Juzo Itami
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, born , was a Japanese actor, screenwriter and
film director A film director controls a film's artistic and dramatic aspects and visualizes the screenplay (or script) while guiding the film crew and actors in the fulfilment of that vision. The director has a key role in choosing the cast members, p ...
. He directed eleven films (one short and ten features), all of which he wrote himself.


Early life

Itami was born Yoshihiro Ikeuchi in
Kyoto Kyoto (; Japanese: , ''Kyōto'' ), officially , is the capital city of Kyoto Prefecture in Japan. Located in the Kansai region on the island of Honshu, Kyoto forms a part of the Keihanshin metropolitan area along with Osaka and Kobe. , the ci ...
.The Independent
/ref> The name Itami was passed on from his father,
Mansaku Itami Mansaku Itami (伊丹万作; real name Yoshitoyo Ikeuchi 池内義豊; 2 January 1900 – 21 September 1946) was a Japanese film director and screenwriter known for his critical, sometimes satirical portraits of Japan and its history. H ...
—who was a renowned satirist and film director before
World War II World War II or the Second World War, often abbreviated as WWII or WW2, was a world war that lasted from 1939 to 1945. It involved the vast majority of the world's countries—including all of the great powers—forming two opposin ...
. At the end of the war, when he was in Kyoto, Itami was chosen as a prodigy and educated at Tokubetsu Kagaku Gakkyū (; "the special scientific education class") as a future scientist who was expected to defeat the Allied powers. Among his fellow students were the sons of
Hideki Yukawa was a Japanese theoretical physicist and the first Japanese Nobel laureate for his prediction of the pi meson, or pion. Biography He was born as Hideki Ogawa in Tokyo and grew up in Kyoto with two older brothers, two older sisters, and two yo ...
and Sin-Itiro Tomonaga. This class was abolished in March 1947. He moved from Kyoto to
Ehime Prefecture is a prefecture of Japan located on the island of Shikoku. Ehime Prefecture has a population of 1,342,011 (1 June 2019) and has a geographic area of 5,676 km2 (2,191 sq mi). Ehime Prefecture borders Kagawa Prefecture to the northeast, Toku ...
when he was a high school student. He attended the prestigious Matsuyama Higashi High School, where he was known for being able to read works by
Arthur Rimbaud Jean Nicolas Arthur Rimbaud (, ; 20 October 1854 – 10 November 1891) was a French poet known for his transgressive and surreal themes and for his influence on modern literature and arts, prefiguring surrealism. Born in Charleville, he starte ...
in French. But, due to his poor academic record, he had to remain in the same class for two years. It was here that he became acquainted with
Kenzaburō Ōe is a Japanese writer and a major figure in contemporary Japanese literature. His novels, short stories and essays, strongly influenced by French and American literature and literary theory, deal with political, social and philosophical issues, i ...
, who later married his sister. When it turned out that he could not graduate from Matsuyama Higashi High School, he transferred to Matsuyama Minami High School, from which he graduated. After failing the entrance exam for the College of Engineering at
Osaka University , abbreviated as , is a public research university located in Osaka Prefecture, Japan. It is one of Japan's former Imperial Universities and a Designated National University listed as a "Top Type" university in the Top Global University Project. ...
, Itami worked at times as a commercial designer, a television reporter, a magazine editor, and an essayist.


Acting career

Itami studied acting at an acting school called Butai Geijutsu Gakuin in Tokyo. In January 1960 he joined
Daiei Film Daiei Film Co. Ltd. ( Kyūjitai: Shinjitai: ''Daiei Eiga Kabushiki Kaisha'') was a Japanese film studio. Founded in 1942 as Dai Nippon Film Co., Ltd., it was one of the major studios during the postwar Golden Age of Japanese cinema, producing ...
and was given the stage name by
Masaichi Nagata was a Japanese businessman and served as president of Daiei Film. The self-proclaimed creator of Gamera, he produced the kaiju's second film ''Gamera vs. Barugon'', with the remainder of the Showa ''Gamera'' films produced instead by his son Hi ...
. In May 1960, Itami married Kazuko Kawakita, the daughter of film producer
Nagamasa Kawakita was a Japanese entrepreneur, film producer and importer. Together with his wife Kashiko Kawakita and daughter Kazuko Kawakita, he was instrumental in the development of the Japanese film industry, sponsoring actors and actresses, and in promotin ...
. He first acted on screen in ''Ginza no Dora-Neko'' (1960). In 1961 he left Daiei and started to appear in foreign-language films such as ''
55 Days at Peking ''55 Days at Peking'' is a 1963 American epic historical war film dramatizing the siege of the foreign legations' compounds in Peking (now known as Beijing) during the Boxer Rebellion, which took place in China from 1899 to 1901. It was produc ...
''. In 1965 he appeared in the big-budget Anglo-American film ''
Lord Jim ''Lord Jim'' is a novel by Joseph Conrad originally published as a serial in ''Blackwood's Magazine'' from October 1899 to November 1900. An early and primary event in the story is the abandonment of a passenger ship in distress by its crew, ...
''. In 1965 he published a book of essays which became a hit, ''Yoroppa Taikutsu Nikki'' ("Diary of boredom in Europe"). In 1966 he and Kazuko agreed to divorce. In 1967, when working with
Nagisa Oshima NaGISA (Natural Geography in Shore Areas or Natural Geography of In-Shore Areas) is an international collaborative effort aimed at inventorying, cataloguing, and monitoring biodiversity of the in-shore area. So named for the Japanese word "nagisa ...
on a film ''Sing a Song of Sex'' (''Nihon Shunka Kō'') he met
Nobuko Miyamoto is a Japanese actress. She was born in Otaru, Hokkaidō, and raised in Nagoya. She was married to director Juzo Itami from 1969 until his death in 1997, and regularly starred in his films. She has been nominated for eight Best Actress Japane ...
. He and Miyamoto married in 1969. Around this time, he changed his stage name to "伊丹 十三" (Itami Jūzō) with the kanji "十" (ten) rather than "一" (one), and worked as a character actor in film and television. In 1968 he played Saburo Ishihara, the father of Takeshi and Koji during season II, in the series for children Cometto-San. He became well-known for these series in most Spanish-speaking countries, along with Yumiko Kokonoe. who played Cometto-San. In the 1970s, he joined the TV Man Union television production company and produced and presented documentaries for television, which influenced his later career as a film director. He also worked as a reporter for a TV programme called ''Afternoon Show''. In 1983, Itami played the father in
Yoshimitsu Morita was a Japanese film director who was born in Tokyo. Career Self-taught, first making shorts on 8 mm film during the 1970s, he made his feature film debut with ''No Yōna Mono'' (''Something Like It'', 1981).Mark Schillin"Director Yoshimitsu Mo ...
's ''
The Family Game is a 1983 Japanese movie directed by Yoshimitsu Morita. ''The Family Game'' received several awards including the best movie of the year as selected by Japanese critics. Although the movie missed the Japan Academy Prize for the Best Picture (lo ...
'', and ''The Makioka Sisters'' for which roles he won the
Yokohama Film Festival The is an annual awards ceremony held in Yokohama, Japan. Ten films are chosen as the best of the year and various awards are given to personnel. The first festival, held on February 3, 1980, was a small affair by fans and film critics. In 1994, ...
and
Hochi Film Award The are film-specific prizes awarded by the ''Hochi Shimbun , previously known as , is a Japanese-language daily sports newspaper. In 2002, it had a circulation of a million copies a day. It is an affiliate newspaper of ''Yomiuri Shimbun''. ...
for Best Supporting Actor. Aside from the acting career, he translated several English books to Japanese, including ''Papa, You're Crazy'' by
William Saroyan William Saroyan (; August 31, 1908 – May 18, 1981) was an Armenian-American novelist, playwright, and short story writer. He was awarded the Pulitzer Prize for Drama in 1940, and in 1943 won the Academy Award for Best Story for the film ''The ...
. Itami was the brother-in-law of
Kenzaburō Ōe is a Japanese writer and a major figure in contemporary Japanese literature. His novels, short stories and essays, strongly influenced by French and American literature and literary theory, deal with political, social and philosophical issues, i ...
and an uncle of
Hikari Ōe is a Japanese composer. He is the son of Japanese author Kenzaburō Ōe and Yukari Ikeuchi, and the nephew of director Juzo Itami. Biography Hikari Ōe was born autistic and developmentally disabled. Doctors tried to convince his parents to let ...
.


Director

Itami's debut as director was the movie ''Osōshiki'' ('' The Funeral'') in 1984, at the age of 50. This film proved popular in Japan and won many awards, including
Japanese Academy Awards The , often called the Japan Academy Prize, the Japan Academy Awards, and the Japanese Academy Awards, is a series of awards given annually since 1978 by the Japan Academy Film Prize Association (日本アカデミー賞協会, ''Nippon Akademii- ...
for Best Picture, Best Director, and Best Screenplay. However, it was his second movie, the 1985 "noodle western" ''
Tampopo is a 1985 Japanese comedy film written and directed by Juzo Itami, and starring Tsutomu Yamazaki, Nobuko Miyamoto, Kōji Yakusho, and Ken Watanabe. The publicity for the film calls it the first "ramen western", a play on the term Spaghetti Weste ...
'', that earned him international exposure and acclaim. His following film '' A Taxing Woman'' (1987) was again highly successful. It won six major Japanese Academy awards and spawned a sequel ''
A Taxing Woman's Return is a 1988 Japanese comedy film written and directed by Juzo Itami. It is the sequel to Itami's 1987 comedy ''A Taxing Woman''. Nobuko Miyamoto plays female government tax investigator Ryoko Itakura. She investigates a religious sect, led by Te ...
'' in 1988. The central character, played by his wife
Nobuko Miyamoto is a Japanese actress. She was born in Otaru, Hokkaidō, and raised in Nagoya. She was married to director Juzo Itami from 1969 until his death in 1997, and regularly starred in his films. She has been nominated for eight Best Actress Japane ...
who appeared in all his films, became a pop culture heroine. This was followed by his fifth film '' A-Ge-Man: Tales of a Golden Geisha''. Itami directed the anti-
yakuza , also known as , are members of transnational organized crime syndicates originating in Japan. The Japanese police and media, by request of the police, call them , while the ''yakuza'' call themselves . The English equivalent for the term ...
satire '' Minbō no Onna'' as his sixth feature. On May 22, 1992, six days after the release of the film, Itami was attacked, beaten, and slashed on the face by five members of the
Goto-gumi The was a Japanese yakuza organization founded by Tadamasa Goto. History The gang was originally formed in Fujinomiya, Shizuoka Prefecture, but moved its activities east in 1991 when it merged with a gang in Hachiōji, Tokyo. The Goto-gumi, as an ...
, a
Shizuoka Shizuoka can refer to: * Shizuoka Prefecture, a Japanese prefecture * Shizuoka (city), the capital city of Shizuoka Prefecture * Shizuoka Airport * Shizuoka Domain, the name from 1868 to 1871 for Sunpu Domain, a predecessor of Shizuoka Prefecture ...
-based yakuza clan, who were angry at Itami's film's portrayal of yakuza members. This attack led to a government crackdown on the yakuza. His subsequent stay in a hospital inspired his next film ''
Daibyonin , also known as ''The Last Dance'' and more rarely ''The Seriously Ill'', is a 1993 Japanese film directed by Juzo Itami about the final year of a successful film director suffering from cancer. The film can be seen as a criticism of the traditi ...
'' (1993), a grim satire on the Japanese health system. During a showing of this film in Japan, a cinema screen was slashed by a right-wing protester. He directed another three films before his death.


Death

Itami died on December 20, 1997 in
Tokyo Tokyo (; ja, 東京, , ), officially the Tokyo Metropolis ( ja, 東京都, label=none, ), is the capital and largest city of Japan. Formerly known as Edo, its metropolitan area () is the most populous in the world, with an estimated 37.468 ...
, after falling from the roof of the building where his office was located. On his desk was found a suicide note written on a word processor stating that he had been falsely accused of an affair and was taking his life to clear his name. Two days later, a tabloid magazine published a report of such an affair. However, no one in Itami's family believed that he would have taken his life or that he would be mortally embarrassed by a real or alleged affair. In 2008, a former member of the
Goto-gumi The was a Japanese yakuza organization founded by Tadamasa Goto. History The gang was originally formed in Fujinomiya, Shizuoka Prefecture, but moved its activities east in 1991 when it merged with a gang in Hachiōji, Tokyo. The Goto-gumi, as an ...
, a
yakuza , also known as , are members of transnational organized crime syndicates originating in Japan. The Japanese police and media, by request of the police, call them , while the ''yakuza'' call themselves . The English equivalent for the term ...
group, told a reporter,
Jake Adelstein Joshua Lawrence “Jake” Adelstein (born March 28, 1969) is an American journalist, crime writer, and blogger who has spent most of his career in Japan. He is the author of '' Tokyo Vice: An American Reporter on the Police Beat in Japan.'', w ...
: "We set it up to stage his murder as a suicide. We dragged him up to the rooftop and put a gun in his face. We gave him a choice: jump and you might live or stay and we'll blow your face off. He jumped. He didn't live."


Tributes

His brother-in-law and childhood friend Kenzaburo Oe wrote '' The Changeling'' (2000), which is based on their relationship. There is a Juzo Itami Museum in
Matsuyama file:Matsuyama city office Ehime prefecture Japan.jpg, 270px, Matsuyama City Hall file:Ehimekencho-20040417.JPG, 270px, Ehime Prefectural Capital Building is the capital Cities of Japan, city of Ehime Prefecture on the island of Shikoku in Japan ...
.Juzo Itami Museum


Filmography


Actor


As director


Awards

* 1985
Japan Academy Prize for Director of the Year The of the Japan Academy Film Prize The , often called the Japan Academy Prize, the Japan Academy Awards, and the Japanese Academy Awards, is a series of awards given annually since 1978 by the Japan Academy Film Prize Association (日本ア ...
—'' The Funeral'' * 1988 Japan Academy Prize for Director of the Year—'' A Taxing Woman''


References


External links

* *
Juzo Itami's grave

Itami Juzo Museum
* {{DEFAULTSORT:Itami Juzo 1933 births 1997 deaths 20th-century Japanese male actors Critics of Sōka Gakkai Japan Academy Prize for Director of the Year winners Japanese film directors Japanese male film actors People from Kyoto Suicides by jumping in Japan Yakuza film directors 1997 suicides