Kinuyo Tanaka
- Known for
- Acting
- Born
- November 28, 1909
- Died
- March 21, 1977 (aged 67)
- Birthplace
- Shimonoseki, Yamaguchi, Japan
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
Photos
Filmography
Kinuyo Tanaka, a Woman We Talk About
Movie · as Self (archive footage)
The Travels of Kinuyo Tanaka
Movie · as Self (archive footage)
Cape of the North
Movie · as Old Nun
Lullaby of the Earth
Movie
Kenji Mizoguchi: The Life of a Film Director
Movie · as Self
Let's Go, Grandma!
Movie · as Kiku Sasaki
Sandakan No. 8
Movie · as Old Osaki
Sanbaba
Movie
Tora-san's Dream-Come-True
Movie · as 旧家的夫人
Mominoki wa Nokotta
TV · as Tsuta · 52 eps
Red Beard
Movie · as Madame Yasumoto
Kono sora no aru kagiri
Movie
The Scent of Incense
Movie · as Tsuna
Alone Across the Pacific
Movie · as Youth's Mother
Bright Sea
Movie · as Nobuko Yazaki
A Legend or Was It?
Movie · as Shizuko Sonobe
Double Wedding
Movie
A Wanderer's Notebook
Movie · as Kishi, Fumiko's Mother
Mama, I Need You!
Movie
The Fencing Master
Movie · as Oharu
Eternity of Love
Movie · as Michi's Mother
Her Brother
Movie · as Mother
The Three Treasures
Movie · as Princess Yamato
Hahakogusa
Movie · as Shige Ozawa
Chikamatsu's Love in Osaka
Movie · as Myokan
Equinox Flower
Movie · as Kiyoko Hirayama
The Ballad of Narayama
Movie · as Orin
The Eternal Rainbow
Movie · as Fumi
Sorrow Is Only for Women
Movie
Yellow Crow
Movie · as Yukiko Matsumoto
Geisha in the Old City
Movie · as Oei
On This Earth
Movie · as Omitsu, Heiichiro's mother
Stepbrothers
Movie · as Rie
Flowing
Movie · as Rika Yamanaka / Oharu
The Storm
Movie
How Sorrowful
Movie
Women in Prison
Movie · as Prison Warden
Confession
Movie
This Is Home
Movie
Forever a Woman
Movie · as Neighbor's Wife
The Moon Has Risen
Movie · as Yoneya
House of Many Pleasures
Movie · as Oshige
Tsukiyo no kasa
Movie
Shōnen shikeishū
Movie
Sansho the Bailiff
Movie · as Tamaki
The Woman in the Rumor
Movie · as Hatsuko Mabuchi
Five Sisters
Movie
Sincere Heart
Movie · as Kuniko
An Heir's Place
Movie · as Hisa Hosho
Where Chimneys Are Seen
Movie · as Hiroko Ogata
Love Letter
Movie · as Landlady
Ugetsu
Movie · as Miyagi
Mother
Movie · as Masako Fukuhara
The Life of Oharu
Movie · as Oharu
The Ataka Family
Movie · as Kuniko Ataka
Sisters of Nishijin
Movie
Her Secret
Movie
Miss Oyu
Movie · as Oyû Kayukawa
Ginza Cosmetics
Movie · as Yukiko Tsuji
The Inner Palace Conspiracy
Movie · as Onaka
The Lady of Musashino
Movie · as Michiko Akiyama
Story of Lightning
Movie
Aizenbashi
Movie
The Munekata Sisters
Movie · as Setsuko Munekata
Wedding Ring
Movie · as Noriko Kuki
The Actress and the Detective
Movie
Flame of My Love
Movie · as Eiko Hirayama
Yotsuya Ghost Story Part 1
Movie · as Oiwa / Osode
Yotsuya Ghost Story Part 2
Movie · as Oiwa / Osode
Women of the Night
Movie · as Fusako Owada
A Hen in the Wind
Movie · as Tokiko Amamiya
The Love of the Actress Sumako
Movie · as Sumako Matsui
Phoenix
Movie · as Sayoko Aihara
Marriage
Movie · as Fumie Matsukawa
Utamaro and His Five Women
Movie · as Okita
Victory of Women
Movie · as Hiroko Hosokawa
Kanojo no hatsugen
Movie
A Tale of Archery at the Sanjusangendo
Movie · as Okinu
Victory Song
Movie · as Woman who sings lullaby
Miyamoto Musashi
Movie · as Shinobu Nonomiya
Army
Movie · as Waka
The Man Who Has Returned
Movie
Kaisen no Zenya
Movie
Air Raid of the Enemy Plane
Movie · as Kiyo
A Certain Woman
Movie
Ornamental Hairpin
Movie · as Emi
Flower
Movie
Record of a Woman Doctor
Movie
Let's Go in Good Spirits
Movie
Seisen aiba fu: Akatsuki ni inoru
Movie · as Chiyo
Kinuyo's First Love
Movie
Osaka Woman
Movie
Okinu and Banto
Movie
Zoku aizen katsura
Movie
Okayo's Preparedness
Movie · as Okayo
Spring Thunder
Movie
Weeds with flowers
Movie
The Tree of Love
Movie · as Katsue Takaishi
Mother and Child
Movie · as Chieko
Banchō sarayashiki
Movie
A Man's Recompense: Part 1
Movie
A Man's Recompense: Part 2
Movie
Lady Doctor Kinuyo
Movie · as Kinuyo Yamaoka
Song of the Flower Basket
Movie · as Yoko
The New Road: Akemi
Movie
Men vs. Women
Movie
The New Road: Ryota
Movie
Burden of Life
Movie · as Itsuko Kuriyama
Okoto and Sasuke
Movie · as Okoto
An Innocent Maid
Movie · as Oshige
Osayo Koi Sugata
Movie · as Osayo
The Genealogy of Women
Movie · as Otsuta
My Elder Brother
Movie · as Sumako
That Night's Woman
Movie
Mother of the East
Movie · as Taeko
Sakura Ondo
Movie
Constellations on Earth, Part One: Earth Chapter
Movie
Constellations on Earth, Part 2: Constellations
Movie
Honeymoon
Movie
Storm in the City
Movie
Woman of Tokyo
Movie · as Harue
The Dancing Girl of Izu
Movie · as Kaoru, a dancer
Dragnet Girl
Movie · as Tokiko
The Bride Talks in Her Sleep
Movie · as Haruko, bride
Sôbô
Movie · as Yoshiko Chō
The Cheerleading Captain's Love
Movie · as Omitsu
Clear and Cloudy
Movie · as Fusako Kawahara
The Road to Marriage
Movie
Before the Wedding
Movie · as Yukiko Takada
Daphne
Movie · as Tamayō (Geisha)
Where Now Are the Dreams of Youth?
Movie · as Oshige
The Loyal 47 Ronin
Movie · as Yae
The Golden Demon
Movie · as Omiya
Victory or Defeat
Movie
My Brother's a Fool
Movie
The Willows of Ginza
Movie
The Sun Rises from the East
Movie · as Miyoko
Studio Romance: A Guide to Love
Movie
Shine, Japanese Women
Movie · as Shigeko
Love in Tokyo
Movie
Storm Zone
Movie
The Neighbour's Wife and Mine
Movie · as Wife of the Playwright
Love, Be with Humanity: Part 1
Movie · as Mayumi
Love, Be with Humanity: Part 2
Movie · as Mayumi
Cry Cheerfully!
Movie
Sisters: Part 1
Movie
Sisters: Part 2
Movie
The Tramp and His Daughter
Movie
ABC Lifeline: Fujieda Chapter
Movie
ABC Lifeline
Movie
Woman of Suffering
Movie
Youth, Why Do You Cry?
Movie · as Kozue Uesugi
Marching On
Movie · as Toshiko Yamamoto
I Flunked, But...
Movie · as Cafe's Waitress
Young Lady
Movie · as Kinuko
Mother, Don't Tarnish Your Name
Movie
The Beating
Movie
Song of Youth
Movie · as Kinuko Yamada
Where Do Women Go?
Movie · as Omitsu
A Smiling Life
Movie
The Big City: Explosion
Movie
The Great Ship
Movie
The Tale of Kinuyo
Movie · as Kinuyo
Record of Love and Desire
Movie
The Big City: Labor
Movie · as Okimi (cleaning woman)
I Graduated, But...
Movie · as Machiko Nomoto
The Blacksmith of the Forest
Movie · as Omitsu
Echigo Lion
Movie
Him and Life
Movie
The Village Where the Skylark Sings
Movie
The Model of New Women
Movie
Cheerful Song
Movie · as Mamoko
Triumphant Song of the Mountain
Movie · as Yuki Matsuyama
The Father and His Son
Movie
The Village Bride
Movie
King of the Land
Movie · as Namiko
The Age of Emotion
Movie
Modern Warrior Training
Movie
Chronicles of a Sea Country
Movie · as Oaki (Sister)
If Only She...
Movie
Immortal Love
Movie
The Eternal Heart
Movie
Iron Virgin
Movie · as Namiko
What a Handsome Man!
Movie · as Shikanyu (geisha)
The Face of Humanity
Movie
A Wife Quits
Movie
Thank You for Your Hard Work
Movie
The Glory of the Shōwa Era
Movie · as Yayoi Sakurai (Shōwa Chapter)
Symphony of Youth
Movie · as Kinuko Noguchi
Secret Struggle
Movie
The Basement
Movie
Yakko no Koman
Movie
The Harakiri at Tennōji
Movie
Takada no Baba
Movie
An Embarrassing Dream
Movie
Magic
Movie
Song of the Border Patrol
Movie · as Tsutae
Madame Pearl
Movie
The Oath of a Thousand Kills
Movie · as Kaōgi (Courtesan)
Sankichi the Flying Squirrel
Movie · as Oshizu (Tazaemon's Daughter)
Night is a Trickster
Movie
Lovers' Suicide at Kiso
Movie
Useless Button
Movie
Troubled Days
Movie · as Osaki (Reiko's Sister)
Townspeople
Movie
Oh! Carefree, Aren't You?
Movie
Young Master
Movie · as Tamako (Geisha in training)
Torrent
Movie
The Betrayed
Movie · as O-Fumi
Love and Courage
Movie
The Cursed Sword
Movie · as Owaka
The Complete Story of Jirocho Shimizu, Part 2: Ashura's Revenge
Movie
Her
Movie
Flashing Blade
Movie
Buried Youth
Movie
The Little Traveling Entertainer
Movie · as Okiku
Cry of the Raging Current
Movie · as Okimi
Brave Love
Movie
The Killing of a Hundred Men at Isshinji Temple
Movie · as Otami
Nature Is the Judge
Movie
Fallen Samurai
Movie · as Omaki
Love's Snare
Movie · as Osato (Thread Shop Owner)
No Need for Your Opinion
Movie · as Daughter
A Woman from the Genroku Era
Movie
Village Pasture
Movie · as Oharu