Masato Harada (原田 眞人, Harada Masato; July 3, 1949 – December 8, 2025) was a Japanese film director, screenwriter…Masato Harada (原田 眞人, Harada Masato; July 3, 1949 – December 8, 2025) was a Japanese film director, screenwriter, critic and occasional actor. He was nominated five times for the Japan Academy Film Prize for Best Director, among other accolades.
Yū Terashima (寺島優, Terashima Yū; born 1949 in Tokyo, Japan) is a Japanese manga artist. After working in the Toho…Yū Terashima (寺島優, Terashima Yū; born 1949 in Tokyo, Japan) is a Japanese manga artist. After working in the Toho marketing department for a while, he made his manga debut by winning the 1st Shōnen Jump Original Manga Work Contest in 1978.
Rumi Tama (珠瑠美, Tama Rumi) (also, 珠るみ, 珠ルミ) aka Rumi Kimata (木俣瑠美, Kimata Rumi) is a Japanese film director, actress…Rumi Tama (珠瑠美, Tama Rumi) (also, 珠るみ, 珠ルミ) aka Rumi Kimata (木俣瑠美, Kimata Rumi) is a Japanese film director, actress, and screenwriter, known for her work in the pink film genre. After making her acting debut in 1965, she appeared in independent pink films throughout the rest of the decade, often for director Akitaka Kimata, whom she would later marry, and his son Seiji Izumi. Tama took a brief retirement in the early 1970s, then began appearing in films in Nikkatsu's Roman Porno series in 1975. She began directing in 1981, helming at least 80 films as of 2002.
Takao Koyama (Japanese: 小山 高生, Hepburn: Koyama Takao; born April 21, 1948, in Akishima, Tokyo) is a Japanese…Takao Koyama (Japanese: 小山 高生, Hepburn: Koyama Takao; born April 21, 1948, in Akishima, Tokyo) is a Japanese screenwriter and novelist focusing on anime productions. His name was written as 小山 高男 until 1987.
Haruhiko Arai (荒井 晴彦, Arai Haruhiko; born 1947) is a Japanese screenwriter and film director. He is also a publisher…Haruhiko Arai (荒井 晴彦, Arai Haruhiko; born 1947) is a Japanese screenwriter and film director. He is also a publisher and an editor of the Eiga Geijutsu magazine and a professor of the Japan Institute of the Moving Image.
Hiroshi Takeyama (Yō Takeyama (竹山 洋, Takeyama Yō); July 28, 1946 – April 12, 2023) was a Japanese screenwriter. Besides…Hiroshi Takeyama (Yō Takeyama (竹山 洋, Takeyama Yō); July 28, 1946 – April 12, 2023) was a Japanese screenwriter. Besides his work for television, he is best known for his screenplays for Hotaru (2001) and Shijushichinin no shikaku, Kon Ichikawa's 1994 version of the Forty-seven rōnin story. Both of these were nominated but did not win the Award of the Japanese Academy for "Best Screenplay".
Takashi Ishii (石井隆, Ishii Takashi; 11 July 1946 – 22 May 2022) was a Japanese film director, screenwriter and manga…Takashi Ishii (石井隆, Ishii Takashi; 11 July 1946 – 22 May 2022) was a Japanese film director, screenwriter and manga artist. He directed several pinku eiga erotic films, but his most notable feature was the 1995 crime thriller Gonin starring Takeshi Kitano.
Mitsuru Izawa (井澤 満, Izawa Mitsuru; born August 6, 1945), better known as Mann Izawa (井沢 満, Izawa Man), is a Japanese…Mitsuru Izawa (井澤 満, Izawa Mitsuru; born August 6, 1945), better known as Mann Izawa (井沢 満, Izawa Man), is a Japanese screenwriter and novelist. In 1991, he won the Ministry of Education, Culture, Sports, Science and Technology's Newcomer Award for his writing on the medical drama series Gekai Arimori Saeko (外科医有森冴子). His gay-themed drama series Dōsōkai (同窓会), which aired on prime-time television in 1993, is considered a pioneering work for its depiction of gay relationships. Izawa also wrote several manga series that were illustrated by Yumiko Igarashi in the 1980s, including Georgie!, which was adapted into an anime series; Twinkle Star 2 (ティンクル・スター2); and Boku no Brassiere Island (ぼくのブラジャー♡アイランド). In the late 1990s, he was involved in a legal dispute with Igarashi over merchandising rights to Georgie!
Koji Orita (織田紘二, Orita Kōji, born March 1, 1945) is a Japanese performing arts producer, director, playwright, and…Koji Orita (織田紘二, Orita Kōji, born March 1, 1945) is a Japanese performing arts producer, director, playwright, and author. He spent 43 years at the National Theatre of Japan (now the Japan Arts Council), primarily involved in the production and direction of kabuki. In 2006, he was appointed director of the Japan Arts Council.
Osamu Dezaki (出﨑 統, Dezaki Osamu; November 18, 1943 – April 17, 2011), also known as Makura Saki (崎枕, Saki Makura), Kan…Osamu Dezaki (出﨑 統, Dezaki Osamu; November 18, 1943 – April 17, 2011), also known as Makura Saki (崎枕, Saki Makura), Kan Matsudo (松戸完, Matsudo Kan), Toru Yabuki (矢吹徹, Yabuki Toru) or Kuyou Sai (斉九洋, Sai Kuyou), was a Japanese anime director and screenwriter.
Yoshiyuki Tomino (富野 由悠季, Tomino Yoshiyuki; born 富野 喜幸; November 5, 1941) is a Japanese anime director, screenwriter…Yoshiyuki Tomino (富野 由悠季, Tomino Yoshiyuki; born 富野 喜幸; November 5, 1941) is a Japanese anime director, screenwriter, songwriter and novelist best known for creating the Gundam anime franchise.
Mori Masaki (真崎 守, Masaki Mori; born March 10, 1941 in Yokohama) is a Japanese manga artist, screenwriter and director.…Mori Masaki (真崎 守, Masaki Mori; born March 10, 1941 in Yokohama) is a Japanese manga artist, screenwriter and director. Masaki's career as an animator began in 1963 at Mushi Production, where he was involved in Kimba the White Lion. After a few more works, he left the studio in 1968 and dedicated himself to his work as a mangaka. In 1979, he returned to the film and worked at Studio Madhouse as a director and screenwriter. He directed Natsu e no Tobira and Haguregumo, later wrote the screenplay for the film adaptation of the manga Barefoot Gen and the sci-fi adventure Toki no Tabibito: Time Stranger. In 1986, Masaki retired from anime, although he continued his manga career into the 90s.
Gisaburō Sugii (杉井ギサブロー or 杉井儀三郎, Sugii Gisaburō; born August 20, 1940) is a Japanese anime director and Nihonga…Gisaburō Sugii (杉井ギサブロー or 杉井儀三郎, Sugii Gisaburō; born August 20, 1940) is a Japanese anime director and Nihonga artist. He is best known for his work as director of the Touch series, the movie adaptation of the Arashi no Yoru ni children's book series, and the movie Night on the Galactic Railroad. He is a member of the Directors Guild of Japan and the Japanese Animation Creators Association.
Yukiko Takayama (Japanese: 高山 由紀子, Hepburn: Takayama Yukiko; 4 April 1940 – 2 June 2023) was a Japanese screenwriter…Yukiko Takayama (Japanese: 高山 由紀子, Hepburn: Takayama Yukiko; 4 April 1940 – 2 June 2023) was a Japanese screenwriter and director known for Terror of Mechagodzilla, Hoshi no Ko Chobin, Monarch: The Big Bear of Tallac, Hissatsu Shigotonin, and Genji Monogatari: Sennen no Nazo.
Atsuo Nakamura (中村 敦夫, Nakamura Atsuo; born 18 February 1940) is a Japanese actor and politician. He has appeared in…Atsuo Nakamura (中村 敦夫, Nakamura Atsuo; born 18 February 1940) is a Japanese actor and politician. He has appeared in more than 50 films since 1964. His younger brother Katsuyuki Nakamura is a writer.
Masao Adachi (足立 正生 Adachi Masao, born May 13, 1939) is a Japanese screenwriter, director, actor and former Japanese…Masao Adachi (足立 正生 Adachi Masao, born May 13, 1939) is a Japanese screenwriter, director, actor and former Japanese Red Army member who was most active in the 1960s and 1970s. He was born in Fukuoka Prefecture.
Kazumasa Hirai (平井 和正, Hirai Kazumasa; May 13, 1938 – January 17, 2015) was a Japanese novelist and science fiction…Kazumasa Hirai (平井 和正, Hirai Kazumasa; May 13, 1938 – January 17, 2015) was a Japanese novelist and science fiction writer from Yokosuka, Kanagawa. He graduated from Yokosuka Industrial High School and the law department of Chuo University. Hirai is well known for his SF-manga work. He is the creator of 8 Man (aka 8th Man in the USA) and was well known as the story creator of the 1960s manga series "Genma Taisen" (Genma Wars) about a hero with psychokinetic powers and his battle against a space villain called Genma. Hirai wrote stories for the Wolf Guy comic series, and also published comics co-authored with cartoonist Shotaro Ishinomori that were later adapted into an animated film in 1983.
Chūsei Sone (曽根 中生, Sone Chūsei; 1 October 1937 – 26 August 2014) was a Japanese film director known for his stylish…Chūsei Sone (曽根 中生, Sone Chūsei; 1 October 1937 – 26 August 2014) was a Japanese film director known for his stylish and popular Roman Porno films for Nikkatsu, particularly the first two installments of the Angel Guts series. Despite a somewhat uneven career, many mainstream critics consider Sone the best of Nikkatsu's Roman Porno directors.
Atsushi Yamatoya (大和屋 竺, Yamatoya Atsushi; 19 June 1937 – 16 January 1993) was a Japanese film director, screenwriter…Atsushi Yamatoya (大和屋 竺, Yamatoya Atsushi; 19 June 1937 – 16 January 1993) was a Japanese film director, screenwriter and actor. His son is a fellow screenwriter and race horse owner Akatsuki Yamatoya (大和屋 暁, Yamatoya Akatsuki).
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.
Shunya Itō (伊藤 俊也, Itō Shun'ya; born February 17, 1937) is a Japanese film director known for starting the Sasori /…Shunya Itō (伊藤 俊也, Itō Shun'ya; born February 17, 1937) is a Japanese film director known for starting the Sasori / Female Prisoner Scorpion series of 1970s exploitation films starring Meiko Kaji. Itō worked for Toei Company for most of his career. In 1972, he won a Directors Guild of Japan New Directors Citation for his first film, Female Prisoner #701: Scorpion. He won Picture of the Year at the Japanese Academy Awards in 1985 with his film Gray Sunset, a story of a man suffering from Alzheimer's disease. This thus became Japan's entry for the Academy Award for Best Foreign Language Film instead of Akira Kurosawa's Ran, which caused a slight uproar in Western media as many critics thought Ran had a real chance of winning, whereas Gray Sunset was not even shortlisted. In 1995, he directed Lupin III: Farewell to Nostradamus. In 1998, he directed the World War II drama Pride: The Fateful Moment, presenting a sympathetic view of Hideki Tōjō on trial at the International Military Tribunal for the Far East, attracting accusations of revisionism.
Mamoru Sasaki (佐々木守, Sasaki Mamoru; September 13, 1936 – February 24, 2006) was a Japanese TV and film screenwriter and…Mamoru Sasaki (佐々木守, Sasaki Mamoru; September 13, 1936 – February 24, 2006) was a Japanese TV and film screenwriter and author. He was born in Ishikawa Prefecture of Japan. He graduated from Meiji University.
Kazuo Koike (Japanese: 小池 一夫, Hepburn: Koike Kazuo; May 8, 1936 – April 17, 2019) was a Japanese manga writer…Kazuo Koike (Japanese: 小池 一夫, Hepburn: Koike Kazuo; May 8, 1936 – April 17, 2019) was a Japanese manga writer (gensakusha), novelist, screenwriter, lyricist and entrepreneur. He is best known for his violent, artful seinen manga, notably Lone Wolf and Cub (with Goseki Kojima, 1970–6), Lady Snowblood (with Kazuo Kamimura, 1972–3) and Crying Freeman (with Ryoichi Ikegami, 1986–8), which – along with their numerous media adaptations − have been credited for their influence on the international growth of Japanese popular culture.
Kōji Wakamatsu (若松孝二, Wakamatsu Kōji; 1 April 1936 – 17 October 2012) was a Japanese film director who directed such…Kōji Wakamatsu (若松孝二, Wakamatsu Kōji; 1 April 1936 – 17 October 2012) was a Japanese film director who directed such pink films as Ecstasy of the Angels (天使の恍惚, Tenshi no Kōkotsu; 1972) and Go, Go, Second Time Virgin (ゆけゆけ二度目の処女, Yuke Yuke Nidome no Shojo; 1969). He also produced Nagisa Ōshima's controversial film In the Realm of the Senses (1976). He has been called "the most important director to emerge in the pink film genre," and one of "Japan's leading directors of the 1960s". His 2010 film, Caterpillar, was nominated for the Golden Bear at the 60th Berlin International Film Festival.
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.
Yōichi Higashi (東陽一, Higashi Yōichi; 14 November 1934 – 21 January 2026) was a Japanese film director. He began his…Yōichi Higashi (東陽一, Higashi Yōichi; 14 November 1934 – 21 January 2026) was a Japanese film director. He began his career working on documentaries at Iwanami Productions but, after going independent, turned to fiction film. He won the Directors Guild of Japan New Directors Award for Yasashii Nipponjin in 1971, and then the award for Best Director at the 17th Hochi Film Awards for The River with No Bridge. In 1996, he won the Silver Bear for an outstanding single achievement at the 46th Berlin International Film Festival for the film Village of Dreams. Higashi died on 21 January 2026, at the age of 91.
Sadao Nakajima (Japanese: 中島貞夫, Hepburn: Nakajima Sadao; August 8, 1934 – June 11, 2023) was a Japanese film director…Sadao Nakajima (Japanese: 中島貞夫, Hepburn: Nakajima Sadao; August 8, 1934 – June 11, 2023) was a Japanese film director and screenwriter known for his work in yakuza films and jidaigeki.
Taichi Yamada (山田 太一, Yamada Taichi; 6 June 1934 – 29 November 2023) was a Japanese screenwriter and novelist. His real…Taichi Yamada (山田 太一, Yamada Taichi; 6 June 1934 – 29 November 2023) was a Japanese screenwriter and novelist. His real name was Taichi Ishizaka (石坂 太一, Ishizaka Taichi).
Juzo Itami (伊丹 十三, Itami Jūzō), born Yoshihiro Ikeuchi (池内 義弘, Ikeuchi Yoshihiro; May 15, 1933 – December 20, 1997)…Juzo Itami (伊丹 十三, Itami Jūzō), born Yoshihiro Ikeuchi (池内 義弘, Ikeuchi Yoshihiro; May 15, 1933 – December 20, 1997), was a Japanese actor, screenwriter and film director. He directed eleven films (one short and ten features), all of which he wrote himself. He is the namesake of the Juzo Itami Award, founded in 2009 to honor his legacy.
Junya Satō (佐藤 純彌, Satō Jun'ya; 6 November 1932 – 9 February 2019) was a Japanese film director and screenwriter. His…Junya Satō (佐藤 純彌, Satō Jun'ya; 6 November 1932 – 9 February 2019) was a Japanese film director and screenwriter. His son, Tōya Satō (佐藤 東弥, Satō Tōya), is also a film director.
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.
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.
Masaki Tsuji (辻 真先, Tsuji Masaki; born March 23, 1932 in Nagoya) is a Japanese anime screenwriter, mystery writer…Masaki Tsuji (辻 真先, Tsuji Masaki; born March 23, 1932 in Nagoya) is a Japanese anime screenwriter, mystery writer, manga author, travel critic, essayist, professor as well as mystery fiction novels writer. Tsuji was most active in the business from the 1960s through the 1980s, and worked as a script writer on many popular anime television series for Mushi Production, Toei Animation, and Tokyo Movie Shinsha. He is well known for his association with the animated adaptations of the works of Osamu Tezuka and Go Nagai. In April 2007, Tsuji headed Japan's first international anime research lab as part of Digital Hollywood University. On December 4, 2007, Tsuji was given a lifetime achievement award at the 11th Japan Media Arts Festival. On September 24, 2008, Tsuji won a Special Award in the 13th Animation Kobe for his writing work.
Toshiya Fujita (藤田 敏八, Fujita Toshiya; January 16, 1932 – August 30, 1997), also known as Shigeya Fujita (藤田繁矢, Fujita…Toshiya Fujita (藤田 敏八, Fujita Toshiya; January 16, 1932 – August 30, 1997), also known as Shigeya Fujita (藤田繁矢, Fujita Shigeya), was a Japanese film director, film actor, and screenwriter. He is well-regarded in Japan for his youth films but is best known abroad for Lady Snowblood and Lady Snowblood 2: Love Song of Vengeance, films not typical of his usual style.
Shuntarō Tanikawa (谷川 俊太郎, Tanikawa Shuntarō; December 15, 1931 – November 13, 2024) was a Japanese poet, translator…Shuntarō Tanikawa (谷川 俊太郎, Tanikawa Shuntarō; December 15, 1931 – November 13, 2024) was a Japanese poet, translator, children's author, and screenwriter. He was considered to be one of the most widely read and highly regarded Japanese poets, both in Japan and abroad. The English translation of his poetry volume Floating the River in Melancholy, translated by William I. Elliott and Kazuo Kawamura and illustrated by Yōko Sano, won the American Book Award in 1989.
Shintaro Katsu (Japanese: 勝 新太郎, Hepburn: Katsu Shintarō; 29 November 1931 – 21 June 1997) was a Japanese actor…Shintaro Katsu (Japanese: 勝 新太郎, Hepburn: Katsu Shintarō; 29 November 1931 – 21 June 1997) was a Japanese actor, singer, and filmmaker. He is known for starring in the Akumyo series, the Hoodlum Soldier series, the Hanzo the Razor series, and the Zatoichi series.
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.
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.
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.
Mamoru Watanabe (渡辺 護, Watanabe Mamoru; March 19, 1931 – December 24, 2013) was a Japanese film director, screenwriter…Mamoru Watanabe (渡辺 護, Watanabe Mamoru; March 19, 1931 – December 24, 2013) was a Japanese film director, screenwriter and actor, known for his work in the pink film genre. Along with directors Genji Nakamura and Banmei Takahashi, Watanabe was known as one of the "Three Pillars of Pink".
Kinji Fukasaku (Japanese: 深作 欣二, Hepburn: Fukasaku Kinji; 3 July 1930 – 12 January 2003) was a Japanese filmmaker.…Kinji Fukasaku (Japanese: 深作 欣二, Hepburn: Fukasaku Kinji; 3 July 1930 – 12 January 2003) was a Japanese filmmaker. Known for his "broad range and innovative filmmaking", he worked in many different genres and styles, but was best known for his gritty yakuza films, typified by the Battles Without Honor and Humanity series (1973–1976). According to the Berkeley Art Museum and Pacific Film Archive, his "turbulent energy and at times extreme violence express a cynical critique of social conditions and genuine sympathy for those left out of Japan's postwar prosperity". He used a cinema verite-inspired shaky camera technique in many of his films from the early 1970s. Fukasaku wrote and directed over 60 films between 1961 and 2003. Some Western sources have associated him with the Japanese New Wave movement of the 1960s and 1970s, but this belies his commercial success. His works include the Japanese portion of the Hollywood war film Tora! Tora! Tora! (1970), jidaigeki such as Shogun's Samurai (1978), the space opera film Message from Space (1978), the science fiction film Virus (1980), the fantasy film Samurai Reincarnation (1981), and the highly influential dystopian thriller film Battle Royale (2000). Fukasaku won the Japan Academy Film Prize for Director of the Year three times from nine nominations. He served as the sixth president of the Directors Guild of Japan from 1996 until his death from prostate cancer in 2003. He received the Purple Medal of Honor from the Japanese government for his work in 1997. His films have inspired directors such as Quentin Tarantino, William Friedkin, and John Woo.
