Akira Kurosawa (1910–1998)

STARmeter
Top 5000
Down 90 this week
Akira Kurosawa Picture
Clip
1:28 | Clip
After training as a painter (he storyboards his films as full-scale paintings), Kurosawa entered the film industry in 1936 as an assistant director, eventually making his directorial debut with Sanshiro Sugata (1943). Within a few years, Kurosawa had achieved sufficient stature to allow him greater creative freedom. Drunken Angel (1948) was the ... See full bio »

Died:

(age 88) in Tokyo, Japan

Quick Links

Explore More
Show Less

The Best Movies and Shows in September

From Ana de Armas in a Marilyn Monroe biopic to a new Star Wars series, here are the best movies and series to watch in September.

See the IMDb Editors' picks

Double Duty: Musicians-Turned-Actors

These multi-talented Hispanic and Latino musicians are taking Hollywood by storm with their standout performances in film and TV, including Shotgun Wedding, Bullet Train, and Hustlers.

See the full gallery

Related News

See all related articles »

We Love These Hollywood Power Couples

Check out some of our favorite couples in Hollywood.

See the gallery

On Prime Video

See more on Prime Video »
Create a list »

User Lists

Related lists from IMDb users

Top Directors
a list of 44 people
created 22 May 2017
 
Directors
a list of 43 people
created 02 Oct 2010
 
Favorite Directors
a list of 41 people
created 2 months ago
 
My Best Director Winners
a list of 39 people
created 20 May 2020
 
Favorite Directors
a list of 44 people
created 22 Sep 2020
 
See all related lists »

Do you have a demo reel?

Add it to your IMDb page

How Much Have You Seen?

How much of Akira Kurosawa's work have you seen?

User Polls

See more polls »
Nominated for 1 Oscar. Another 70 wins & 30 nominations. See more awards »

Photos

31 photos | 5 videos »

Known For

The Hidden Fortress
The Hidden Fortress Writer
(1958)
Kagemusha
Kagemusha Writer
(1980)
Ran
Ran Writer
(1985)
Seven Samurai
Seven Samurai Writer
(1954)
Show Show all  | 
 |  Edit

Filmography

Hide Hide Show Show Writer (84 credits)
 2022 Living (original screenplay)
 2020 Nioh 2 (Video Game) (based upon original material by)
 2018 Her Spirit (Short) (inspired by the works of)
 2017 Nioh (Video Game) (based on original material by)
 2016 The Magnificent Seven (based on the screenplay by)
 2013 Stray Dog (TV Movie) (based on a script by)
 2011 The Outrage (based on screenplay by)
 2008 The Last Princess (original screenplay)
 2007 Tsubaki Sanjûrô (screenplay)
 2007 Tengoku to jigoku (TV Movie) (based on screenplay by)
 2004 Samurai 7 (TV Series) (film "Shichinin no samurai" - 26 episodes)
- The Last Battle (2004) ... (film "Shichinin no samurai")
- The Era's End (2004) ... (film "Shichinin no samurai")
- The Oaths (2004) ... (film "Shichinin no samurai")
- The Lies (2004) ... (film "Shichinin no samurai")
- The Rescue (2004) ... (film "Shichinin no samurai")
Show all 26 episodes
 2004 Seven Samurai 20XX (Video Game) (based upon original material by)
 2002 The Sea Is Watching (original screenplay)
 2001-2002 Kaze No Yojimbo (TV Series) (original creator - 25 episodes)
- So Long (2002) ... (original creator)
- The Close Call (2002) ... (original creator)
- The Great Excursion (2002) ... (original creator)
- Tha Tanokura Manor Ablaze (2002) ... (original creator)
- The Search for the Truth (2002) ... (original creator)
Show all 25 episodes
 2000 I Went To (screenplay)
 1999 After the Rain (screenplay)
 1996 Last Man Standing (story)
 1993 Madadayo (writer)
 1990 Dreams (written by)
 1986 Fame (TV Series) (based on the Japanese Daiei film "Rashomon" by - 1 episode)
- The Incident (1986) ... (based on the Japanese Daiei film "Rashomon" by)
 1985 Runaway Train (based on a screenplay by)
 1985 Ran (screenplay)
 1980 Kagemusha
 1975 Dersu Uzala (screenplay - as Akira Kurosava)
 1973 Stray Dog (1949 screenplay)
 1970 Dodes'ka-den (screenplay)
 1970 Tora! Tora! Tora! (Japanese sequences - uncredited)
 1968 The Last Day of Hsianyang (screenplay)
 1965 Sanshiro Sugata (1943 screenplay "Sugata Sanshiro" and 1945 screenplay "Zoku Sugata Sanshiro")
 1965 Red Beard (screenplay)
 1964 The Outrage (screenplay "Rashomon")
 1964 A Fistful of Dollars (screenplay "Yojimbo" - uncredited)
 1964 Jakoman to Tetsu (and earlier screenplay)
 1963 High and Low (screenplay)
 1962 Fencing Master (1950 screenplay Tateshi danpei)
 1962 Sanjuro (screenplay)
 1961 Yojimbo (screenplay) / (story)
 1960 Play of the Week (TV Series) (teleplay - 1 episode)
- Rashomon (1960) ... (teleplay)
 1960 Rashomon (TV Movie) (based on screenplay by)
 1960 The Magnificent Seven (screenplay "Shichinin no samurai" - uncredited)
 1960 The Bad Sleep Well (written by)
 1959 The Saga of the Vagabonds (writer)
 1958 The Hidden Fortress (written by)
 1957 Nichiro senso shori no hishi: Tekichu odan sanbyaku-ri (earlier screenplay "Techiku odan sanbyaku ri") / (screenplay)
 1957 Throne of Blood (screenplay)
 1955 I Live in Fear (story)
 1955 Asunaro monogatari (screenplay)
 1955 Kieta chutai
 1954 Seven Samurai (screenplay by)
 1953 My Wonderful Yellow Car (screenplay)
 1952 Ikiru (written by)
 1951 The Idiot
 1950 Rashomon (screenplay)
 1950 Jiruba Tetsu (screenplay)
 1950 Scandal (written by)
 1949 Stray Dog (writer)
 1949 Jakoman and Tetsu (writer)
 1949 Jigoku no kifujin (writer)
 1949 The Quiet Duel (writer)
 1948 The Portrait (writer)
 1948 Drunken Angel (written by)
 1947 Snow Trail
 1947 Four Love Stories (segment "Hatsukoi")
 1946 No Regrets for Our Youth (uncredited) / (screenplay)
 1945 The Admirable Ishin Tasuke (screenplay)
 1944 Dohyo matsuri
 1944 Dohyosai
 1943 Sanshiro Sugata (writer)
 1941 Uma (uncredited)
Show Show Director (33 credits)
Show Show Second Unit Director or Assistant Director (25 credits)
Show Show Editor (17 credits)
Show Show Producer (11 credits)
Show Show Sound department (1 credit)
Show Show Soundtrack (2 credits)
Show Show Additional Crew (1 credit)
Show Show Thanks (13 credits)
Show Show Self (22 credits)
Show Show Archive footage (24 credits)

Related Videos

See all 5 videos »
Edit

Personal Details

Other Works:

Book: ""Something Like An Autobiography". ISBN: 0394714393, 030780321X See more »

Publicity Listings:

4 Biographical Movies | 15 Print Biographies | 8 Interviews | 21 Articles | 1 Pictorial | See more »

Official Sites:

Facebook

Alternate Names:

Akira Kurosava | Kurosawa

Height:

5' 11½" (1.82 m)

Spouse:

Yôko Yaguchi  (her death)  (2 children)

Children:

Kazuko Kurosawa | See more »

Parents:

Isamu Kurosawa | Kurosawa, Shima

Relatives:

Takayuki Katô (grandchild) | See more »
Edit

Did You Know?

Personal Quote:

[on Godzilla (1954) and Ishirô Honda] Mr. Honda is really an earnest, nice fellow. Imagine, e.g., what you would do if a monster like Godzilla emerges! Normally one would forget and abandon his duty and simply flee! You won't? But the personnel in this movie properly and sincerely lead people, don't they? That is typical of Mr. Honda. I love it. Well, he was my best friend. As you know, I am a ... See more »

Trivia:

He believed his years as an assistant director were invaluable. In Japanese cinema at that time, assistant directors dabbled in virtually every aspect of film production and Kurosawa, among other things, learned all about editing, set-decorating, costume-design and working with actors. Almost all of the assistant directors in Kurosawa's day were aspiring to become full-fledged directors. He felt ... See more »

Trademark:

Characters who express their feelings in an open and uninhibited fashion. See more »

Nickname:

The Emperor See more »
Getting Started | Contributor Zone »

Contribute to This Page



Clear your history

Recently Viewed