Kinuyo Tanaka

Biography

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

Mominoki wa Nokotta

Red Beard

Ugetsu

Sansho the Bailiff

The Three Treasures

Equinox Flower

Sandakan No. 8

The Life of Oharu

All Movies (222)

• Kinuyo Tanaka, a Woman We Talk About2022 · as Self (archive footage)
• The Travels of Kinuyo Tanaka2009 · as Self (archive footage)
• Lullaby of the Earth1976
• Cape of the North1976 · as Old Nun
• Let's Go, Grandma!1975 · as Kiku Sasaki
• Kenji Mizoguchi: The Life of a Film Director1975 · as Self
• Sandakan No. 81974 · as Old Osaki
• Sanbaba1974
• Tora-san's Dream-Come-True1972 · as The Old Family Mistress
• Red Beard1965 · as Madame Yasumoto
• Kono sora no aru kagiri1964
• The Scent of Incense1964 · as Tsuna
• Bright Sea1963 · as Nobuko Yazaki
• Alone Across the Pacific1963 · as Youth's Mother
• A Legend or Was It?1963 · as Shizuko Sonobe
• Double Wedding1963
• Mama, I Need You!1962
• The Fencing Master1962 · as Oharu
• A Wanderer's Notebook1962 · as Kishi, Fumiko's Mother
• Eternity of Love1961 · as Michi's Mother
• Her Brother1960 · as Mother
• The Three Treasures1959 · as Princess Yamato
• Chikamatsu's Love in Osaka1959 · as Myokan
• Hahakogusa1959 · as Shige Ozawa
• The Eternal Rainbow1958 · as Fumi
• Equinox Flower1958 · as Kiyoko Hirayama
• The Ballad of Narayama1958 · as Orin
• Sorrow Is Only for Women1958
• On This Earth1957 · as Omitsu, Heiichiro's mother
• Geisha in the Old City1957 · as Oei
• Stepbrothers1957 · as Rie
• Yellow Crow1957 · as Yukiko Matsumoto
• Flowing1956 · as Rika Yamanaka / Oharu
• The Storm1956
• Women in Prison1956 · as Prison Warden
• How Sorrowful1956
• This Is Home1956
• Confession1956
• Forever a Woman1955 · as Neighbor's Wife
• Tsukiyo no kasa1955
• Shōnen shikeishū1955
• House of Many Pleasures1955 · as Oshige
• The Moon Has Risen1955 · as Yoneya
• The Woman in the Rumor1954 · as Hatsuko Mabuchi
• Five Sisters1954
• Sansho the Bailiff1954 · as Tamaki
• Love Letter1953 · as Landlady
• An Heir's Place1953 · as Hisa Hosho
• Ugetsu1953 · as Miyagi
• Where Chimneys Are Seen1953 · as Hiroko Ogata
• Sincere Heart1953 · as Kuniko
• Himitsu1952
• Mother1952 · as Masako Fukuhara
• The Ataka Family1952 · as Kuniko Ataka
• The Life of Oharu1952 · as Oharu
• Sisters of Nishijin1952
• Story of Lightning1951
• The Lady of Musashino1951 · as Michiko Akiyama
• Miss Oyu1951 · as Oyû Kayukawa
• Ginza Cosmetics1951 · as Yukiko Tsuji
• The Inner Palace Conspiracy1951 · as Onaka
• The Munekata Sisters1950 · as Setsuko Munekata
• Wedding Ring1950 · as Noriko Kuki
• Yotsuya Ghost Story Part 21949 · as Oiwa / Osode
• Yotsuya Ghost Story Part 11949 · as Oiwa / Osode
• Flame of My Love1949 · as Eiko Hirayama
• A Hen in the Wind1948 · as Tokiko Amamiya
• Women of the Night1948 · as Fusako Owada
• Phoenix1947 · as Sayoko Aihara
• The Love of the Actress Sumako1947 · as Sumako Matsui
• Marriage1947 · as Fumie Matsukawa
• Utamaro and His Five Women1946 · as Okita
• Victory of Women1946 · as Hiroko Hosokawa
• Kanojo no hatsugen1946
• A Tale of Archery at the Sanjusangendo1945 · as Okinu
• Victory Song1945 · as Woman who sings lullaby
• Miyamoto Musashi1944 · as Shinobu Nonomiya
• Army1944 · as Waka
• The Man Who Has Returned1944
• Air Raid of the Enemy Plane1943 · as Kiyo
• Kaisen no Zenya1943
• A Certain Woman1942
• Record of a Woman Doctor1941
• Ornamental Hairpin1941 · as Emi
• Flower1941
• Let's Go in Good Spirits1941
• Okinu and Banto1940
• Osaka Woman1940
• Seisen aiba fu: Akatsuki ni inoru1940 · as Chiyo
• Kinuyo's First Love1940
• Weeds with flowers1939
• Zoku aizen katsura1939
• Spring Thunder1939
• Okayo's Preparedness1939 · as Okayo
• The Tree of Love1938 · as Katsue Takaishi
• Mother and Child1938 · as Chieko
• Banchō sarayashiki1937
• A Man's Recompense: Part 21937
• A Man's Recompense: Part 11937
• Lady Doctor Kinuyo1937 · as Kinuyo Yamaoka
• Song of the Flower Basket1937 · as Yoko
• The New Road: Ryota1936
• The New Road: Akemi1936
• Men vs. Women1936
• Burden of Life1935 · as Itsuko Kuriyama
• Okoto and Sasuke1935 · as Okoto
• An Innocent Maid1935 · as Oshige
• My Elder Brother1934 · as Sumako
• That Night's Woman1934
• Osayo Koi Sugata1934 · as Osayo
• Storm in the City1934
• Honeymoon1934
• Constellations on Earth, Part 2: Constellations1934
• Constellations on Earth, Part One: Earth Chapter1934
• Sakura Ondo1934
• The Genealogy of Women1934 · as Otsuta
• Mother of the East1934 · as Taeko
• Sôbô1933 · as Yoshiko Chō
• Daphne1933 · as Tamayō (Geisha)
• Before the Wedding1933 · as Yukiko Takada
• The Road to Marriage1933
• Clear and Cloudy1933 · as Fusako Kawahara
• Dragnet Girl1933 · as Tokiko
• The Cheerleading Captain's Love1933 · as Omitsu
• Woman of Tokyo1933 · as Harue
• The Dancing Girl of Izu1933 · as Kaoru, a dancer
• The Bride Talks in Her Sleep1933 · as Haruko, bride
• The Loyal 47 Ronin1932 · as Yae
• Storm Zone1932
• Where Now Are the Dreams of Youth?1932 · as Oshige
• Love in Tokyo1932
• Shine, Japanese Women1932 · as Shigeko
• Studio Romance: A Guide to Love1932
• The Sun Rises from the East1932 · as Miyoko
• The Willows of Ginza1932
• My Brother's a Fool1932
• Victory or Defeat1932
• The Golden Demon1932 · as Omiya
• Woman of Suffering1931
• ABC Lifeline1931
• ABC Lifeline: Fujieda Chapter1931
• The Tramp and His Daughter1931
• The Neighbour's Wife and Mine1931 · as Wife of the Playwright
• Sisters: Part 11931
• Sisters: Part 21931
• Cry Cheerfully!1931
• Love, Be with Humanity: Part 11931 · as Mayumi
• Love, Be with Humanity: Part 21931 · as Mayumi
• Young Lady1930 · as Kinuko
• Youth, Why Do You Cry?1930 · as Kozue Uesugi
• Record of Love and Desire1930
• The Tale of Kinuyo1930 · as Kinuyo
• Mother, Don't Tarnish Your Name1930
• The Great Ship1930
• The Big City: Explosion1930
• Where Do Women Go?1930 · as Omitsu
• A Smiling Life1930
• I Flunked, But...1930 · as Cafe's Waitress
• Song of Youth1930 · as Kinuko Yamada
• Marching On1930 · as Toshiko Yamamoto
• The Beating1930
• Triumphant Song of the Mountain1929 · as Yuki Matsuyama
• The Father and His Son1929
• I Graduated, But...1929 · as Machiko Nomoto
• Cheerful Song1929 · as Mamoko
• The Model of New Women1929
• The Big City: Labor1929 · as Okimi (cleaning woman)
• The Village Where the Skylark Sings1929
• Him and Life1929
• Echigo Lion1929
• The Blacksmith of the Forest1929 · as Omitsu
• Symphony of Youth1928 · as Kinuko Noguchi
• The Glory of the Shōwa Era1928 · as Yayoi Sakurai (Shōwa Chapter)
• King of the Land1928 · as Namiko
• Thank You for Your Hard Work1928
• A Wife Quits1928
• The Face of Humanity1928
• What a Handsome Man!1928 · as Shikanyu (geisha)
• Iron Virgin1928 · as Namiko
• The Eternal Heart1928
• Immortal Love1928
• The Age of Emotion1928
• The Village Bride1928
• If Only She...1928
• Chronicles of a Sea Country1928 · as Oaki (Sister)
• Modern Warrior Training1928
• Night is a Trickster1927
• Lovers' Suicide at Kiso1927
• Sankichi the Flying Squirrel1927 · as Oshizu (Tazaemon's Daughter)
• The Oath of a Thousand Kills1927 · as Kaōgi (Courtesan)
• Madame Pearl1927
• Song of the Border Patrol1927 · as Tsutae
• Magic1927
• An Embarrassing Dream1927
• Takada no Baba1927
• The Harakiri at Tennōji1927
• The Basement1927
• Yakko no Koman1927
• Secret Struggle1927
• Her1926
• Flashing Blade1926
• Buried Youth1926
• The Complete Story of Jirocho Shimizu, Part 2: Ashura's Revenge1926
• Useless Button1926
• The Cursed Sword1926 · as Owaka
• Love and Courage1926
• The Betrayed1926 · as O-Fumi
• Torrent1926
• Young Master1926 · as Tamako (Geisha in training)
• Oh! Carefree, Aren't You?1926
• Townspeople1926
• Troubled Days1926 · as Osaki (Reiko's Sister)
• No Need for Your Opinion1925 · as Daughter
• Fallen Samurai1925 · as Omaki
• Love's Snare1925 · as Osato (Thread Shop Owner)
• The Killing of a Hundred Men at Isshinji Temple1925 · as Otami
• Nature Is the Judge1925
• Brave Love1925
• Cry of the Raging Current1925 · as Okimi
• The Little Traveling Entertainer1925 · as Okiku
• Village Pasture1924 · as Oharu
• A Woman from the Genroku Era1924

All TV Shows (1)

• Mominoki wa Nokotta1970 · as Tsuta