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.
Known for
Sansho the Bailiff
Tamaki
Red Beard
Madame Yasumoto
Ugetsu
Miyagi
Young Master
Tamako (Geisha in training)
Ornamental Hairpin
Emi
If Only She...
A Smiling Life
Equinox Flower
Kiyoko Hirayama
Tora-san's Dream-Come-True
the old family mistress
The Moon Has Risen
Yoneya
Village Pasture
Oharu
The Father and His Son
Ginza Cosmetics
Yukiko Tsuji
Love, Be with Humanity: Part 2
Mayumi
The New Road: Akemi
Banchō sarayashiki
The Village Bride
Her Brother
Mother
Victory of Women
Hiroko Hosokawa
The Woman in the Rumor
Hatsuko Mabuchi
A Woman from the Genroku Era
The Dancing Girl of Izu
Kaoru, a dancer
Five Sisters
The Blacksmith of the Forest
Omitsu
Yotsuya Ghost Story Part 1
Oiwa / Osode
Army
Waka
The Three Treasures
Princess Yamato
The Neighbour's Wife and Mine
Wife of the playwright
The Scent of Incense
Tsuna
Air Raid of the Enemy Plane
Kiyo
The Loyal 47 Ronin
Yae
I Flunked, But...
Cafe's Waitress
The Fencing Master
Oharu
The Love of the Actress Sumako
Sumako Matsui
King of the Land
Namiko
Where Now Are the Dreams of Youth?
Oshige
Flower
Lullaby of the Earth
Osaka Woman
A Legend or Was It?
Shizuko Sonobe
The Genealogy of Women
Otsuta
Yotsuya Ghost Story Part 2
Oiwa / Osode
Osayo Koi Sugata
Osayo
Fallen Samurai
Omaki
Sandakan No. 8
Old Osaki
Mother
Masako Fukuhara
Sanbaba
Eternity of Love
Michi's Mother
A Wife Quits
Let's Go, Grandma!
Kiku Sasaki
Bright Sea
Nobuko Yazaki
Okoto and Sasuke
Okoto
Echigo Lion
Thank You for Your Hard Work
Hahakogusa
Shige Ozawa
Cape of the North
Old Nun
The Storm
The Killing of a Hundred Men at Isshinji Temple
Otami
Young Lady
Kinuko
Double Wedding
The Lady of Musashino
Michiko Akiyama
Love's Snare
Osato (Thread Shop Owner)
ABC Lifeline
Women of the Night
Fusako Owada
How Sorrowful
Men vs. Women
Wedding Ring
Noriko Kuki
Mama, I Need You!
The Big City: Labor
Okimi (cleaning woman)
Yellow Crow
Yukiko Matsumoto
Iron Virgin
Namiko
The Oath of a Thousand Kills
Kaōgi (courtesan)
Song of Youth
Kinuko Yamada
Troubled Days
Osaki (Reiko's Sister)
Okayo's Preparedness
Okayo
The Sun Rises from the East
Miyoko
Kaisen no Zenya
Sincere Heart
Kuniko
Geisha in the Old City
Oei
Nature Is the Judge
The Inner Palace Conspiracy
Onaka
Studio Romance: A Guide to Love
Sankichi the Flying Squirrel
Oshizu (Tazaemon's daughter)
Sôbô
Yoshiko Chō
Alone Across the Pacific
Youth's Mother
Kono sora no aru kagiri
Zoku aizen katsura
Love, Be with Humanity: Part 1
Mayumi
Chikamatsu's Love in Osaka
Myokan
A Hen in the Wind
Tokiko Amamiya
I Graduated, But...
Machiko Nomoto
Cheerful Song
Mamoko
Where Do Women Go?
Omitsu
The Life of Oharu
Oharu
Lady Doctor Kinuyo
Kinuyo Yamaoka
Torrent
Mother and Child
Chieko
A Wanderer's Notebook
Kishi, Fumiko's mother
Spring Thunder
The Ballad of Narayama
Orin
Miss Oyu
Oyû Kayukawa
That Night's Woman
Love in Tokyo
Stepbrothers
Rie
The Munekata Sisters
Setsuko Munekata
Brave Love
Flowing
Rika Yamanaka / Oharu
The Cheerleading Captain's Love
Omitsu
Burden of Life
Itsuko Kuriyama
Forever a Woman
Neighbor's Wife
A Tale of Archery at the Sanjusangendo
Okinu
Mominoki wa Nokotta
Tsuta
My Brother's a Fool
Shōnen shikeishū
Sisters of Nishijin
The Little Traveling Entertainer
Okiku
Where Chimneys Are Seen
Hiroko Ogata
Miyamoto Musashi
Shinobu Nonomiya
Mother of the East
Taeko
Night is a Trickster
Dragnet Girl
Tokiko
The Eternal Rainbow
Fumi
Sorrow Is Only for Women
Secret Struggle
The Ataka Family
Kuniko Ataka
The Beating
Story of Lightning
Seisen aiba fu: Akatsuki ni inoru
Chiyo
What a Handsome Man!
Shikanyu (geisha)
The Willows of Ginza
Townspeople
Kinuyo Tanaka, a Woman We Talk About
Self (archive footage)
Weeds with flowers
Record of Love and Desire
The Model of New Women
The Tale of Kinuyo
Kinuyo
Woman of Tokyo
Harue
Youth, Why Do You Cry?
Kozue Uesugi
Mother, Don't Tarnish Your Name
Useless Button
An Heir's Place
Hisa Hosho
Yakko no Koman
Modern Warrior Training
Marching On
Toshiko Yamamoto
The Golden Demon
Omiya
House of Many Pleasures
Oshige
On This Earth
Omitsu, Heiichiro's mother
Her
An Embarrassing Dream
Okinu and Banto
The Face of Humanity
The Glory of the Shōwa Era
Yayoi Sakurai (Shōwa chapter)
The Betrayed
O-Fumi
Cry of the Raging Current
Okimi
Symphony of Youth
Kinuko Noguchi
The Complete Story of Jirocho Shimizu, Part 2: Ashura's Revenge
Daphne
Tamayō (Geisha)
The Cursed Sword
Owaka
Love Letter
Landlady
Victory or Defeat
Him and Life
Magic
No Need for Your Opinion
Daughter
Chronicles of a Sea Country
Oaki (sister)
The Age of Emotion
Utamaro and His Five Women
Okita
The Village Where the Skylark Sings
Storm Zone
Before the Wedding
Yukiko Takada
The Great Ship
Takada no Baba
Victory Song
Woman who sings lullaby
The Tree of Love
Katsue Takaishi
The Big City: Explosion
ABC Lifeline: Fujieda Chapter
Clear and Cloudy
Fusako Kawahara
Kenji Mizoguchi: The Life of a Film Director
Self
Phoenix
Sayoko Aihara
The Eternal Heart
Women in Prison
Prison Warden
The Man Who Has Returned
The Tramp and His Daughter
The New Road: Ryota
A Man's Recompense: Part 2
Flame of My Love
Eiko Hirayama
Song of the Flower Basket
Yoko
Record of a Woman Doctor
Confession
Let's Go in Good Spirits
A Man's Recompense: Part 1
A Certain Woman
Tsukiyo no kasa
My Elder Brother
Sumako
The Bride Talks in Her Sleep
Haruko, bride
Marriage
Fumie Matsukawa
Kinuyo's First Love
Honeymoon
Triumphant Song of the Mountain
Yuki Matsuyama
The Travels of Kinuyo Tanaka
Self (archive footage)
Sakura Ondo
Flashing Blade
Himitsu
An Innocent Maid
Oshige
Constellations on Earth, Part One: Earth Chapter
Constellations on Earth, Part 2: Constellations
Song of the Border Patrol
Tsutae
Shine, Japanese Women
Shigeko