Shimizu (清水 邦夫, Shimizu Kunio) (17 November 1936 – 15 April 2021) was a Japanese playwright. Niigata is his hometown, which is located on the Japan Sea. At Tama University of Fine Arts Shimizu was a professor working in the Moving Images and Performing Arts Department.
Yukio Ninagawa (蜷川 幸雄, Ninagawa Yukio; October 15, 1935 – May 12, 2016) was a Japanese theatre director, actor and film…
Yukio Ninagawa (蜷川 幸雄, Ninagawa Yukio; October 15, 1935 – May 12, 2016) was a Japanese theatre director, actor and film director, particularly known for his Japanese language productions of the Greek tragedies as well as Shakespeare—he directed eight distinct renditions of Hamlet. Ninagawa was also emeritus of the Toho Gakuen College of Drama and Music. Although most famous abroad for his touring productions of European classics, Ninagawa also directed works based on contemporary writing from Japan, including the Modern Noh plays of Yukio Mishima (which toured to New York's Lincoln Center in early summer 2005) and several other plays by Japanese dramatists, including Shūji Terayama and Kunio Shimizu. His production of Titus Andronicus was performed in England in June 2006, at the Royal Shakespeare Theatre in Stratford and the Theatre Royal in Plymouth. In 2007 his company participated in the Barbican International Theatre Event (BITE) series at the Barbican Arts Centre in London, with their production of Coriolanus.
Noboru Tsuburaya (Japanese: 円谷 皐, Hepburn: Tsuburaya Noboru; May 10, 1935 – June 11, 1995), writing under the pseudonym…
Noboru Tsuburaya (Japanese: 円谷 皐, Hepburn: Tsuburaya Noboru; May 10, 1935 – June 11, 1995), writing under the pseudonym Noboru Tani (谷のぼる, Tani Noboru), was a Japanese film producer and the third president of Tsuburaya Productions.
🎓 Seijo University🏫 Tamagawa Gakuen High School📅 Born May 10🎂 Born 1935📍 From Tokyo💼 Stage Director💼 Producer💼 Singer・Vocalist💼 Lyricist
🌐 Wikipedia in other languages:Japanese (ja) ↗
Kaoru Yamaya (山谷 馨; December 21, 1934 – September 18, 2026), better known by his pen name Sō Kuramoto (倉本 聰), was a…
Kaoru Yamaya (山谷 馨; December 21, 1934 – September 18, 2026), better known by his pen name Sō Kuramoto (倉本 聰), was a Japanese playwright and screenwriter.
Susumu Taira (平良進, Taira Susumu; 18 December 1934 – 27 January 2024) was a Japanese actor. He was born in Okinawa, and…
Susumu Taira (平良進, Taira Susumu; 18 December 1934 – 27 January 2024) was a Japanese actor. He was born in Okinawa, and his credits include Nabbie's Love (1999), and Churasan. Taira was born in the former city of Hirara, Okinawa which was merged with other settlements in 2005 to become the city of Miyakojima, Okinawa. Taira was married to actress Tomi Taira. He died at his home in Ginowan, Okinawa, on 27 January 2024, at the age of 89.
🌐 Wikipedia in other languages:Japanese (ja) ↗
Masaaki Ōsumi (大隅 正秋, Ōsumi Masaaki; born November 26, 1934) is a Japanese theatre director and film director who is…
Masaaki Ōsumi (大隅 正秋, Ōsumi Masaaki; born November 26, 1934) is a Japanese theatre director and film director who is known for his work in animated television series and films. He was born in Hyōgo Prefecture, Japan. He completed the Master's Program in Media Science, Graduate School of Media Science, Tokyo University of Technology. He is also the creative advisor at the Katayanagi Research Institute, Tokyo University of Technology.
Masakane Yonekura (Japanese: 米倉 斉加年; 7 October 1934 – 26 August 2014) was a Japanese stage director, actor, author, and…
Masakane Yonekura (Japanese: 米倉 斉加年; 7 October 1934 – 26 August 2014) was a Japanese stage director, actor, author, and illustrator who was one of the central members of the Gekidan Mingei theatre company.
Hideo Tanaka (田中秀夫, Tanaka Hideo; 24 November 1933 – 9 July 2011) was a Japanese filmmaker, actor, and screenwriter. He…
Hideo Tanaka (田中秀夫, Tanaka Hideo; 24 November 1933 – 9 July 2011) was a Japanese filmmaker, actor, and screenwriter. He is known for his work in several adaptations of Shinji Wada's manga series Sukeban Deka as well as television series and movies from the Metal Hero Series. Tanaka died of stomach cancer on July 9, 2011.
Mikijirō Hira (平 幹二朗, Hira Mikijirō; 21 November 1933 – 23 October 2016) was a Japanese actor. Starting as a stage…
Mikijirō Hira (平 幹二朗, Hira Mikijirō; 21 November 1933 – 23 October 2016) was a Japanese actor. Starting as a stage actor in the 1950s, he also worked in film and television and was active until the time of his death. From the 1970s he starred in several of Yukio Ninagawa's productions, including an acclaimed role as Macbeth. Described as "Japan's best Shakespearean actor", Hira received several awards throughout his career, including an excellence award at the 2011 National Arts Festival hosted by the Japanese government's Agency for Cultural Affairs.
Tatsuya Nakadai (仲代 達矢, Nakadai Tatsuya; born Motohisa Nakadai; December 13, 1932 – November 8, 2025) was a Japanese…
Tatsuya Nakadai (仲代 達矢, Nakadai Tatsuya; born Motohisa Nakadai; December 13, 1932 – November 8, 2025) was a Japanese actor. Widely regarded as one of the greatest actors in the history of cinema, he collaborated extensively with many of Japan's best-known and acclaimed directors. In his over seven decade career, he appeared in more than 160 films, and received numerous accolades. He was honored with a Medal with Purple Ribbon in 1996 and Japan's Order of Culture in 2015. Discovered on the streets of Tokyo by director Masaki Kobayashi, Nakadai rose to prominence starring in Kobayashi's films, with his breakthrough being in the epic anti-war trilogy The Human Condition (1959–1961). He won the Blue Ribbon Award for Best Actor for his performance as the vengeful ronin in Harakiri (1962), a role he considered his finest. Nakadai collaborated on eleven films with Kobayashi—including Kwaidan (1964) and Samurai Rebellion (1967)—and five with Akira Kurosawa, most notably as the doomed warlord in Ran (1985), a performance that earned global acclaim. His other notable credits include Seven Samurai (1954), Conflagration (1958), When a Woman Ascends the Stairs (1960), Yojimbo (1961), Sanjuro (1962), High and Low (1963), The Sword of Doom, The Face of Another (both 1966), Kill! (1968), Goyokin (1969), Kagemusha (1980), and The Tale of the Princess Kaguya (2013). A lifelong stage actor, he founded the acting school Mumeijuku in 1975 and continued performing on stage into his nineties.
🏫 Roka High School📅 Born December 13🎂 Born 1932📍 From Tokyo💼 Actor💼 Stage Director💼 Singer・Vocalist💼 Narrator💼 Voice Actor
Tadao Nagahama (長浜 忠夫, Nagahama Tadao; September 26, 1932 – November 4, 1980 in Kagoshima) was a Japanese director of…
Tadao Nagahama (長浜 忠夫, Nagahama Tadao; September 26, 1932 – November 4, 1980 in Kagoshima) was a Japanese director of anime and puppet shows. He also wrote the lyrics for the anime's theme song under the name Akira Aoi (あおい あきら, Aoi Akira). Nagahama has produced hits in a wide variety of genres, including super robot, sports, and comedy. He is best known as the director of Sunrise and Toei's Robot Romance Trilogy, which added human drama to the Super Robot genre. He is also known as the director of several popular anime series that are still well known among Japanese viewers. His most famous work is the national hit, Star of the Giants, which contributed to the popularity of baseball in Japan.
Toshihiro Iijima (Japanese: 飯島 敏宏, Hepburn: Toshihiro Iijima; September 3, 1932 – October 17, 2021), also known by the…
Toshihiro Iijima (Japanese: 飯島 敏宏, Hepburn: Toshihiro Iijima; September 3, 1932 – October 17, 2021), also known by the names Kitao Senzoku (千束 北男, Senzoku Kitao), and Jōtarō Jitōin (持統院丈太郎, Jitōin Jōtarō), was a Japanese film and television director, producer, and screenwriter.
Yasuharu Hasebe (長谷部安春, Hasebe Yasuharu; April 4, 1932 – June 14, 2009) was a Japanese film director best known for his…
Yasuharu Hasebe (長谷部安春, Hasebe Yasuharu; April 4, 1932 – June 14, 2009) was a Japanese film director best known for his movies in the "Violent pink" subgenre of the Pink film, such as Assault! Jack the Ripper (1976), Rape! (1976), Rape! 13th Hour (1977) and Raping! (1978). Earlier genre films directed by Hasebe include Black Tight Killers (1966) and the Alleycat Rock series (1970).
Nagisa Ōshima (大島 渚, Ōshima Nagisa; March 31, 1932 – January 15, 2013) was a Japanese film director, writer, and…
Nagisa Ōshima (大島 渚, Ōshima Nagisa; March 31, 1932 – January 15, 2013) was a Japanese film director, writer, and left-wing activist who is best known for his fiction films, of which he directed 23 features in a career spanning from 1959 to 1999. He is regarded as one of the greatest Japanese directors of all time, and as one of the most important figures of the Japanese New Wave (Nūberu bāgu), alongside Shōhei Imamura. His film style was bold, innovative and provocative. Common themes in his work include youthful rebellion, class and racial discrimination and taboo sexuality. His first major film was his second feature, Cruel Story of Youth (1960), one of the first Japanese New Wave films, a youth-oriented film with an earnest portrayal of the sexual lives and criminal activities of its young protagonists. He came to greater international renown after Death By Hanging (1968), a film on the theme of capital punishment and anti-Korean sentiment, was shown at the Cannes Film Festival in 1968. His most controversial film is In the Realm of the Senses (1976), a sexually explicit film set in 1930s Japan.
🎓 Kyoto University🏫 Toba High School📅 Born March 31🎂 Born 1932📍 From Tamano, Okayama Prefecture💼 Film Director💼 Screenwriter💼 Stage Director💼 Writer
Yoshiyuki Fukuda (福田 善之, Fukuda Yoshiyuki; Kōnosu Taizō (鴻巣 泰三), 21 October 1931 – 21 August 2025) was a Japanese…
Yoshiyuki Fukuda (福田 善之, Fukuda Yoshiyuki; Kōnosu Taizō (鴻巣 泰三), 21 October 1931 – 21 August 2025) was a Japanese playwright, screenwriter and director. Remembered as one of the founding figures of the Angura ("underground") theatre movement in Japan, Fukuda also served as chairman of the Japan Directors Association from 2003 to 2007.
🎓 University of Tokyo🏫 Azabu High School📅 Born October 21🎂 Born 1931💼 Playwright💼 Screenwriter💼 Stage Director💼 Actor
🌐 Wikipedia in other languages:Japanese (ja) ↗
Shōsuke Nakawa (奈河彰輔, Nakawa Shōsuke; October 6, 1931 – October 13, 2014) was a Japanese playwright and theater…
Shōsuke Nakawa (奈河彰輔, Nakawa Shōsuke; October 6, 1931 – October 13, 2014) was a Japanese playwright and theater director. Under the name Yoshizō Nakagawa (中川芳三, Nakagawa Yoshizō), he serves as an advisor to the Shōchiku Corporation which produces kabuki, and is heavily involved in reviving Kamigata kabuki traditions. He is also head of the Kamigata Kabuki-juku (school) and actively works with actor Ichikawa Ennosuke III on reviving old kabuki plays Nakawa has been described as a walking dictionary of Kamigata kabuki information.
Yoji Yamada (山田 洋次, Yamada Yōji; born 13 September 1931) is a Japanese filmmaker best known for his film series Otoko…
Yoji Yamada (山田 洋次, Yamada Yōji; born 13 September 1931) is a Japanese filmmaker best known for his film series Otoko wa Tsurai yo and the Samurai Trilogy (The Twilight Samurai, The Hidden Blade, and Love and Honor). He has directed 91 films, and is well regarded by critics around the world. His Tora-san series holds the Guinness World Record for the longest-running film series starring the same actor.
🎓 University of Tokyo🏫 Koyamadai High School📅 Born September 13🎂 Born 1931📍 From Ube, Yamaguchi💼 Film Director💼 Screenwriter💼 Stage Director
Mitsuo Hashimoto (橋本 光雄, Hashimoto Mitsuo; May 1, 1931 – May 24, 1997), better known by the stage name Kinpei Azusa…
Mitsuo Hashimoto (橋本 光雄, Hashimoto Mitsuo; May 1, 1931 – May 24, 1997), better known by the stage name Kinpei Azusa (あずさ 欣平, Azusa Kinpei), was a Japanese voice actor born in Fukushima Prefecture, Japan. He was employed by the talent management firm Aoni Production. Between the ages of three and six, Azusa was trained in the theatre. At the age of five, he was given the name Kinzō Azusa. On May 1, 1962, Azusa undertook the establishment of a coaching foundation, Gekidan Geikyō (currently represented by Takeshi Aono). Azusa died in 1997 at the age of 66.
Hajime Tsuburaya (Japanese: 円谷 一, Hepburn: Tsuburaya Hajime; April 28, 1931 – February 9, 1973) was a Japanese film and…
Hajime Tsuburaya (Japanese: 円谷 一, Hepburn: Tsuburaya Hajime; April 28, 1931 – February 9, 1973) was a Japanese film and television director, producer, and cinematographer. The eldest son of Eiji Tsuburaya, he began his career on the 1954 film, Godzilla and its sequel, Godzilla Raids Again as an assistant special effects cinematographer.
🌐 Wikipedia in other languages:Japanese (ja) ↗
Oniroku Dan (団 鬼六, Dan Oniroku; 16 April 1931 – 6 May 2011) was a Japanese author who has been called, "the most…
Oniroku Dan (団 鬼六, Dan Oniroku; 16 April 1931 – 6 May 2011) was a Japanese author who has been called, "the most celebrated writer of popular SM novels in Japan." Many of his stories have been filmed, most notably by Nikkatsu studio in their Roman Porno series. Dan had a close professional association with actress Naomi Tani throughout her career. He died on May 6, 2011.
Sawako Ariyoshi (有吉 佐和子 Ariyoshi Sawako, 20 January 1931 – 30 August 1984) was a Japanese writer, known for such works…
Sawako Ariyoshi (有吉 佐和子 Ariyoshi Sawako, 20 January 1931 – 30 August 1984) was a Japanese writer, known for such works as The Doctor's Wife and The River Ki. She was known for her advocacy of social issues, such as the elderly in Japanese society, and environmental issues. Several of her novels describe the relationships between mothers and their daughters. She also had a fascination with traditional Japanese arts, such as kabuki and bunraku. She also described racial discrimination in the United States, something she experienced firsthand during her time at Sarah Lawrence, and the depopulation of remote Japanese islands during the 1970s economic boom.
🎓 Tokyo Woman's Christian University🏫 Takenodai High School📅 Born January 20🎂 Born 1931📍 From Wakayama(city), Wakayama Prefecture💼 Writer・Novelist💼 Playwright💼 Stage Director
🌐 Wikipedia in other languages:Japanese (ja) ↗Chinese (zh) ↗Spanish (es) ↗Italian (it) ↗French (fr) ↗German (de) ↗Russian (ru) ↗
Ben Wada (和田 勉 Wada Ben), born Tsutomu Wada, (June 3, 1930 – January 14, 2011) was a producer for the Japanese TV…
Ben Wada (和田 勉 Wada Ben), born Tsutomu Wada, (June 3, 1930 – January 14, 2011) was a producer for the Japanese TV channel NHK. He was the husband of the costume designer Emi Wada.
🎓 Waseda University🏫 Sugamo High School📅 Born June 3🎂 Born 1930📍 From Matsusakabeef, Mie Prefecture💼 Stage Director💼 Film Director💼 Director💼 Producer
🌐 Wikipedia in other languages:Japanese (ja) ↗
Masaya Takahashi (高橋 昌也, Takahashi Masaya; March 16, 1930 – January 16, 2014) was a Japanese actor and theatre…
Masaya Takahashi (高橋 昌也, Takahashi Masaya; March 16, 1930 – January 16, 2014) was a Japanese actor and theatre director. He appeared in a wide range of films over six decades, including Goke, Body Snatcher from Hell (1968), Belladonna of Sadness (1973), Godzilla, Mothra and King Ghidorah: Giant Monsters All-Out Attack (2001), Returner (2002), and Air Doll (2009).
🏫 Tokyo Metropolitan Toyama High School📅 Born March 16🎂 Born 1930📍 From Tokyo💼 Actor💼 Stage Director
🌐 Wikipedia in other languages:Japanese (ja) ↗
Hideo Gosha (Japanese: 五社 英雄, Hepburn: Gosha Hideo; February 26, 1929 – August 30, 1992) was a Japanese director and…
Hideo Gosha (Japanese: 五社 英雄, Hepburn: Gosha Hideo; February 26, 1929 – August 30, 1992) was a Japanese director and screenwriter. He was the first Japanese director to make the transition from television to theatrical films, and is best known for his jidaigeki and yakuza films. Beginning with Three Outlaw Samurai in 1964, Gosha directed 24 films in his career, including The Geisha (1983), which earned him the Japan Academy Film Prize for Director of the Year. His last, The Oil-Hell Murder, was released three months before his death in August 1992. His works have influenced directors such as Takashi Miike and Yoshiaki Kawajiri.
🌐 Wikipedia in other languages:Japanese (ja) ↗Chinese (zh) ↗Spanish (es) ↗Italian (it) ↗French (fr) ↗German (de) ↗Russian (ru) ↗Ukrainian (uk) ↗
Shimako Murai (村井 志摩子, Murai Shimako; 12 July 1928 – 9 May 2018) was a Japanese playwright. She was born in Hiroshima…
Shimako Murai (村井 志摩子, Murai Shimako; 12 July 1928 – 9 May 2018) was a Japanese playwright. She was born in Hiroshima, but was not in the city on the day of the atomic bombings. She lost many friends in the bombing, and her profound sense of guilt led her to devote most of her life to producing plays connected with the Hiroshima bombings. She felt a strong affinity with the architect Jan Letzel, who had designed the Hiroshima Prefectural Commercial Exhibition building, which — by a stroke of luck — somehow survived the atomic bomb's blast, and thereby became the famous A-bomb dome. Letzel was Czech, and Murai decided to study in Prague. She translated various works between Czech and Japanese, including the first Japanese renditions of plays by Josef Topol, Václav Havel and Milan Kundera, and opera by Smetana and Janáček. For this work she won the 1968 Kinokuniya Theatre Award. Later her own plays were performed and won awards throughout Japan, as well as in Maui (Hawaii), the Avignon Festival and the Edinburgh Fringe, starring actresses such as Mahō Shibuki (ex Takarazuka), Takajō Miki (ex SKD=Shochiku Kageki Dan) and Kurihara Chieko (JMDB). She was married to Kuzui Kinshirō (ja:葛井欣士郎), a film producer and manager of the alternative Art Theatre Shinjuku Bunka during the 1960s and early 1970s. She died on 9 May 2018, at her home in Shinjuku.
🎓 Tokyo Woman's Christian University🏫 Hiroshima Minami High School📅 Born July 12🎂 Born 1928📍 From Hiroshima, Hiroshima Prefecture💼 Playwright💼 Stage Director
🌐 Wikipedia in other languages:Japanese (ja) ↗
Tatsumi Hijikata (土方 巽, Hijikata Tatsumi; March 9, 1928 – January 21, 1986) was a Japanese choreographer, and the…
Tatsumi Hijikata (土方 巽, Hijikata Tatsumi; March 9, 1928 – January 21, 1986) was a Japanese choreographer, and the founder of a genre of dance performance art called Butoh. By the late 1960s, he had begun to develop this dance form, which is highly choreographed with stylized gestures drawn from his childhood memories of his northern Japan home. It is this style which is most often associated with Butoh by Westerners.
🏫 Akita Technical High School📅 Born March 9🎂 Born 1928📍 From Akita(city), Akita Prefecture💼 Dancer💼 Choreographer💼 Stage Director💼 Actor
🌐 Wikipedia in other languages:Japanese (ja) ↗Spanish (es) ↗Portuguese (pt) ↗Italian (it) ↗French (fr) ↗German (de) ↗Russian (ru) ↗
Kazuo Kumakura (熊倉 一雄, Kumakura Kazuo; January 30, 1927 – October 12, 2015) was a Japanese actor, voice actor, and…
Kazuo Kumakura (熊倉 一雄, Kumakura Kazuo; January 30, 1927 – October 12, 2015) was a Japanese actor, voice actor, and theatre director. He was the head of the Theatre Echo agency at the time of his death.
Tadashi Sawashima (沢島 忠, Sawashima Tadashi) (19 May 1926 – 27 January 2018) was a Japanese film director and theatre…
Tadashi Sawashima (沢島 忠, Sawashima Tadashi) (19 May 1926 – 27 January 2018) was a Japanese film director and theatre director . He worked as a film director from the 1950s to the 1970s. He died on 27 January 2018 at the age of 91 from multiple organ failure.
Kimifusa Abe (安部 公房, Abe Kimifusa; March 7, 1924 – January 22, 1993), known by his pen name Kōbō Abe (安部 公房, Abe Kōbō)…
Kimifusa Abe (安部 公房, Abe Kimifusa; March 7, 1924 – January 22, 1993), known by his pen name Kōbō Abe (安部 公房, Abe Kōbō), was a Japanese writer, playwright and director. His 1962 novel The Woman in the Dunes was made into an award-winning film by Hiroshi Teshigahara in 1964. Abe has often been compared to Franz Kafka for his modernist sensibilities and his surreal, often nightmarish explorations of individuals in contemporary society. He died aged 68 of heart failure in Tokyo after a brief illness.
🎓 University of Tokyo🏫 Seijo Gakuen Junior High School and High School📅 Born March 7🎂 Born 1924💼 Writer・Novelist💼 Playwright💼 Stage Director
Natsuko Kahara (賀原夏子, Kahara Natsuko; 3 January 1921 – 20 February 1991) was a Japanese stage and film actress. She was…
Natsuko Kahara (賀原夏子, Kahara Natsuko; 3 January 1921 – 20 February 1991) was a Japanese stage and film actress. She was a member of the Bungakuza theatre company and regularly appeared in the films of director Mikio Naruse. During her 50 years spanning career, she also worked for directors such as Yasujirō Ozu, Akira Kurosawa, Keisuke Kinoshita and Tadashi Imai.
Hiroshi Akutagawa (芥川比呂志, Akutagawa Hiroshi; 30 March 1920 – 28 October 1981) was a Japanese stage and film actor and…
Hiroshi Akutagawa (芥川比呂志, Akutagawa Hiroshi; 30 March 1920 – 28 October 1981) was a Japanese stage and film actor and director. In his 30 years spanning career, he appeared in numerous stage productions and films by directors such as Shirō Toyoda, Tadashi Imai, Heinosuke Gosho, Akira Kurosawa and Nagisa Ōshima.
Jūkichi Uno (宇野重吉, Uno Jūkichi) (real name Nobuo Terao (寺尾 信夫); 27 September 1914 – 9 January 1988) was a Japanese…
Jūkichi Uno (宇野重吉, Uno Jūkichi) (real name Nobuo Terao (寺尾 信夫); 27 September 1914 – 9 January 1988) was a Japanese actor. In 1950, he formed the Gekidan Mingei (劇団民藝) with Osamu Takizawa and others.
Tetsuji Takechi (武智 鉄二, Takechi Tetsuji; 10 December 1912 – 26 July 1988) was a Japanese theatrical and film director…
Tetsuji Takechi (武智 鉄二, Takechi Tetsuji; 10 December 1912 – 26 July 1988) was a Japanese theatrical and film director, critic, and author. First coming to prominence for his theatrical criticism, in the 1940s and 1950s he produced influential and popular experimental kabuki plays. Beginning in the mid-1950s, he continued his innovative theatrical work in noh, kyōgen and modern theater. In late 1956 and early 1957 he hosted a popular TV program, The Tetsuji Takechi Hour, which featured his reinterpretations of Japanese stage classics. In the 1960s, Takechi entered the film industry by producing controversial soft-core theatrical pornography. His 1964 film Daydream was the first big-budget, mainstream pink film released in Japan. After the release of his 1965 film Black Snow, the government arrested him on indecency charges. The trial became a public battle over censorship between Japan's intellectuals and the government. Takechi won the lawsuit, enabling the wave of softcore pink films which dominated Japan's domestic cinema during the 1960s and 1970s. In the later 1960s, Takechi produced three more pink films. Takechi did not work in film during most of the 1970s. In the 1980s, he remade Daydream twice, starring actress Kyōko Aizome in both films. The first Daydream remake (1981) is considered the first theatrical hardcore pornographic film in Japan. Though Takechi is largely unknown in Japan today, he was influential in both the cinema and the theater during his lifetime, and his innovations in kabuki were felt for decades. He also helped shape the future of the pink film in Japan through his battles against governmental censorship, earning him the titles, "The Father of Pink" and "The Father of Japanese Porn."
Tsuneari Fukuda (25 August 1912 – 20 November 1994) was a Japanese playwright, translator, literary critic and public…
Tsuneari Fukuda (25 August 1912 – 20 November 1994) was a Japanese playwright, translator, literary critic and public intellectual. Born in Tokyo to a working-class family, Fukuda read English literature at Tokyo Imperial University. A scholar of D. H. Lawrence, he found his voice as a critic by contributing to literary magazines. Interested in theatre from a young age, Fukuda became associated with the shingeki genre of contemporary theatre, writing and producing numerous original plays, including The Man Who Stroked the Dragon (1952) and The Fuhrer is Still Alive! (1970), for which he was awarded the Yomiuri Prize and Grand Prize for Japanese Literature respectively. From the 1950s, he began a life-long endeavour to translate William Shakespeare's work into Japanese. He staged successful productions of these translations, starting with Hamlet in 1955, which set off a Shakespeare boom in Japan. Originally associated with the Bungakuza theatre company, he later broke away to found the Kumo and Subaru companies in 1963 and 1975 respectively. A contributor to popular magazines such as Bungei Shunjū, Chūō Kōron, and Shokun!, Fukuda became well-known to the Japanese public as a conservative intellectual from the 1950s. He opposed the post-war Japanese script reform, and was awarded another Yomiuri Prize for his book on the subject, My Japanese Language Classroom (1960). He criticised left-wing movements, such as the Anpo protests, and questioned the dominance of pacifism in post-war Japan. A supporter of individual liberty and freedom of expression, he rejected the politicisation of art, and expressed doubts about Japanese modernisation. From 1969, he began teaching at Kyoto Sangyo University, and in 1981, he became a member of the Japan Art Academy. After suffering more than a decade of declining health, he died at Ōiso in Kanagawa Prefecture in 1994.
Kaoru Morimoto (森本薫, Morimoto Kaoru; 4 June 1912 – 6 October 1946) was a Japanese playwright, screenwriter and…
Kaoru Morimoto (森本薫, Morimoto Kaoru; 4 June 1912 – 6 October 1946) was a Japanese playwright, screenwriter and translator. He is famous for his critically acclaimed play A Woman's Life (Onna no isshō), which became one of the most often performed plays in post-war Japan.
Kazuo Mori (森 一生, Mori Kazuo; January 15, 1911 – June 29, 1989), also known by his street name Issei Mori (もり いっせい…
Kazuo Mori (森 一生, Mori Kazuo; January 15, 1911 – June 29, 1989), also known by his street name Issei Mori (もり いっせい, Mori Issei), was a Japanese film director who primarily worked in popular genres like the jidaigeki. Mori directed over 100 films in his life.
Eitarō Ozawa (小沢 栄太郎, Ozawa Eitarō; 27 March 1909 – 23 April 1988), also credited as Sakae Ozawa (小沢栄), was a Japanese…
Eitarō Ozawa (小沢 栄太郎, Ozawa Eitarō; 27 March 1909 – 23 April 1988), also credited as Sakae Ozawa (小沢栄), was a Japanese film actor and stage actor and director. He appeared in more than 200 films between 1935 and 1988, directed by notable filmmakers such as Kenji Mizoguchi, Mikio Naruse, Keisuke Kinoshita and Kaneto Shindō.
🌐 Wikipedia in other languages:Japanese (ja) ↗Korean (ko) ↗Spanish (es) ↗Italian (it) ↗French (fr) ↗Russian (ru) ↗
Shigeo Tanaka (田中 重雄, Tanaka Shigeo) (January 7, 1907 – January 18, 1992) was a Japanese film director. Tanaka directed…
Shigeo Tanaka (田中 重雄, Tanaka Shigeo) (January 7, 1907 – January 18, 1992) was a Japanese film director. Tanaka directed the second instalment of the Japanese film series Gamera, and also directed Kenshin, The Great Wall and Typhoon Reporter.
Osamu Takizawa (滝沢 修, Takizawa Osamu; 13 November 1906 – 22 June 2000) was a Japanese actor. He was born in Ushigome…
Osamu Takizawa (滝沢 修, Takizawa Osamu; 13 November 1906 – 22 June 2000) was a Japanese actor. He was born in Ushigome, Shinjuku, Tokyo. Starting at the Tsukiji Little Theater, Takizawa participated in a number of theatrical troupes before forming Gekidan Mingei with Jūkichi Uno. He was praised for his performance in Death of a Salesman and also directed a version of The Diary of Anne Frank. Perhaps his most notable film role was in Fires on the Plain.
Chikao Tanaka (田中 千禾夫, Tanaka Chikao; 1905-1995) was a Japanese playwright and dramatist whose plays focused on the…
Chikao Tanaka (田中 千禾夫, Tanaka Chikao; 1905-1995) was a Japanese playwright and dramatist whose plays focused on the mental, physical, and religious hardships of post-World War II Japan. Tanaka's writing differed greatly from that of other Japanese playwrights at the time because he wrote of essential human conflicts through the eyes of a Christian, which was atypical of the majority of his countrymen. His word structure and dramatic style creates an intense and lyrical force which has been satisfying for many theater enthusiasts, both to his own audiences and to foreign audiences as well. Tanaka is perhaps the first modern Japanese playwright about whom this can be said. He is notable for his play Head of Mary (1959) and his expanded dramatic structures that convey metaphysical, spiritual, and existential themes in the form of masterful, rhythmic dialogue.
Seki Sano (佐野 碩, Sano Seki; January 14, 1905, Tianjin – September 29, 1966, Mexico City) was a Japanese actor, stage…
Seki Sano (佐野 碩, Sano Seki; January 14, 1905, Tianjin – September 29, 1966, Mexico City) was a Japanese actor, stage director, and choreographer. He contributed to the development of the theatre in Japan and later in Mexico, where he was known as the "father of Mexican theatre". He influenced numerous directors and actors both in Mexico and in Latin America. He was also a Marxist activist, known for being the Japanese translator of the socialist anthem The Internationale.
🌐 Wikipedia in other languages:Japanese (ja) ↗Spanish (es) ↗French (fr) ↗German (de) ↗Russian (ru) ↗
Kunio Itō (Japanese: 伊藤圀夫, Hepburn: Itō Kunio; 15 September 1904 – 21 December 1994), known by the stage name Koreya…
Kunio Itō (Japanese: 伊藤圀夫, Hepburn: Itō Kunio; 15 September 1904 – 21 December 1994), known by the stage name Koreya Senda (千田是也, Senda Koreya), was a Japanese theatre director, playwright, translator, and actor. He is known for founding the Haiyuza Theatre Company, and translating and directing the works of Bertolt Brecht in post-World War II Japan. He appeared in more than 50 films between 1936 and 1970.
🌐 Wikipedia in other languages:Japanese (ja) ↗Chinese (zh) ↗Korean (ko) ↗Italian (it) ↗German (de) ↗
Hidemi Kon (今 日出海, Kon Hidemi; 6 November 1903 – 30 July 1984) was a literary critic and essayist active in Japan…
Hidemi Kon (今 日出海, Kon Hidemi; 6 November 1903 – 30 July 1984) was a literary critic and essayist active in Japan during the Shōwa period.
🎓 University of Tokyo🏫 Hyogo Prefectural Kobe High School📅 Born November 6🎂 Born 1903📍 From Hakodate, Hokkaido💼 Writer・Novelist💼 Critic💼 Stage Director
🌐 Wikipedia in other languages:Japanese (ja) ↗Chinese (zh) ↗Korean (ko) ↗Spanish (es) ↗French (fr) ↗German (de) ↗
Hideji Hōjō (北条 秀司, Hōjō Hideji; November 7, 1902 – May 19, 1996) was the pen name of a Japanese author, novelist, and…
Hideji Hōjō (北条 秀司, Hōjō Hideji; November 7, 1902 – May 19, 1996) was the pen name of a Japanese author, novelist, and playwright in Shōwa period Japan. His real name was Iino Hideji (飯野 秀二).