Toshiharu Ikeda
Encyclopedia
was a Japanese
film director
and screenwriter
who worked in pink film and mainstream cinema. He won the award for Best Director at the 6th Yokohama Film Festival
for Mermaid Legend
.
in 1974, but became involved in filmmaking while still a student. According to Ikeda, his entry into the film industry was accidental, the result of a drunken barroom bet. His first job was at a small independent production company, Ishihara Productions, but he later moved to the major studio Nikkatsu
, which at the time produced only films of the Roman porno genre, big budget versions of the pink film. At both companies, he began working as an Assistant Director, whose duties could include anything from cleaning floors to shaving actresses at a time when it was illegal to show even the slightest hint of pubic hair in Japanese media. Ikeda continued as an Assistant Director at Nikkatsu throughout the 1970s in such films as Flower and Snake
(1974), Wife to be Sacrificed
(1974) and Noble Lady: Bound Vase (1977), all directed by Masaru Konuma
.
Ikeda made his debut as a director at Nikkatsu with the 1980 film, Sukeban Mafia which the Weissers call "satirical, rousing, sexy and character-driven." Later in 1980, Ikeda directed his second Roman porno feature for Nikkatsu, Sex Hunter, which the studio considered too rough and vulgar. For "penance", Nikkatsu sent him to Okinawa and told him to include some romance for his next film, Blue Lagoon: A Summer Experience, which had a standard boy-girl plot. Ikeda's last project for Nikkatsu was the 1981 Angel Guts: Red Porno, the fourth film in the nine part Angel Guts
series. Ikeda was brought in at the last minute when the original director dropped out and had only a month to shoot the film. Ikeda had a dispute with actress Jun Izumi about a nude shot in the film and when Nikkatsu cut the scene, Ikeda left the company feeling that they had failed to support him.
, a production company founded in 1982. Ikeda's first film with the Director's Company was the 1984 Mermaid Legend
which is considered by many to be his finest work and which garnered a Best Director award for Ikeda at the 1985 Yokohama Film Festival
. A year later, Ikeda made Scent of a Spell, also for the Director's Company, a mystery about a newspaperman who saves a girl from suicide but discovers that she may not be as innocent as she seems. The screenplay was by Takashi Ishii
who had also written the scripts for the Angel Guts series while he and Ikeda were together at Nikkatsu.
Ishii also penned the script for Ikeda's 1988 Evil Dead Trap
, called Japan's first "splatter movie", and credited with being the first Japanese modern horror film. Although usually said to have been influenced by Sam Raimi
’s The Evil Dead
and the work of Dario Argento
, Ikeda claimed in an interview never to have seen their films, hating horror so much that he never even watched Evil Dead Trap. He did, however, attend a showing of the film in Los Angeles
when it was released for American audiences in 1999. The film was successful enough to spawn two sequels but Ikeda only directed the second of these, Evil Dead Trap 3: Broken Love Killer
(1993).
action and erotic films, including two entries in Toei Video's "XX: Beautiful" series based on the books of Arimasa Osawa, XX: Beautiful Beast
(1995), about a female serial killer, and XX: Beautiful Prey
(1996), the story of a Chinese hitwoman. His 1997 theatrical film The Key has become known as the first Japanese film to show full frontal female nudity after the rules against depicting pubic hair were relaxed. After a lapse of some years, Ikeda returned to theatrical films with the 2001 two-part horror movie Campus Ghost Stories (aka Shadow of the Wraith) starring sisters Hitomi Miwa and Asumi Miwa. He continued with the 2004 film The Man Behind the Scissors, which critic Jasper Sharp found a "quirky and perplexing police procedural" about a series of scissor murders. Ikeda's last film, Aki Fukaki (2008), a departure from his usual genre films, was a serious drama based on the works of Sakunosuke Oda and starred Norito Yashima
and Eriko Sato
.
It had been reported that Ikeda was fighting depression in his later years and a body found floating in the sea near Shima
in the Mie Prefecture
on December 26, 2010 was identified as his in late January 2011. His death may have been from an accidental fall or suicide but Ikeda had expressed a wish to die in the Shima area.
) (Oct. 1980, Nikkatsu) (July 1981, Nikkatsu) (Dec. 1981, Nikkatsu) (April 1984, Director's Company / ATG
) (May 1984, Toei Central Films
) (Dec. 1985, Director's Company) (May 1988, JHV
)
Japanese people
The are an ethnic group originating in the Japanese archipelago and are the predominant ethnic group of Japan. Worldwide, approximately 130 million people are of Japanese descent; of these, approximately 127 million are residents of Japan. People of Japanese ancestry who live in other countries...
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:...
and screenwriter
Screenwriter
Screenwriters or scriptwriters or scenario writers are people who write/create the short or feature-length screenplays from which mass media such as films, television programs, Comics or video games are based.-Profession:...
who worked in pink film and mainstream cinema. He won the award for Best Director at the 6th Yokohama Film Festival
Yokohama Film Festival
The is a noticed yearly awards ceremony held in Japan. The festival was started as a small affair by fans and film critics, and first held on February 3, 1980. Ten films are chosen as the best of the year, and various awards are given to personnel...
for Mermaid Legend
Mermaid Legend
is a 1984 Japanese film directed by Toshiharu Ikeda. At the 6th Yokohama Film Festival it won three awards.-Synopsis:When a fisherman stands in the way of an industrial scheme, the business developers have him murdered...
.
Early career - Nikkatsu
Ikeda graduated from the literature department of Waseda UniversityWaseda University
, abbreviated as , is one of the most prestigious private universities in Japan and Asia. Its main campuses are located in the northern part of Shinjuku, Tokyo. Founded in 1882 as Tokyo Senmon Gakko, the institution was renamed "Waseda University" in 1902. It is known for its liberal climate...
in 1974, but became involved in filmmaking while still a student. According to Ikeda, his entry into the film industry was accidental, the result of a drunken barroom bet. His first job was at a small independent production company, Ishihara Productions, but he later moved to the major studio 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:...
, which at the time produced only films of the Roman porno genre, big budget versions of the pink film. At both companies, he began working as an Assistant Director, whose duties could include anything from cleaning floors to shaving actresses at a time when it was illegal to show even the slightest hint of pubic hair in Japanese media. Ikeda continued as an Assistant Director at Nikkatsu throughout the 1970s in such films as Flower and Snake
Flower and Snake
aka Flowers and Serpents is a Japanese soft-core S/M film starring Naomi Tani, directed by Masaru Konuma and produced by Nikkatsu. Based on a novel by Oniroku Dan , Japan's best-known author of S&M fiction, Flower and Snake was the first of Nikkatsu’s Roman Porno films to deal with an S&M theme...
(1974), Wife to be Sacrificed
Wife to Be Sacrificed
is a Japanese soft-core pornographic S/M film starring Naomi Tani and directed by Masaru Konuma. The film was produced by Nikkatsu studios as part of their Roman Porno series.- Background :...
(1974) and Noble Lady: Bound Vase (1977), all directed by Masaru Konuma
Masaru Konuma
is a Japanese director most famous for his Roman Porno films for Nikkatsu during the 1970s.-Early life:Masaru Konuma was born in Otaru, Hokkaidō, on December 30, 1937. Konuma retains no memories of his father who was a teacher...
.
Ikeda made his debut as a director at Nikkatsu with the 1980 film, Sukeban Mafia which the Weissers call "satirical, rousing, sexy and character-driven." Later in 1980, Ikeda directed his second Roman porno feature for Nikkatsu, Sex Hunter, which the studio considered too rough and vulgar. For "penance", Nikkatsu sent him to Okinawa and told him to include some romance for his next film, Blue Lagoon: A Summer Experience, which had a standard boy-girl plot. Ikeda's last project for Nikkatsu was the 1981 Angel Guts: Red Porno, the fourth film in the nine part Angel Guts
Angel Guts
is a nine-film series of pink films made mostly by the Nikkatsu Corporation between 1978 and 1994. Like all pink films the major theme is sex, but there is plenty of violence involved as well. The films were based on the manga series by Takashi Ishii...
series. Ikeda was brought in at the last minute when the original director dropped out and had only a month to shoot the film. Ikeda had a dispute with actress Jun Izumi about a nude shot in the film and when Nikkatsu cut the scene, Ikeda left the company feeling that they had failed to support him.
Director's Company and Evil Dead Trap
After leaving Nikkatsu, Ikeda joined a number of other young directors in the Director's CompanyDirector's Company
was a Japanese film production company created in 1982 to provide a venue outside the major studio system for young proven filmmakers to grow artistically...
, a production company founded in 1982. Ikeda's first film with the Director's Company was the 1984 Mermaid Legend
Mermaid Legend
is a 1984 Japanese film directed by Toshiharu Ikeda. At the 6th Yokohama Film Festival it won three awards.-Synopsis:When a fisherman stands in the way of an industrial scheme, the business developers have him murdered...
which is considered by many to be his finest work and which garnered a Best Director award for Ikeda at the 1985 Yokohama Film Festival
Yokohama Film Festival
The is a noticed yearly awards ceremony held in Japan. The festival was started as a small affair by fans and film critics, and first held on February 3, 1980. Ten films are chosen as the best of the year, and various awards are given to personnel...
. A year later, Ikeda made Scent of a Spell, also for the Director's Company, a mystery about a newspaperman who saves a girl from suicide but discovers that she may not be as innocent as she seems. The screenplay was by Takashi Ishii
Takashi Ishii
is a Japanese film director and screenwriter. He has directed several pinku eiga erotic films, but his most notable feature was the 1995 nihilistic crime thriller Gonin starring Takeshi Kitano.-Director: is a Japanese film director and screenwriter...
who had also written the scripts for the Angel Guts series while he and Ikeda were together at Nikkatsu.
Ishii also penned the script for Ikeda's 1988 Evil Dead Trap
Evil Dead Trap
Evil Dead Trap, known in Japan as , is a 1988 Japanese horror film directed by Toshiharu Ikeda and produced by Japan Home Video.-Plot:TV show host Nami asks her viewers to send in home movies; she receives a snuff film apparently shot at a nearby factory. Taking a camera crew out to investigate,...
, called Japan's first "splatter movie", and credited with being the first Japanese modern horror film. Although usually said to have been influenced by Sam Raimi
Sam Raimi
Samuel Marshall "Sam" Raimi is an American film director, producer, actor and writer. He is best known for directing cult horror films like the Evil Dead series, Darkman and Drag Me to Hell, as well as the blockbuster Spider-Man films and the producer of the successful TV series Hercules: The...
’s The Evil Dead
The Evil Dead
The Evil Dead is a 1981 horror film written and directed by Sam Raimi, starring Bruce Campbell, Ellen Sandweiss, and Betsy Baker. The film is a story of five college students vacationing in an isolated cabin in a wooded area...
and the work of Dario Argento
Dario Argento
Dario Argento is an Italian film director, producer and screenwriter. He is best known for his work in the horror film genre, particularly in the subgenre known as giallo, and for his influence on modern horror and slasher movies....
, Ikeda claimed in an interview never to have seen their films, hating horror so much that he never even watched Evil Dead Trap. He did, however, attend a showing of the film in Los Angeles
Los Ángeles
Los Ángeles is the capital of the province of Biobío, in the commune of the same name, in Region VIII , in the center-south of Chile. It is located between the Laja and Biobío rivers. The population is 123,445 inhabitants...
when it was released for American audiences in 1999. The film was successful enough to spawn two sequels but Ikeda only directed the second of these, Evil Dead Trap 3: Broken Love Killer
Evil Dead Trap 3: Broken Love Killer
is a 1993 Japanese horror film directed by Toshiharu Ikeda.-Cast:* Shirō Sano as Tetsuro Muraki* Megumi Yokoyama as Yoko Mizuhashi* Kimiko Yo as Nami Muraki* Tatsuo Yamada as Keiji Muto-External links:* at the Japanese Movie Database...
(1993).
Later career and death
Through the 1990s, Ikeda did little work in theatrical films, most of his output being V-CinemaV-Cinema
Japanese is the direct-to-video industry that appeared in Japan in the 1980s. The term is a trademark of Toei Company but is widely used in the West to describe any Japanese direct-to-video release. In Japan the term used is...
action and erotic films, including two entries in Toei Video's "XX: Beautiful" series based on the books of Arimasa Osawa, XX: Beautiful Beast
XX: Beautiful Beast
is a 1995 Japanese film directed by Toshiharu Ikeda. The film stars Kaori Shimamura, Takanori Kikuchi and Hakuryu.-Cast:* Kaori Shimamura... Ran/"Black Orchid"* Takanori Kikuchi* Hakuryu* Dan Li* Takeshi Yamato...
(1995), about a female serial killer, and XX: Beautiful Prey
XX: Beautiful Prey
is a 1996 Japanese film directed by Toshiharu Ikeda. The film stars Kei Marimura, Makiko Watanabe and Ren Ōsugi....
(1996), the story of a Chinese hitwoman. His 1997 theatrical film The Key has become known as the first Japanese film to show full frontal female nudity after the rules against depicting pubic hair were relaxed. After a lapse of some years, Ikeda returned to theatrical films with the 2001 two-part horror movie Campus Ghost Stories (aka Shadow of the Wraith) starring sisters Hitomi Miwa and Asumi Miwa. He continued with the 2004 film The Man Behind the Scissors, which critic Jasper Sharp found a "quirky and perplexing police procedural" about a series of scissor murders. Ikeda's last film, Aki Fukaki (2008), a departure from his usual genre films, was a serious drama based on the works of Sakunosuke Oda and starred Norito Yashima
Norito Yashima
Norito Yashima is a Japanese stage actor who has been featured in movies, television shows , and specials. He eventually landed his first hosting job on the Fuji TV series Hey! Spring of Trivia, a show he currently co-hosts with fellow actor Katsumi Takahashi...
and Eriko Sato
Eriko Sato
, originally a glamour model, is a Japanese actress.She was born in Sapporo, Hokkaido, and raised in Tokyo. She was given the Best Actress award at the 2008 Yokohama Film Festival....
.
It had been reported that Ikeda was fighting depression in his later years and a body found floating in the sea near Shima
Shima, Mie
is a city located in Mie Prefecture, on the island of Honshu, Japan.The city was formed on October 1, 2004, by the merger of all five towns from Shima District, which was dissolved by the merger....
in the Mie Prefecture
Mie Prefecture
is a prefecture of Japan which is part of the Kansai regions on Honshū island. The capital is the city of Tsu.- History :Until the Meiji Restoration, Mie prefecture was known as Ise Province and Iga Province....
on December 26, 2010 was identified as his in late January 2011. His death may have been from an accidental fall or suicide but Ikeda had expressed a wish to die in the Shima area.
Theatrical films - Director
(Mar. 1980, NikkatsuNikkatsu
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:...
) (Oct. 1980, Nikkatsu) (July 1981, Nikkatsu) (Dec. 1981, Nikkatsu) (April 1984, Director's Company / ATG
Art Theatre Guild
Art Theatre Guild was a film production company in Japan that started in 1961 and ran through to the mid 1980s. ATG, as it is abbreviated, released mostly Japanese New Wave films. Films released by ATG include Nagisa Oshima's Diary Of A Shinjuku Thief , Toshio Matsumoto's masterpiece Funeral...
) (May 1984, Toei Central Films
Toei Company
is a Japanese film, television production, and distribution corporation. Based in Tokyo, Toei owns and operates thirty-four movie theaters across Japan, a modest vertically-integrated studio system by the standards of the 1930s United States; operates studios at Tokyo and Kyoto; and is a...
) (Dec. 1985, Director's Company) (May 1988, JHV
Japan Home Video
is a Japanese media corporation which produces and distributes film and video products and is also involved in TV programming and game software. It uses the label for its adult video production.-Company history and finances:...
)
- Misty (Nov. 1991, TohoTohois a Japanese film, theater production, and distribution company. It is headquartered in Yūrakuchō, Chiyoda, Tokyo, and is one of the core companies of the Hankyu Hanshin Toho Group...
) (June 1992) (June 1993) (Oct. 1997, ToeiToei Companyis a Japanese film, television production, and distribution corporation. Based in Tokyo, Toei owns and operates thirty-four movie theaters across Japan, a modest vertically-integrated studio system by the standards of the 1930s United States; operates studios at Tokyo and Kyoto; and is a...
) (June 2001) (2004) (Nov. 2008)
V-Cinema - Director
(Mar. 1990) (Mar. 1990)- ごきぶり商事痛快譚 愛の五億円ぶるーす (Feb. 1991) (May 1991)
- 監禁逃亡 禁断の陵辱 (Jan. 1995) (Sept. 1995) (Jan. 1996)
- 監禁逃亡 性奴隷 (June 1997) (May 1998)
- 監禁逃亡 地獄に咲いた女 (May 1999)
- 無頼 人斬り五郎 (Oct. 1999)
- 暴力商売 (Apr. 2001)
- 暴力商売２ (June 2001)
- 暴力商売 金融餓狼伝 (Feb. 2002)
- 暴力商売 金融餓狼伝２ (Apr. 2002) (Jan. 2003) (Mar. 2003)
Sources
- Ikeda, Toshiharu. (1998). Interviewed in Asian Cult Cinema, #18.
- Weisser, Thomas. (1998). "Asian Cult Cinema Report: Film, News and Gossip", in Asian Cult Cinema, #22, 1st Quarter, 1999, p. 4-6. (American premier of Evil Dead Trap)