Contents
Yasujirō Ozu
Tokyo Story and quietly powerful films about family, marriage and generational change.
Late Spring · Tokyo Story
- Born
- 12 December 1903
- Birthplace
- Tokyo, Japan
- Died
- 12 December 1963
More people
Yasujirō Ozu
Yasujirō Ozu developed a distinctive cinema of low camera positions, everyday conversation and carefully arranged domestic spaces.
Early life
Merchant family
Born in Tokyo and spent much of his youth in Matsusaka.
Cinema enthusiasm
Became an avid filmgoer while at school and briefly worked as a substitute teacher.
Career
- 1923
Studio entry
Joined Shochiku in its camera department.
- 1927
Directing debut
Made the silent period film Sword of Penitence.
- 1930s–1950s
Domestic dramas
Moved from comedies towards studies of family relationships.
- 1958–1962
Colour films
Adopted colour late in his career, ending with An Autumn Afternoon.
Selected work
Late Spring
A father and daughter face the expectation that she should marry.
Tokyo Story
Elderly parents visit adult children who have little time for them.
An Autumn Afternoon
A widower confronts his daughter's marriage and his own solitude.
Beyond work
Military service
Served in China and was later sent to Singapore during Japan's wartime mobilisation.
Home life
Never married and lived with his mother for much of his adult life.
Sources & photo credit
Life, career and references ↗British Film Institute: Tokyo Story ↗Photo: Unknown author Unknown author. Public domain · Original image. Cropped and displayed in monochrome.
