Tomotaka Tasaka
Encyclopedia
was a Japan
ese film director
.
, he began working at Nikkatsu
's Kyoto
studio in 1924 and eventually came to prominence for a series of realist, humanist films made at Nikkatsu's Tamagawa
studio in the late 1930s such as Robō no ishi and Mud and Soldiers
, both of which starred Isamu Kosugi
. His war film, Five Scouts, was screened in the competition at the 6th Venice International Film Festival
.
Tasaka was a victim of the atomic bombing of Hiroshima
and spent many years recovering. He eventually resumed directing and won the best director prize at the 1958 Blue Ribbon Awards
for A Slope in the Sun
, which starred Yūjirō Ishihara
.
His brother, Katsuhiko Tasaka
, was also a film director, and his wife, Hisako Takihana, was an actress.
Japan
Japan is an island nation in East Asia. Located in the Pacific Ocean, it lies to the east of the Sea of Japan, China, North Korea, South Korea and Russia, stretching from the Sea of Okhotsk in the north to the East China Sea and Taiwan in the south...
ese film director
Film director
A film director is a person who directs the actors and film crew in filmmaking. They control a film's artistic and dramatic nathan roach, while guiding the technical crew and actors.-Responsibilities:...
.
Career
Born in Hiroshima PrefectureHiroshima Prefecture
is a prefecture of Japan located in the Chūgoku region on Honshu island. The capital is the city of Hiroshima.- History :The area around Hiroshima was formerly divided into Bingo Province and Aki Province. This location has been a center of trade and culture since the beginning of Japan's recorded...
, he began working at Nikkatsu
Nikkatsu
is a Japanese entertainment company well known for its film and television productions. It is Japan's oldest major movie studio. The name Nikkatsu is an abbreviation of Nippon Katsudō Shashin, literally "Japan Cinematograph Company".-History:...
's Kyoto
Kyoto
is a city in the central part of the island of Honshū, Japan. It has a population close to 1.5 million. Formerly the imperial capital of Japan, it is now the capital of Kyoto Prefecture, as well as a major part of the Osaka-Kobe-Kyoto metropolitan area.-History:...
studio in 1924 and eventually came to prominence for a series of realist, humanist films made at Nikkatsu's Tamagawa
Tama River
The is a major river in Yamanashi, Kanagawa and Tokyo Prefectures on Honshū, Japan. It is officially classified as a Class 1 river by the Japanese government....
studio in the late 1930s such as Robō no ishi and Mud and Soldiers
Mud and Soldiers
is a 1939 Japanese war film directed by Tomotaka Tasaka....
, both of which starred Isamu Kosugi
Isamu Kosugi
was a Japanese actor and film director.-Career:Born in Ishinomaki in Miyagi Prefecture, Kosugi first studied at the Nihon Eiga Haiyū Gakkō before joining the Nikkatsu studio in 1925...
. His war film, Five Scouts, was screened in the competition at the 6th Venice International Film Festival
6th Venice International Film Festival
The 6th Venice International Film Festival was held on 8 - 14 August, 1938. The festival screened a French cinema retrospective, spanning works from 1891 to 1933.-Jury:* Giuseppe Volpi di Misurata * Olaf Andersson...
.
Tasaka was a victim of the atomic bombing of Hiroshima
Atomic bombings of Hiroshima and Nagasaki
During the final stages of World War II in 1945, the United States conducted two atomic bombings against the cities of Hiroshima and Nagasaki in Japan, the first on August 6, 1945, and the second on August 9, 1945. These two events are the only use of nuclear weapons in war to date.For six months...
and spent many years recovering. He eventually resumed directing and won the best director prize at the 1958 Blue Ribbon Awards
Blue Ribbon Awards
The are film-specific prizes awarded solely by movie critics and writers in Tokyo, Japan.The awards were established in 1950 by which is composed of film correspondents from seven Tokyo-based sports newspapers...
for A Slope in the Sun
A Slope in the Sun
aka A Slope in the Sun is a 1958 black-and-white Japanese film drama directed by Tomotaka Tasaka.The film is based on the novel by Yōjirō Ishizaka....
, which starred Yūjirō Ishihara
Yujiro Ishihara
was a Japanese actor and singer born in Kobe. His elder brother, Shintaro Ishihara, is an author, politician, and the current Governor of Tokyo. Yujiro debuted in 1956 in "Season of the Sun," based on a novel written by his brother...
.
His brother, Katsuhiko Tasaka
Katsuhiko Tasaka
was a Japanese film director. He directed films from 1930s to 1960s. His older brother, Tomotaka Tasaka was also a Japanese film director.- Filmography :Katsuhiko Tasaka directed over 40 films:...
, was also a film director, and his wife, Hisako Takihana, was an actress.
Selected filmography
- Five Scouts (五人の斥候兵, Gonin no sekkōhei) (1938)
- Robō no ishi (路傍の石) (1938)
- Mud and SoldiersMud and Soldiersis a 1939 Japanese war film directed by Tomotaka Tasaka....
(土と兵隊, Tsuchi to heitai) (1939) - The Baby CarriageThe Baby Carriageis a 1956 black-and-white Japanese film directed by Tomotaka Tasaka....
(乳母車, Ubaguruma) (1956) - This Day's LifeThis Day's LifeThis Day's Life is a 1957 black and white Japanese film drama directed by Tomotaka Tasaka.- Cast :* Yujiro Ishihara* Mie Kitahara* Masahiko Tsugawa* Nobuo Kaneko* Akira Kobayashi* and others...
(今日のいのち Kyō no inochi) (1957) - A Slope in the SunA Slope in the Sunaka A Slope in the Sun is a 1958 black-and-white Japanese film drama directed by Tomotaka Tasaka.The film is based on the novel by Yōjirō Ishizaka....
(陽のあたる坂道, Hi no ataru sakamichi) (1958) - Lake of TearsLake of Tears (film)is a 1966 Japanese film directed by Tomotaka Tasaka. It was Japan's submission to the 39th Academy Awards for the Academy Award for Best Foreign Language Film, but was not accepted as a nominee.-Cast:* Yoshiko Sakuma as Saku* Katsuo Nakamura as Ukichi Matsumiya...
(湖の琴, Mizuumi no Kin) (1966)