Kinuyo Tanaka
Acting • Born 1909-11-28 – Died 1977-03-21
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.
Filmography
222 credits
Cape of the North
Movie • 1976
Old Nun
Sansho the Bailiff
Movie • 1954
Tamaki
Sandakan No. 8
Movie • 1974
Old Osaki
Equinox Flower
Movie • 1958
Kiyoko Hirayama
Kaisen no Zenya
Movie • 1943
Mother
Movie • 1952
Masako Fukuhara
The Life of Oharu
Movie • 1952
Oharu
The Love of the Actress Sumako
Movie • 1947
Sumako Matsui
Miss Oyu
Movie • 1951
Oyû Kayukawa
The Woman in the Rumor
Movie • 1954
Hatsuko Mabuchi
Flowing
Movie • 1956
Rika Yamanaka / Oharu
Kono sora no aru kagiri
Movie • 1964
The Munekata Sisters
Movie • 1950
Setsuko Munekata
Zoku aizen katsura
Movie • 1939
Alone Across the Pacific
Movie • 1963
Youth's Mother
Women of the Night
Movie • 1948
Fusako Owada
Miyamoto Musashi
Movie • 1944
Shinobu Nonomiya
Utamaro and His Five Women
Movie • 1946
Okita
Her Brother
Movie • 1960
Mother
Flame of My Love
Movie • 1949
Eiko Hirayama
Woman of Tokyo
Movie • 1933
Harue
Phoenix
Movie • 1947
Sayoko Aihara
Bright Sea
Movie • 1963
Nobuko Yazaki
Ornamental Hairpin
Movie • 1941
Emi
Sincere Heart
Movie • 1953
Kuniko
The Village Bride
Movie • 1928
King of the Land
Movie • 1928
Namiko
A Tale of Archery at the Sanjusangendo
Movie • 1945
Okinu
Useless Button
Movie • 1926
The Big City: Labor
Movie • 1929
Okimi (cleaning woman)
The Ballad of Narayama
Movie • 1958
Orin
A Wanderer's Notebook
Movie • 1962
Kishi, Fumiko's mother
The Neighbour's Wife and Mine
Movie • 1931
Wife of the playwright
The Dancing Girl of Izu
Movie • 1933
Kaoru, a dancer
A Legend or Was It?
Movie • 1963
Shizuko Sonobe
Burden of Life
Movie • 1935
Itsuko Kuriyama
Army
Movie • 1944
Waka
Youth, Why Do You Cry?
Movie • 1930
Kozue Uesugi
The Three Treasures
Movie • 1959
Princess Yamato
The Eternal Rainbow
Movie • 1958
Fumi
Banchō sarayashiki
Movie • 1937
Wedding Ring
Movie • 1950
Noriko Kuki
Yotsuya Ghost Story Part 1
Movie • 1949
Oiwa / Osode
Yotsuya Ghost Story Part 2
Movie • 1949
Oiwa / Osode
A Man's Recompense: Part 1
Movie • 1937
A Man's Recompense: Part 2
Movie • 1937
Flower
Movie • 1941
A Certain Woman
Movie • 1942
The Travels of Kinuyo Tanaka
Movie • 2009
Self (archive footage)
Forever a Woman
Movie • 1955
Neighbor's Wife
The Moon Has Risen
Movie • 1955
Yoneya
Record of a Woman Doctor
Movie • 1941
Okoto and Sasuke
Movie • 1935
Okoto
An Heir's Place
Movie • 1953
Hisa Hosho
Victory of Women
Movie • 1946
Hiroko Hosokawa
Five Sisters
Movie • 1954
Yellow Crow
Movie • 1957
Yukiko Matsumoto
I Graduated, But...
Movie • 1929
Machiko Nomoto
The Scent of Incense
Movie • 1964
Tsuna
The New Road: Akemi
Movie • 1936
Eternity of Love
Movie • 1961
Michi's Mother
Hahakogusa
Movie • 1959
Shige Ozawa
The Storm
Movie • 1956
Where Chimneys Are Seen
Movie • 1953
Hiroko Ogata
Kinuyo Tanaka, a Woman We Talk About
Movie • 2022
Self (archive footage)
Marching On
Movie • 1930
Toshiko Yamamoto
The Man Who Has Returned
Movie • 1944
I Flunked, But...
Movie • 1930
Cafe's Waitress
Where Now Are the Dreams of Youth?
Movie • 1932
Oshige
Dragnet Girl
Movie • 1933
Tokiko
Okayo's Preparedness
Movie • 1939
Okayo
Red Beard
Movie • 1965
Madame Yasumoto
Mama, I Need You!
Movie • 1962
House of Many Pleasures
Movie • 1955
Oshige
Osayo Koi Sugata
Movie • 1934
Osayo
The Bride Talks in Her Sleep
Movie • 1933
Haruko, bride
Lullaby of the Earth
Movie • 1976
The Loyal 47 Ronin
Movie • 1932
Yae
Ginza Cosmetics
Movie • 1951
Yukiko Tsuji
The Inner Palace Conspiracy
Movie • 1951
Onaka
The Tree of Love
Movie • 1938
Katsue Takaishi
Tsukiyo no kasa
Movie • 1955
The Lady of Musashino
Movie • 1951
Michiko Akiyama
Marriage
Movie • 1947
Fumie Matsukawa
Sôbô
Movie • 1933
Yoshiko Chō
Geisha in the Old City
Movie • 1957
Oei
Love Letter
Movie • 1953
Landlady
How Sorrowful
Movie • 1956
The Ataka Family
Movie • 1952
Kuniko Ataka
The Fencing Master
Movie • 1962
Oharu
The Genealogy of Women
Movie • 1934
Otsuta
Chikamatsu's Love in Osaka
Movie • 1959
Myokan
The Age of Emotion
Movie • 1928
Victory Song
Movie • 1945
Woman who sings lullaby
My Elder Brother
Movie • 1934
Sumako
On This Earth
Movie • 1957
Omitsu, Heiichiro's mother
Lady Doctor Kinuyo
Movie • 1937
Kinuyo Yamaoka
Seisen aiba fu: Akatsuki ni inoru
Movie • 1940
Chiyo
Song of the Flower Basket
Movie • 1937
Yoko
Kenji Mizoguchi: The Life of a Film Director
Movie • 1975
Self
Men vs. Women
Movie • 1936
Sisters of Nishijin
Movie • 1952
Sanbaba
Movie • 1974
Stepbrothers
Movie • 1957
Rie
An Innocent Maid
Movie • 1935
Oshige
Young Lady
Movie • 1930
Kinuko
A Hen in the Wind
Movie • 1948
Tokiko Amamiya
Women in Prison
Movie • 1956
Prison Warden
Ugetsu
Movie • 1953
Miyagi
Double Wedding
Movie • 1963
Sorrow Is Only for Women
Movie • 1958
Tora-san's Dream-Come-True
Movie • 1972
the old family mistress
Air Raid of the Enemy Plane
Movie • 1943
Kiyo
Spring Thunder
Movie • 1939
Confession
Movie • 1956
The New Road: Ryota
Movie • 1936
The Blacksmith of the Forest
Movie • 1929
Omitsu
Let's Go in Good Spirits
Movie • 1941
Let's Go, Grandma!
Movie • 1975
Kiku Sasaki
Mother and Child
Movie • 1938
Chieko
Kinuyo's First Love
Movie • 1940
Osaka Woman
Movie • 1940
Weeds with flowers
Movie • 1939
Okinu and Banto
Movie • 1940
That Night's Woman
Movie • 1934
Story of Lightning
Movie • 1951
Shōnen shikeishū
Movie • 1955
A Woman from the Genroku Era
Movie • 1924
Village Pasture
Movie • 1924
Oharu
The Little Traveling Entertainer
Movie • 1925
Okiku
Cry of the Raging Current
Movie • 1925
Okimi
Brave Love
Movie • 1925
The Killing of a Hundred Men at Isshinji Temple
Movie • 1925
Otami
Nature Is the Judge
Movie • 1925
Fallen Samurai
Movie • 1925
Omaki
Love's Snare
Movie • 1925
Osato (Thread Shop Owner)
No Need for Your Opinion
Movie • 1925
Daughter
Troubled Days
Movie • 1926
Osaki (Reiko's Sister)
Townspeople
Movie • 1926
Oh! Carefree, Aren't You?
Movie • 1926
Young Master
Movie • 1926
Tamako (Geisha in training)
Torrent
Movie • 1926
The Betrayed
Movie • 1926
O-Fumi
Love and Courage
Movie • 1926
The Cursed Sword
Movie • 1926
Owaka
The Complete Story of Jirocho Shimizu, Part 2: Ashura's Revenge
Movie • 1926
Her
Movie • 1926
Flashing Blade
Movie • 1926
Buried Youth
Movie • 1926
Secret Struggle
Movie • 1927
The Basement
Movie • 1927
Yakko no Koman
Movie • 1927
The Harakiri at Tennōji
Movie • 1927
Takada no Baba
Movie • 1927
An Embarrassing Dream
Movie • 1927
Magic
Movie • 1927
Song of the Border Patrol
Movie • 1927
Tsutae
Madame Pearl
Movie • 1927
The Oath of a Thousand Kills
Movie • 1927
Kaōgi (courtesan)
Sankichi the Flying Squirrel
Movie • 1927
Oshizu (Tazaemon's daughter)
Night is a Trickster
Movie • 1927
Lovers' Suicide at Kiso
Movie • 1927
Modern Warrior Training
Movie • 1928
Chronicles of a Sea Country
Movie • 1928
Oaki (sister)
If Only She...
Movie • 1928
Immortal Love
Movie • 1928
The Eternal Heart
Movie • 1928
Iron Virgin
Movie • 1928
Namiko
What a Handsome Man!
Movie • 1928
Shikanyu (geisha)
The Face of Humanity
Movie • 1928
A Wife Quits
Movie • 1928
Thank You for Your Hard Work
Movie • 1928
The Glory of the Shōwa Era
Movie • 1928
Yayoi Sakurai (Shōwa chapter)
Symphony of Youth
Movie • 1928
Kinuko Noguchi
Mother, Don't Tarnish Your Name
Movie • 1930
Echigo Lion
Movie • 1929
Him and Life
Movie • 1929
The Village Where the Skylark Sings
Movie • 1929
The Model of New Women
Movie • 1929
Cheerful Song
Movie • 1929
Mamoko
Triumphant Song of the Mountain
Movie • 1929
Yuki Matsuyama
The Father and His Son
Movie • 1929
The Beating
Movie • 1930
Song of Youth
Movie • 1930
Kinuko Yamada
Where Do Women Go?
Movie • 1930
Omitsu
A Smiling Life
Movie • 1930
The Big City: Explosion
Movie • 1930
The Great Ship
Movie • 1930
The Tale of Kinuyo
Movie • 1930
Kinuyo
Record of Love and Desire
Movie • 1930
Love, Be with Humanity: Part 1
Movie • 1931
Mayumi
Love, Be with Humanity: Part 2
Movie • 1931
Mayumi
Cry Cheerfully!
Movie • 1931
Sisters: Part 1
Movie • 1931
Sisters: Part 2
Movie • 1931
The Tramp and His Daughter
Movie • 1931
ABC Lifeline: Fujieda Chapter
Movie • 1931
ABC Lifeline
Movie • 1931
Woman of Suffering
Movie • 1931
The Golden Demon
Movie • 1932
Omiya
Victory or Defeat
Movie • 1932
My Brother's a Fool
Movie • 1932
The Willows of Ginza
Movie • 1932
The Sun Rises from the East
Movie • 1932
Miyoko
Studio Romance: A Guide to Love
Movie • 1932
Shine, Japanese Women
Movie • 1932
Shigeko
Love in Tokyo
Movie • 1932
Storm Zone
Movie • 1932
The Cheerleading Captain's Love
Movie • 1933
Omitsu
Clear and Cloudy
Movie • 1933
Fusako Kawahara
The Road to Marriage
Movie • 1933
Before the Wedding
Movie • 1933
Yukiko Takada
Daphne
Movie • 1933
Tamayō (Geisha)
Mother of the East
Movie • 1934
Taeko
Sakura Ondo
Movie • 1934
Constellations on Earth, Part One: Earth Chapter
Movie • 1934
Constellations on Earth, Part 2: Constellations
Movie • 1934
Honeymoon
Movie • 1934
Storm in the City
Movie • 1934
Himitsu
Movie • 1952
Kanojo no hatsugen
Movie • 1946
Mominoki wa Nokotta
TV • 1970
Tsuta