Juzo Itami
Encyclopedia
, born , was an actor and (later) a popular modern Japan
ese film director
. Many critics came to regard him as Japan's greatest director since Akira Kurosawa
. His 10 movies, all of which he wrote himself, are comic satire
s on elements of Japanese culture
.
, Japan
. The name Itami was passed on from his father, Mansaku Itami—who had himself been a renowned satirist and film director before World War II
. He is the brother-in-law of Kenzaburō Ōe
and uncle of Hikari Ōe
. He played the father Ishihara in the comic TV program Cometa San.
At the end of the war, when he was in Kyoto
, Itami was chosen as an infant prodigy and educated at Tokubetsu Kagaku Gakkyū as a future scientist who was expected to defeat the allied powers. Among his fellow students, were the sons of Hideki Yukawa
and Sin-Itiro Tomonaga
. This class was abolished in March 1947.
He moved from Kyoto to Ehime
when he was a high school student. After transferring to the prestigious Matsuyama Higashi High School
, where he was known to be able to read works by Arthur Rimbaud
in French. But due to his poor academic record, he had to remain in the same class for two years. It was here that he became acquainted with Kenzaburō Ōe
, who was going to marry his sister. When it turned out that he could not graduate from Matsuyama Higashi High School, he transferred to Matsuyama Minami High School, from which he graduated.
After failing the entrance exam for the College of Engineering at Osaka University
, Itami worked at various times as a commercial designer, a television reporter, a magazine editor, and an essayist. He first acted in Ginza no Dora-Neko (1960) and appeared in various films and television series, including the big-budget Anglo-American film Lord Jim
(1965). The most notable movie in which Itami acted may be Yoshimitsu Morita's 1983 movie Kazoku Gēmu (The Family Game
).
) in 1984, at the age of 50. This film proved popular in Japan and won many awards, including Japanese Academy Awards
for Best Picture, Best Director, and Best Screenplay. However, it was his second movie, his "noodle western" Tampopo
, that earned him international exposure and acclaim. All of his films were profitable; most were also critical successes.
Itami's wife, Nobuko Miyamoto
, is often the star of his movies. Her role tends to be that of an Everywoman figure.
satire Minbo no Onna, Itami was attacked, beaten, and slashed on the face by five members of the Goto-gumi
, a Shizuoka
-based yakuza clan, who were angry at Itami's portrayal of yakuza as bullies and thugs in the film. This attack led to a government crackdown on the yakuza. His subsequent stay in a hospital inspired his next film Daibyonin
, a grim satire on the Japanese health system.
on December 20, 1997 in Tokyo
, by leaping from the roof of the building where his office was located, after a sex scandal
he was allegedly involved in was picked up by the press. The suicide letter he reportedly left behind denied any involvement in such an affair.
Many consider his death suspicious. Citing unnamed sources, Jake Adelstein
of Yomiuri Shimbun
, who wrote a number of articles dealing with Japanese yakuza, directly accused Goto of murder. Adelstein stated that Jūzō Itami was planning a new movie about Goto's yakuza faction and its relationship with the religious group Sōka Gakkai and that "A gang of five of his people grabbed Itami and made him jump off a rooftop at gunpoint. That’s how he committed suicide." At the time, the police treated it as a possible homicide. Itami's surviving family have remained silent on the circumstances surrounding his death.
Japan
Japan is an island nation in East Asia. Located in the Pacific Ocean, it lies to the east of the Sea of Japan, China, North Korea, South Korea and Russia, stretching from the Sea of Okhotsk in the north to the East China Sea and Taiwan in the south...
ese film director
Film director
A film director is a person who directs the actors and film crew in filmmaking. They control a film's artistic and dramatic nathan roach, while guiding the technical crew and actors.-Responsibilities:...
. Many critics came to regard him as Japan's greatest director since Akira Kurosawa
Akira Kurosawa
was a Japanese film director, producer, screenwriter and editor. Regarded as one of the most important and influential filmmakers in the history of cinema, Kurosawa directed 30 filmsIn 1946, Kurosawa co-directed, with Hideo Sekigawa and Kajiro Yamamoto, the feature Those Who Make Tomorrow ;...
. His 10 movies, all of which he wrote himself, are comic satire
Satire
Satire is primarily a literary genre or form, although in practice it can also be found in the graphic and performing arts. In satire, vices, follies, abuses, and shortcomings are held up to ridicule, ideally with the intent of shaming individuals, and society itself, into improvement...
s on elements of Japanese culture
Culture of Japan
The culture of Japan has evolved greatly over the millennia, from the country's prehistoric Jōmon period to its contemporary hybrid culture, which combines influences from Asia, Europe and North America...
.
Early life
Itami was born Yoshihiro Ikeuchi in KyotoKyoto
is a city in the central part of the island of Honshū, Japan. It has a population close to 1.5 million. Formerly the imperial capital of Japan, it is now the capital of Kyoto Prefecture, as well as a major part of the Osaka-Kobe-Kyoto metropolitan area.-History:...
, Japan
Japan
Japan is an island nation in East Asia. Located in the Pacific Ocean, it lies to the east of the Sea of Japan, China, North Korea, South Korea and Russia, stretching from the Sea of Okhotsk in the north to the East China Sea and Taiwan in the south...
. The name Itami was passed on from his father, Mansaku Itami—who had himself been a renowned satirist and film director before World War II
World War II
World War II, or the Second World War , was a global conflict lasting from 1939 to 1945, involving most of the world's nations—including all of the great powers—eventually forming two opposing military alliances: the Allies and the Axis...
. He is the brother-in-law of Kenzaburō Ōe
Kenzaburo Oe
is a Japanese author and a major figure in contemporary Japanese literature. His works, strongly influenced by French and American literature and literary theory, deal with political, social and philosophical issues including nuclear weapons, social non-conformism and existentialism.Ōe was awarded...
and uncle of Hikari Ōe
Hikari Oe
is a Japanese composer who has autism. He is the son of Japanese author Kenzaburō Ōe.Hikari Ōe was born developmentally disabled. Doctors tried to convince his parents to let their son die, but they refused to do so. Even after an operation, Ōe remained visually impaired, developmentally delayed,...
. He played the father Ishihara in the comic TV program Cometa San.
At the end of the war, when he was in Kyoto
Kyoto
is a city in the central part of the island of Honshū, Japan. It has a population close to 1.5 million. Formerly the imperial capital of Japan, it is now the capital of Kyoto Prefecture, as well as a major part of the Osaka-Kobe-Kyoto metropolitan area.-History:...
, Itami was chosen as an infant prodigy and educated at Tokubetsu Kagaku Gakkyū as a future scientist who was expected to defeat the allied powers. Among his fellow students, were the sons of Hideki Yukawa
Hideki Yukawa
né , was a Japanese theoretical physicist and the first Japanese Nobel laureate.-Biography:Yukawa was born in Tokyo and grew up in Kyoto. In 1929, after receiving his degree from Kyoto Imperial University, he stayed on as a lecturer for four years. After graduation, he was interested in...
and Sin-Itiro Tomonaga
Sin-Itiro Tomonaga
was a Japanese physicist, influential in the development of quantum electrodynamics, work for which he was jointly awarded the Nobel Prize in Physics in 1965 along with Richard Feynman and Julian Schwinger.-Biography:...
. This class was abolished in March 1947.
He moved from Kyoto to Ehime
Ehime Prefecture
is a prefecture in northwestern Shikoku, Japan. The capital is Matsuyama.-History:Until the Meiji Restoration, Ehime prefecture was known as Iyo Province...
when he was a high school student. After transferring to the prestigious Matsuyama Higashi High School
Matsuyama Higashi High School
is a Japanese high school founded in 1878 as Matsuyama Middle School.-History:The high school was founded as Matsuyama Middle School in 1878. Although the school was founded during the Meiji period, it has earlier roots in the Iyo-Matsuyama Domain's Han school, Kōtokukan, Shūraikan and...
, where he was known to be able to read works by Arthur Rimbaud
Arthur Rimbaud
Jean Nicolas Arthur Rimbaud was a French poet. Born in Charleville, Ardennes, he produced his best known works while still in his late teens—Victor Hugo described him at the time as "an infant Shakespeare"—and he gave up creative writing altogether before the age of 21. As part of the decadent...
in French. But due to his poor academic record, he had to remain in the same class for two years. It was here that he became acquainted with Kenzaburō Ōe
Kenzaburo Oe
is a Japanese author and a major figure in contemporary Japanese literature. His works, strongly influenced by French and American literature and literary theory, deal with political, social and philosophical issues including nuclear weapons, social non-conformism and existentialism.Ōe was awarded...
, who was going to marry his sister. When it turned out that he could not graduate from Matsuyama Higashi High School, he transferred to Matsuyama Minami High School, from which he graduated.
After failing the entrance exam for the College of Engineering at Osaka University
Osaka University
, or , is a major national university located in Osaka, Japan. It is the sixth oldest university in Japan as the Osaka Prefectural Medical College, and formerly one of the Imperial Universities of Japan...
, Itami worked at various times as a commercial designer, a television reporter, a magazine editor, and an essayist. He first acted in Ginza no Dora-Neko (1960) and appeared in various films and television series, including the big-budget Anglo-American film Lord Jim
Lord Jim (1965 film)
Lord Jim is a 1965 adventure film made by Columbia Pictures. It was produced and directed by Richard Brooks with Jules Buck and Peter O'Toole as associate producers, from a screenplay by Brooks...
(1965). The most notable movie in which Itami acted may be Yoshimitsu Morita's 1983 movie Kazoku Gēmu (The Family Game
The Family Game
is a Japanese movie that was directed by Yoshimitsu Morita in 1983. The movie portrays the changing dynamics of Japanese family life around the time...
).
Director
Itami first directed the movie Ososhiki (The FuneralThe Funeral (1984 film)
is a 1984 Japanese comedy film by director Itami Juzo.The film shows the preparations for a traditional Japanese funeral. It mixes grief at the loss of a husband and father with wry observations of the various characters as they interact during the three days of preparation.The Funeral was the...
) in 1984, at the age of 50. This film proved popular in Japan and won many awards, including Japanese Academy Awards
Japanese Academy Awards
The , often called the Japan Academy Awards or the Japanese Academy Awards, is a series of awards given annually since 1978 by the Nippon Academy-shō Association for excellence in Japanese film...
for Best Picture, Best Director, and Best Screenplay. However, it was his second movie, his "noodle western" Tampopo
Tampopo
is a 1985 Japanese comedy film by director Juzo Itami, starring Tsutomu Yamazaki, Nobuko Miyamoto and Ken Watanabe. The publicity for the film calls it the first ramen western, a play on the term Spaghetti Western .-Plot summary:Tampopo begins when a pair of truck drivers, an experienced one named...
, that earned him international exposure and acclaim. All of his films were profitable; most were also critical successes.
Itami's wife, Nobuko Miyamoto
Nobuko Miyamoto
is a Japanese actress. She was born in Otaru, Hokkaidō, and raised in Nagoya. She was married to director Jūzō Itami from 1969 until his death in 1997, and regularly starred in his films....
, is often the star of his movies. Her role tends to be that of an Everywoman figure.
Yakuza Attack
On May 22, 1992, six days after the release of his anti-yakuzaYakuza
, also known as , are members of traditional organized crime syndicates in Japan. The Japanese police, and media by request of the police, call them bōryokudan , literally "violence group", while the yakuza call themselves "ninkyō dantai" , "chivalrous organizations". The yakuza are notoriously...
satire Minbo no Onna, Itami was attacked, beaten, and slashed on the face by five members of the Goto-gumi
Goto-gumi
The was a Japanese yakuza organization founded by Tadamasa Goto. The gang was originally formed in Fujinomiya, Shizuoka Prefecture, but moved its activities east in 1991 when it merged with a gang in Hachiōji, Tokyo...
, a Shizuoka
Shizuoka Prefecture
is a prefecture of Japan located in the Chūbu region on Honshu island. The capital is the city of Shizuoka.- History :Shizuoka prefecture was formed from the former Tōtōmi, Suruga and Izu provinces.The area was the home of the first Tokugawa Shogun...
-based yakuza clan, who were angry at Itami's portrayal of yakuza as bullies and thugs in the film. This attack led to a government crackdown on the yakuza. His subsequent stay in a hospital inspired his next film Daibyonin
Daibyonin
Daibyonin is a 1993 film directed by the Japanese filmmaker Juzo Itami, about the final year of a successful film director suffering from cancer....
, a grim satire on the Japanese health system.
Death
He purportedly committed suicideSuicide
Suicide is the act of intentionally causing one's own death. Suicide is often committed out of despair or attributed to some underlying mental disorder, such as depression, bipolar disorder, schizophrenia, alcoholism, or drug abuse...
on December 20, 1997 in Tokyo
Tokyo
, ; officially , is one of the 47 prefectures of Japan. Tokyo is the capital of Japan, the center of the Greater Tokyo Area, and the largest metropolitan area of Japan. It is the seat of the Japanese government and the Imperial Palace, and the home of the Japanese Imperial Family...
, by leaping from the roof of the building where his office was located, after a sex scandal
Sex scandal
A sex scandal is a scandal involving allegations or information about possibly-immoral sexual activities being made public. Sex scandals are often associated with movie stars, politicians, famous athletes or others in the public eye, and become scandals largely because of the prominence of the...
he was allegedly involved in was picked up by the press. The suicide letter he reportedly left behind denied any involvement in such an affair.
Many consider his death suspicious. Citing unnamed sources, Jake Adelstein
Jake Adelstein
Joshua "Jake" Adelstein is an American journalist and writer who has spent much of his career in Japan covering vice and organised crime. For 12 years, Adelstein was a crime reporter for the Yomiuri Shinbun and was the first American to work for a Japanese newspaper as a Japanese language reporter...
of Yomiuri Shimbun
Yomiuri Shimbun
The is a Japanese newspaper published in Tokyo, Osaka, Fukuoka, and other major Japanese cities. It is one of the five national newspapers in Japan; the other four are the Asahi Shimbun, the Mainichi Shimbun, Nihon Keizai Shimbun, and the Sankei Shimbun...
, who wrote a number of articles dealing with Japanese yakuza, directly accused Goto of murder. Adelstein stated that Jūzō Itami was planning a new movie about Goto's yakuza faction and its relationship with the religious group Sōka Gakkai and that "A gang of five of his people grabbed Itami and made him jump off a rooftop at gunpoint. That’s how he committed suicide." At the time, the police treated it as a possible homicide. Itami's surviving family have remained silent on the circumstances surrounding his death.
Actor (partial)
- Lord JimLord Jim (1965 film)Lord Jim is a 1965 adventure film made by Columbia Pictures. It was produced and directed by Richard Brooks with Jules Buck and Peter O'Toole as associate producers, from a screenplay by Brooks...
(1965) - Grass LabyrinthGrass Labyrinthis a 1979 Japanese film directed by Shūji Terayama....
(1979) - The Excitement of the Do-Re-Mi-Fa Gir (1985)
- Sweet Home (1989)
Director
- Ososhiki (The FuneralThe Funeral (1984 film)is a 1984 Japanese comedy film by director Itami Juzo.The film shows the preparations for a traditional Japanese funeral. It mixes grief at the loss of a husband and father with wry observations of the various characters as they interact during the three days of preparation.The Funeral was the...
) (1984) - TampopoTampopois a 1985 Japanese comedy film by director Juzo Itami, starring Tsutomu Yamazaki, Nobuko Miyamoto and Ken Watanabe. The publicity for the film calls it the first ramen western, a play on the term Spaghetti Western .-Plot summary:Tampopo begins when a pair of truck drivers, an experienced one named...
(1985) - Marusa no Onna (A Taxing WomanA Taxing Womanis a 1987 Japanese comedy film written and directed by Juzo Itami. It won numerous awards, including six major Japanese Academy awards.The title character of the film, played by Nobuko Miyamoto, is a government tax investigator who employs various techniques to catch tax evaders.The director...
) (1987) - Marusa no Onna II (A Taxing Woman's ReturnA Taxing Woman 2A Taxing Woman's Return, also titled A Taxing Woman 2 is a 1988 Japanese comedy film written and directed by Juzo Itami. It is the sequel to Itami's 1987 comedy A Taxing Woman....
) (1988) - A-ge-manA-ge-manTales of a Golden Geisha is a 1990 Japanese comedy film by director Itami Juzo.The film stars two of Itami's regular actors, Nobuko Miyamoto as a geisha who brings luck to the men with whom she sleeps, and Masahiko Tsugawa as her unfaithful, sometimes partner...
(Tales of a Golden Geisha) (1990) - MinboMinbois a 1992 Japanese film by filmmaker Juzo Itami. It is also known by the titles Minbo: the Gentle Art of Japanese Extortion, The Gangster's Moll and The Anti-Extortion Woman. The film was widely popular in Japan and a critical success internationally...
no Onna (Minbo—or the Gentle Art of Japanese Extortion) (1992) - DaibyoninDaibyoninDaibyonin is a 1993 film directed by the Japanese filmmaker Juzo Itami, about the final year of a successful film director suffering from cancer....
(The Last Dance) (1993) - Shizuka na Seikatsu (A Quiet Life) (1995)
- Sūpā no Onna (Supermarket WomanSupermarket Womanis a 1996 Japanese comedy romance film written and directed by Juzo Itami.The film stars Juzo's wife and regular leading-lady Nobuko Miyamoto as a woman who is hired by a failing supermarket to help it compete against an aggressive local rival...
) (1996) - Marutai no Onna (Woman of the Police Protection Program) (1997)
Awards
- 1985 Japan Academy Prize for Director of the YearJapan Academy Prize for Director of the YearThe of the Japan Academy Prize is one of the annual Awards given by the Nippon Academy-sho association .-List of winners:-External links:* - **...
– The FuneralThe Funeral (1984 film)is a 1984 Japanese comedy film by director Itami Juzo.The film shows the preparations for a traditional Japanese funeral. It mixes grief at the loss of a husband and father with wry observations of the various characters as they interact during the three days of preparation.The Funeral was the... - 1988 Japan Academy Prize for Director of the Year – A Taxing WomanA Taxing Womanis a 1987 Japanese comedy film written and directed by Juzo Itami. It won numerous awards, including six major Japanese Academy awards.The title character of the film, played by Nobuko Miyamoto, is a government tax investigator who employs various techniques to catch tax evaders.The director...