Kinuyo Tanaka
Kinuyo Tanaka (田中 絹代 Tanaka Kinuyo, 29 November 1909 – 21 March 1977) was a Japanese actress and director. Tanaka was born in Shimonoseki, Yamaguchi Prefecture, Japan. She became a leading actress at seventeen years old, appearing in Heinosuke Gosho's An Embarrassing Dream in 1927. She proceeded to take leading parts in, among others, Yasujirō Ozu's I Graduated, But... in 1929, Gosho's Aiyoku no ki in 1930, and in 1931, Japan's first talkie, The Neighbor's Wife and Mine, directed by Gosho. She had a close working relationship with director Kenji Mizoguchi, having parts in 15 of his films, including leading roles in The Life of Oharu (1952), Ugetsu (1953) and Sansho the Bailiff (1954). Their working relationship ended when Mizoguchi countered a recommendation from the Directors Guild of Japan for the Nikkatsu studio to hire her as a director. Despite this, the production of her second film as director went ahead, but Tanaka never forgave Mizoguchi, and the reasons for his behaviour are unclear. She also played Noboru Yasumoto's mother in Akira Kurosawa's Red Beard (1965). For her portrayal in Kei Kumai's Sandakan N° 8 she won the Best Actress Award at the 25th Berlin International Film Festival in 1975. Her last screen appearance was in 1976 in Kei Kumai's Kita No Misaki. Tanaka was the second Japanese woman who worked as a film director, after Sakane Tazuko (1904‐1975). Her first directing job was on the film Love Letter in 1953, and she made five further films in that role.
Cape of the North
(Old Nun)
Sansho the Bailiff
(Tamaki)
Sandakan No. 8
(Old Osaki)
Equinox Flower
(Kiyoko Hirayama)
Kaisen no Zenya
Mother
(Masako Fukuhara)
The Life of Oharu
(Oharu)
The Love of the Actress Sumako
(Sumako Matsui)
Miss Oyu
(Oyû Kayukawa)
The Woman in the Rumor
(Hatsuko Mabuchi)
Flowing
(Rika Yamanaka / Oharu)
Kono sora no aru kagiri
The Munekata Sisters
(Setsuko Munekata)
Zoku aizen katsura
Alone Across the Pacific
(Youth's Mother)
Women of the Night
(Fusako Owada)
Miyamoto Musashi
(Shinobu Nonomiya)
Utamaro and His Five Women
(Okita)
Her Brother
(Mother)
Flame of My Love
(Eiko Hirayama)
Woman of Tokyo
(Harue)
Phoenix
(Sayoko Aihara)
Bright Sea
(Nobuko Yazaki)
Ornamental Hairpin
(Emi)
Sincere Heart
(Kuniko)
The Village Bride
King of the Land
(Namiko)
A Tale of Archery at the Sanjusangendo
(Okinu)
Useless Button
The Big City: Labor
(Okimi (cleaning woman))
The Ballad of Narayama
(Orin)
A Wanderer's Notebook
(Kishi, Fumiko's mother)
The Neighbour's Wife and Mine
(Wife of the playwright)
The Dancing Girl of Izu
(Kaoru, a dancer)
A Legend or Was It?
(Shizuko Sonobe)
Burden of Life
(Itsuko Kuriyama)
Army
(Waka)
Youth, Why Do You Cry?
(Kozue Uesugi)
The Three Treasures
(Princess Yamato)
The Eternal Rainbow
(Fumi)
Banchō sarayashiki
Wedding Ring
(Noriko Kuki)
Yotsuya Ghost Story Part 1
(Oiwa / Osode)
Yotsuya Ghost Story Part 2
(Oiwa / Osode)
A Man's Recompense: Part 1
A Man's Recompense: Part 2
Flower
A Certain Woman
The Travels of Kinuyo Tanaka
(Self (archive footage))
Forever a Woman
(Neighbor's Wife)
The Moon Has Risen
(Yoneya)
Record of a Woman Doctor
Okoto and Sasuke
(Okoto)
An Heir's Place
(Hisa Hosho)
Victory of Women
(Hiroko Hosokawa)
Five Sisters
Yellow Crow
(Yukiko Matsumoto)
I Graduated, But...
(Machiko Nomoto)
The Scent of Incense
(Tsuna)
The New Road: Akemi
Wakarete ikiru toki mo
(Michi's Mother)
Hahakogusa
(Shige Ozawa)
The Storm
Where Chimneys Are Seen
(Hiroko Ogata)
Kinuyo Tanaka, a Woman We Talk About
(Self (archive footage))
Marching On
(Toshiko Yamamoto)
The Man Who Has Returned
I Flunked, But...
(Cafe's Waitress)
Where Now Are the Dreams of Youth?
(Oshige)
Dragnet Girl
(Tokiko)
Okayo's Preparedness
(Okayo)
Red Beard
(Madame Yasumoto)
Mama, I Need You!
(Street of Wandering Pigeons) When Will the Birds Come Home
(Oshige)
Osayo Koi Sugata
(Osayo)
The Bride Talks in Her Sleep
(Haruko, bride)
Lullaby of the Earth
The Loyal 47 Ronin
(Yae)
Ginza Cosmetics
(Yukiko Tsuji)
The Inner Palace Conspiracy
(Onaka)
The Tree of Love
(Katsue Takaishi)
Tsukiyo no kasa
The Lady of Musashino
(Michiko Akiyama)
Marriage
(Fumie Matsukawa)
Sôbô
(Yoshiko Chō)
Geisha in the Old City
(Oei)
Love Letter
(Landlady)
How Sorrowful
The Ataka Family
(Kuniko Ataka)
The Fencing Master
(Oharu)
The Genealogy of Women
(Otsuta)
Chikamatsu's Love in Osaka
(Myokan)
The Age of Emotion
Victory Song
(Woman who sings lullaby)
My Elder Brother
(Sumako)
On This Earth
(Omitsu, Heiichiro's mother)
Lady Doctor Kinuyo
(Kinuyo Yamaoka)
Seisen aiba fu: Akatsuki ni inoru
(Chiyo)
Song of the Flower Basket
(Yoko)
Kenji Mizoguchi: The Life of a Film Director
Men vs. Women
Sisters of Nishijin
Sanbaba
Stepbrothers
(Rie)
An Innocent Maid
(Oshige)
Young Lady
(Kinuko)
A Hen in the Wind
(Tokiko Amamiya)
Women in Prison
(Prison Warden)
Ugetsu
(Miyagi)
Double Wedding
Sorrow Is Only for Women
Tora-san's Dream-Come-True
(the old family mistress)
Air Raid of the Enemy Plane
(Kiyo)
Spring Thunder
Confession
The New Road: Ryota
The Blacksmith of the Forest
(Omitsu)
Let's Go in Good Spirits
Let's Go, Grandma!
(Kiku Sasaki)
Mother and Child
(Chieko)
Kinuyo's First Love
Osaka Woman
Weeds with flowers
Okinu and Banto
That Night's Woman
Story of Lightning
Shōnen shikeishū
A Woman from the Genroku Era
Village Pasture
(Oharu)
The Little Traveling Entertainer
(Okiku)
Cry of the Raging Current
(Okimi)
Brave Love
The Killing of a Hundred Men at Isshinji Temple
(Otami)
Nature Is the Judge
Fallen Samurai
(Omaki)
Love's Snare
(Osato (Thread Shop Owner))
No Need for Your Opinion
(Daughter)
Troubled Days
(Osaki (Reiko's Sister))
Townspeople
Oh! Carefree, Aren't You?
Young Master
(Tamako (Geisha in training))
Torrent
The Betrayed
(O-Fumi)
Love and Courage
The Cursed Sword
(Owaka)
The Complete Story of Jirocho Shimizu, Part 2: Ashura's Revenge
Her
Flashing Blade
Buried Youth
Secret Struggle
The Basement
Yakko no Koman
The Harakiri at Tennōji
Takada no Baba
An Embarrassing Dream
Magic
Song of the Border Patrol
(Tsutae)
Madame Pearl
The Oath of a Thousand Kills
(Kaōgi (courtesan))
Sankichi the Flying Squirrel
(Oshizu (Tazaemon's daughter))
Night is a Trickster
Lovers' Suicide at Kiso
Modern Warrior Training
Chronicles of a Sea Country
(Oaki (sister))
If Only She...
Immortal Love
The Eternal Heart
Iron Virgin
(Namiko)
What a Handsome Man!
(Shikanyu (geisha))
The Face of Humanity
A Wife Quits
Thank You for Your Hard Work
The Glory of the Shōwa Era
(Yayoi Sakurai (Shōwa chapter))
Symphony of Youth
(Kinuko Noguchi)
Mother, Don't Tarnish Your Name
Echigo Lion
Him and Life
The Village Where the Skylark Sings
The Model of New Women
Cheerful Song
(Mamoko)
Triumphant Song of the Mountain
(Yuki Matsuyama)
The Father and His Son
The Beating
Song of Youth
(Kinuko Yamada)
Where Do Women Go?
(Omitsu)
A Smiling Life
The Big City: Explosion
The Great Ship
The Tale of Kinuyo
(Kinuyo)
Record of Love and Desire
Love, Be with Humanity: Part 1
(Mayumi)
Love, Be with Humanity: Part 2
(Mayumi)
Cry Cheerfully!
Sisters: Part 1
Sisters: Part 2
The Tramp and His Daughter
ABC Lifeline: Fujieda Chapter
ABC Lifeline
Woman of Suffering
The Golden Demon
(Omiya)
Victory or Defeat
My Brother's a Fool
The Willows of Ginza
The Sun Rises from the East
(Miyoko)
Studio Romance: A Guide to Love
Shine, Japanese Women
(Shigeko)
Love in Tokyo
Storm Zone
The Cheerleading Captain's Love
(Omitsu)
Clear and Cloudy
(Fusako Kawahara)
The Road to Marriage
Before the Wedding
(Yukiko Takada)
Daphne
(Tamayō (Geisha))
Mother of the East
(Taeko)
Sakura Ondo
Constellations on Earth, Part One: Earth Chapter
Constellations on Earth, Part 2: Constellations
Honeymoon
Storm in the City
Mominoki wa Nokotta
(Tsuta)
