is a Japanese comedian, television presenter, actor, filmmaker, and author. While he is known primarily as a comedian and TV host in his native Japan, he is better known abroad for his work as a filmmaker and actor as well as TV host. With the exception of his works as a film director, he is commonly known by the stage name .
Kitano rose to prominence in the 1970s as one half of the comedy duo ''Two Beat'', before going solo and becoming one of the three biggest comedians in the country. After several small acting roles, he made his directorial debut with 1989's ''
Violent Cop'' and garnered international acclaim for ''
Sonatine'' (1993). He was not widely accepted as an accomplished director in Japan until ''
Hana-bi'' won the
Golden Lion in 1997. In October 2017, Kitano completed his ''Outrage'' crime trilogy with the release of ''
Outrage Coda
is a 2017 Japanese yakuza film directed by Takeshi Kitano, starring Kitano (a.k.a. "Beat Takeshi"), and was released in Japan on 7 October 2017. It is a sequel to Kitano's 2012 film, ''Beyond Outrage'', and completes Kitano's ''Outrage (2010 fi ...
''.
He is also known internationally for hosting the game show ''
Takeshi's Castle
is a Japanese game show that aired between 1986 and 1990 on the Tokyo Broadcasting System (TBS). It features the Japanese comedian Takeshi Kitano (also known as Beat Takeshi) as a count who owns a castle and sets up difficult physical challeng ...
'' (1986–1990) and starring in the film ''
Battle Royale'' (2000).
He has received critical acclaim for his idiosyncratic cinematic work, winning numerous awards with Japanese film critic
Nagaharu Yodogawa having once dubbed him "the true successor" to influential filmmaker
Akira Kurosawa
was a Japanese filmmaker and painter who directed thirty films in a career spanning over five decades. He is widely regarded as one of the most important and influential filmmakers in the history of cinema. Kurosawa displayed a bold, dyna ...
.
Many of Kitano's films are dramas about
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 ter ...
gangsters or the police. Described by critics as using an acting style that is highly deadpan or a camera style that approaches near-stasis, Kitano often uses long takes during which little appears to be happening, or editing that cuts immediately to the aftermath of an event. Many of his films express a bleak worldview, but are also filled with humor and affection for their characters.
Life and career
Early life
Takeshi Kitano was born in
Adachi, Tokyo
is a special ward located in Tokyo Metropolis, Japan. It is located to the north of the heart of Tokyo. The ward consists of two separate areas: a small strip of land between the Sumida River and Arakawa River and a larger area north of the ...
, with two older brothers and an older sister. His father worked as a house painter,
with Kitano revealing that he used to live like 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 ter ...
, while his mother was a strict disciplinarian and educator who worked in a factory.
In his working-class neighborhood, the children looked up to baseball players and yakuza, with many of his neighbors being the latter.
Kitano entered
Meiji University and studied engineering, before dropping out at age 19. He went to the
Asakusa
is a district in Taitō, Tokyo, Japan. It is known as the location of the Sensō-ji, a Buddhist temple dedicated to the bodhisattva Kannon. There are several other temples in Asakusa, as well as various festivals, such as the .
History
The ...
district in 1972 to become a comedian. While working as an elevator operator at the Asakusa France-za strip club, he became an apprentice of its comedian Senzaburo Fukami and eventually the theater's
MC.
Comedy career and success
In the 1970s, he formed a comedy duo with his friend Nirō Kaneko (also called Kiyoshi Kaneko). They took on the stage names ''Beat Takeshi'' and ''Beat Kiyoshi''; together referring to themselves as . This sort of duo comedy, known as ''
manzai
is a traditional style of comedy in Japanese culture comparable to double act comedy or stand-up comedy.
usually involves two performers ()—a straight man () and a funny man ()—trading jokes at great speed. Most of the jokes revolve aro ...
'' in Japan, usually features a great deal of high-speed back-and-forth banter between the two performers. Kiyoshi played the
straight man
The straight man is a stock character in a comedy performance, especially a double act, sketch comedy, or farce. When a comedy partner behaves eccentrically, the straight man is expected to maintain composure. The direct contribution to the c ...
(''
tsukkomi
The following glossary of words and terms (generally of Japanese origin) are related to ''owarai'' (Japanese comedy). Many of these terms may be used in areas of Japanese culture beyond comedy, including television and radio, music. Some have b ...
'') against Takeshi's
funny man (''
boke''). In 1976, they performed on television for the first time and became a success, propelling their act onto the national stage. The reason for their popularity had much to do with Kitano's material, which was much more risqué than traditional ''manzai''. The targets of his jokes were often the socially vulnerable, including the elderly, the handicapped, the poor, children, women, the ugly and the stupid. Complaints to the broadcaster led to censorship of some of Kitano's jokes and the editing of offensive dialogue. Kitano confirmed in a video interview that he was forbidden to access the
NHK
, also known as NHK, is a Japanese public broadcaster. NHK, which has always been known by this romanized initialism in Japanese, is a statutory corporation funded by viewers' payments of a television license fee.
NHK operates two terrestr ...
studios for five years for having exposed his body during a show when it was totally forbidden.
Although Two Beat was one of the most successful acts of its kind during the late 1970s and early 1980s, Kitano decided to go solo and the duo was dissolved. Together with
Sanma Akashiya
is a Japanese comedian, TV presenter, radio personality and actor most commonly known as Sanma-san. His real name is . His talent agency is Yoshimoto Kogyo and his shishô (master) back when he studied ''rakugo'' is Shōfukutei Matsunosuke.
Tog ...
and
Tamori
, known by his stage name (an anagram of his surname), is a Japanese television celebrity. Known for his trademark dark sunglasses, Tamori is one of the "big three" television comedians in Japan along with Takeshi Kitano (a.k.a. Beat Takeshi ...
, Kitano is said to be one of the "
Big Three" television comedians (''
owarai
is a broad word used to describe Japanese comedy as seen on television. The word ''owarai'' is the honorific form of the word ''warai'' (by adding o- prefix), meaning "a laugh" or "a smile". ''Owarai'' is most common on Japanese variety show ...
'' ''
tarento
Television personalities in Japan, known as in Japanese, are celebrities who regularly appear in mass media in Japan, especially as panelists on variety shows. During the Golden Age of Hollywood, bankable stars in America were described as " ...
'') of Japan. Some autobiographical elements relating to his ''manzai'' career can be found in his 1996 film ''
Kids Return
is a 1996 Japanese film written, edited and directed by Takeshi Kitano. The film was made directly after Kitano recovered from a motorcycle wreck that left one side of his body paralyzed. After undergoing extensive surgery and physical therapy, h ...
''. Beat Kiyoshi has a bit part in Kitano's 1999 film ''
Kikujiro
''Kikujiro'' () is a 1999 Japanese road drama film starring, written, and directed by Takeshi Kitano. Its score was composed by Joe Hisaishi. The film was entered into the 1999 Cannes Film Festival.
''Kikujiro'' tells the story of a young boy sea ...
'', as "Man at the Bus Stop". Kitano had also become a popular television host. ''
Takeshi's Castle
is a Japanese game show that aired between 1986 and 1990 on the Tokyo Broadcasting System (TBS). It features the Japanese comedian Takeshi Kitano (also known as Beat Takeshi) as a count who owns a castle and sets up difficult physical challeng ...
'' was a game show hosted by Kitano in the 1980s, featuring slapstick-style physical contests. It was broadcast years later in the United States under the title ''
Most Extreme Elimination Challenge
''Most Extreme Elimination Challenge'' (''MXC'') is an American comedy television program that aired on TNN/Spike TV from April 19, 2003 to February 9, 2007. It is a re-purpose of footage from the Japanese game show '' Takeshi's Castle'', which ...
'', with Takeshi renamed "Vic Romano".
Many of Kitano's routines involved him portraying a gangster or other harsh characters. Kitano said that after playing comedy clubs he would be invited to drink with yakuza, who would tell him stories about the big crime bosses.
His first major film role in
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 ...
's ''
Merry Christmas, Mr. Lawrence'' (cast as a tough
POW camp
A prisoner-of-war camp (often abbreviated as POW camp) is a site for the containment of enemy fighters captured by a belligerent power in time of war.
There are significant differences among POW camps, internment camps, and military prisons. ...
sergeant during
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 opposing ...
opposite
Tom Conti
Tommaso Antonio Conti (born 22 November 1941) is a Scottish actor, theatre director, and novelist. He won the Tony Award for Best Actor in a Play in 1979 for his performance in '' Whose Life Is It Anyway?'' and was nominated for the Academy Aw ...
,
Ryuichi Sakamoto
is a Japanese composer, pianist, singer, record producer and actor who has pursued a diverse range of styles as a solo artist and as a member of Yellow Magic Orchestra (YMO). With his bandmates Haruomi Hosono and Yukihiro Takahashi, Sakamoto i ...
and
David Bowie
David Robert Jones (8 January 194710 January 2016), known professionally as David Bowie ( ), was an English singer-songwriter and actor. A leading figure in the music industry, he is regarded as one of the most influential musicians of the ...
).
Kitano said that he was happy with his performance and snuck into a showing of the film to see how the audience would accept him as a serious actor instead of a comedian. He was devastated when the audience burst into laughter upon his appearing on screen, but vowed to stick to serious and dark characters in film.
In 1986, Kitano worked on the
Family Computer
The Nintendo Entertainment System (NES) is an 8-bit Third generation of video game consoles, third-generation home video game console produced by Nintendo. It was first released in Japan in 1983 as the commonly known as the The NES, a redes ...
video game ''
Takeshi no Chōsenjō'' (translated as ''Takeshi's Challenge''), as a consultant and partial designer. He was the first Japanese celebrity to actively contribute to the development of a video game and starred in several commercials promoting its release. Due to the title's difficulty and confusing gameplay mechanics, it was placed first in Famitsu magazine's ''
kusoge'' (shit game) ranking, and is often referred to as one of the worst video games of all time. ''Takeshi no Chōsenjō'' and its development was later the subject of the first episode of ''
GameCenter CX
, also known as ''Retro Game Master'' in other regions, is a Japanese gaming-variety show television program produced by Fuji Television and Gascoin Company. The name is a combination of "game center" (the Japanese term for an arcade) and Fuji TV ...
'', a gaming variety show hosted by Osaka comedian
Shinya Arino
is a Japanese comic duo from Osaka working for Shōchiku Geinō, the second largest comedy talent agency in Japan following Yoshimoto Kōgyō.
Yowiko are known otakus, even appearing on the variety show ''LINCOLN'' cosplaying as Char Aznable ...
.
In 1988, he published a memoir, ''Asakusa Kid''. He has also published a number of novels and other books which have been translated into French. After several other acting roles, mostly comedic, in 1989 he was cast as the lead in ''
Violent Cop''. When director
Kinji Fukasaku
was a Japanese film director and screenwriter. Known for his "broad range and innovative filmmaking," Fukasaku worked in many different genres and styles, but was best known for his gritty yakuza films, typified by the ''Battles Without Honor ...
stepped down over scheduling conflicts with Kitano, due to Kitano's TV commitments, the distributor suggested the comedian direct it at his own pace.
He also rewrote the script heavily, and this marked the beginning of Kitano's career as a filmmaker.
1990–2000: Film recognition
![Takeshi Kitano Leone D'oro](https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/2/2e/Takeshi_Kitano_Leone_D%27oro.jpg)
Kitano's second film as director and first as screenwriter was ''
Boiling Point'' (''3-4X10 October'') released in 1990.
Mark Schilling
Mark Schilling (born 1949) is an American film critic, journalist, translator, and author based in Tokyo, Japan. He has written for ''The Japan Times'', ''Variety'', and ''Screen International''.
Biography
Schilling began working for ''The Japan ...
cited it as the film in which Kitano defined his style with long takes, minimal camera movement, brief dialogue, sly humor, and sudden violence.
Kitano's third film, ''
A Scene at the Sea
is a 1991 Japanese drama film written, edited and directed by Takeshi Kitano starring Claude Maki.
Plot
A deaf garbage collector happens upon a broken and discarded surfboard. The discovery plants in him dreams of becoming a surf champion. Enc ...
'', was released in 1991. It follows a deaf garbage collector who is determined to learn how to surf after discovering a broken surfboard. Kitano's more delicate, romantic side came to the fore here, along with his trademark deadpan approach. The film garnered numerous nominations and awards, including Best Film at the prestigious
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. In 1961, the six major Japanes ...
. It also started a long-running collaboration with composer
Joe Hisaishi
, known professionally as , is a Japanese composer, musical director, conductor and pianist, known for over 100 film scores and solo albums dating back to 1981. He is also known for his piano scores.
Hisaishi's music has been known to explore ...
, which would last until 2002.
Although 1993's ''
Sonatine'' did poorly in Japan, it received rave reviews in Europe when it was shown at the
1993 Cannes Film Festival
The 46th Cannes Film Festival was held from 13 to 24 May 1993. The Palme d'Or went to '' Farewell My Concubine'' by Chen Kaige and '' The Piano'' by Jane Campion.
The festival opened with ''My Favorite Season'', directed by André Téchiné and c ...
.
Kitano plays a Tokyo yakuza who is sent by his boss to Okinawa to help end a gang war there. He is tired of gangster life, and when he finds out the whole mission is a ruse, he welcomes what comes with open arms. All four of his films were screened at the 1994
London Film Festival
The BFI London Film Festival is an annual film festival founded in 1957 and held in the United Kingdom, running for two weeks in October with co-operation from the British Film Institute. It screens more than 300 films, documentaries and sho ...
.
In August 1994, Kitano was involved in a motorscooter accident and suffered injuries that caused partial
paralysis of the right-side of his face. As reported by Dan Edwards, Kitano later said that the accident was an "unconscious suicide attempt". Kitano made ''
Kids Return
is a 1996 Japanese film written, edited and directed by Takeshi Kitano. The film was made directly after Kitano recovered from a motorcycle wreck that left one side of his body paralyzed. After undergoing extensive surgery and physical therapy, h ...
'' in 1996, soon after his recovery.
The 1995 release of ''
Getting Any?
is a 1995 Japanese film, written, directed, edited, and starring Takeshi Kitano. ''Yatteru'' (やってる) is the colloquial form for ''yatteiru'' (やっている), ''yatteru'' coming from the Japanese verb ''yaru'', which is an informal word m ...
'' (''Minna Yatteruka!''), which was filmed before the accident, showed Kitano returning to his comedy roots. This ''
Airplane!
''Airplane!'' (alternatively titled ''Flying High!'') is a 1980 American parody film written and directed by the brothers David Zucker, David and Jerry Zucker, and Jim Abrahams in their directorial debuts, and produced by Jon Davison (film prod ...
''-like assemblage of comedic scenes, all centering loosely around a
Walter Mitty
Walter Jackson Mitty is a fictional character in James Thurber's first short story "The Secret Life of Walter Mitty", first published in ''The New Yorker'' on March 18, 1939, and in book form in '' My World—and Welcome to It'' in 1942. Thurber ...
-type character trying to have sex in a car, met with little acclaim in Japan. Much of the film satirizes popular Japanese culture, such as ''
Ultraman
''Ultraman'', also known as the , is the collective name for all media produced by Tsuburaya Productions featuring Ultraman, his many brethren, and the myriad monsters. Debuting with ''Ultra Q'' and then ''Ultraman'' in 1966, the series is one ...
'' or ''
Godzilla
is a fictional monster, or '' kaiju'', originating from a series of Japanese films. The character first appeared in the 1954 film '' Godzilla'' and became a worldwide pop culture icon, appearing in various media, including 32 films prod ...
'' and even the
Zatoichi
is a fictional character created by Japanese novelist Kan Shimozawa. He is an itinerant blind masseur and swordsman of Japan's late Edo period (1830s and 1840s). He first appeared in the 1948 essay , part of Shimozawa's ''Futokoro Techō'' se ...
character that Kitano himself would go on to play eight years later. That year Kitano also appeared in the film adaptation of
William Gibson
William Ford Gibson (born March 17, 1948) is an American-Canadian speculative fiction writer and essayist widely credited with pioneering the science fiction subgenre known as ''cyberpunk''. Beginning his writing career in the late 1970s, hi ...
's 1995 ''
Johnny Mnemonic
"Johnny Mnemonic" is a science fiction short story by American-Canadian writer William Gibson. It first appeared in '' Omni'' magazine in May 1981, and was subsequently included in ''Burning Chrome'', a 1986 collection of Gibson's short fiction. ...
'', credited by the mononym "Takeshi",
although his on-screen time was greatly reduced for the American cut of the film.
After his motorscooter accident, Kitano took up painting. His paintings have been published in books, featured in gallery exhibitions, and adorn the covers of many of the soundtrack albums for his films. His paintings were featured prominently in his most critically acclaimed film, 1997's ''
Hana-bi''. Although for years already Kitano's largest audience had been the foreign arthouse crowd, ''Hana-bi'' cemented his status internationally as one of Japan's foremost modern filmmakers. Although it was not a big success financially,
it won the
Golden Lion award at the
1997 Venice Film Festival.
Kitano himself said it was not until he won this award that he was accepted as a serious director in Japan; prior his films were looked at as just the hobby of a famous comedian.
Among his most significant acting roles were Nagisa Oshima's 1999 film ''
Taboo
A taboo or tabu is a social group's ban, prohibition, or avoidance of something (usually an utterance or behavior) based on the group's sense that it is excessively repulsive, sacred, or allowed only for certain persons.''Encyclopædia Britannica ...
'', in which he played Captain
Hijikata Toshizo Hijikata (written: 土方) is a Japanese surname, and may refer to:
* Hisaakira Hijikata (1870–1942), Japanese businessman
* Kensuke Hijikata (born 1922), Japanese photographer
* Rinky Hijikata (born 2001), Australian tennis player
* Ryuji Hijika ...
of the
Shinsengumi
The was a special police force organized by the (military government) during Japan's Bakumatsu period (late Tokugawa shogunate) in 1863. It was active until 1869. It was founded to protect the shogunate representatives in Kyoto at a time wh ...
. ''
Kikujiro
''Kikujiro'' () is a 1999 Japanese road drama film starring, written, and directed by Takeshi Kitano. Its score was composed by Joe Hisaishi. The film was entered into the 1999 Cannes Film Festival.
''Kikujiro'' tells the story of a young boy sea ...
'', released in 1999 and named after his father, was a semi-comedy featuring Kitano as a ne'er-do-well crook who winds up paired up with a young boy looking for his mother, and goes on a series of misadventures with him.
He hosted ''
Koko ga Hen da yo Nihonjin'' (English translation, ''This doesn't make sense, Japanese people!'') which was a Japanese TV show that was broadcast weekly from 1998 to 2002, a talk show on which a large panel of Japanese-speaking foreigners from around the world debate current issues in Japanese society. He currently hosts ''
Unbelievable'', which was relaunched in 2001, and the weekly television program ''Beat Takeshi's TV Tackle''. ''TV Tackle'' is a kind of panel discussion among entertainers and politicians regarding controversial current events. Another of his shows is ''Sekai Marumie TV'' ("The World Exposed"), a weekly collection of various interesting video clips from around the world, often focusing on the weird aspects of other countries. On this show, he plays a childlike idiot, insulting the guests, and usually appearing wearing strange costumes during the show.
2000–present
![TakeshiKitano](https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/5/5a/TakeshiKitano.jpg)
Kitano played
a similarly named character in the controversial 2000 Japanese blockbuster ''
Battle Royale'', which takes place in a future in which a group of teenagers are randomly selected each year to eliminate each other on a deserted island.
His 2000 film ''
Brother
A brother is a man or boy who shares one or more parents with another; a male sibling. The female counterpart is a sister. Although the term typically refers to a familial relationship, it is sometimes used endearingly to refer to non-familia ...
'' was deliberately intended to be a hit abroad. Shot in Los Angeles, it starred Kitano as a deposed and exiled Tokyo yakuza setting up a drug empire in Los Angeles with the aid of a local gangster played by
Omar Epps
Omar Hashim Epps (born July 20, 1973) is an American actor, rapper, and producer. He has been awarded nine NAACP Image Awards, two Teen Choice Awards, one MTV Movie Award, one Black Reel Award, and one Screen Actors Guild Award. Epps's film r ...
. However, the film met with tepid international response. Although in Japan it did better financially than ''Hana-bi''.
''
Dolls
A doll is a model typically of a human or humanoid character, often used as a toy for children. Dolls have also been used in traditional religious rituals throughout the world. Traditional dolls made of materials such as clay and wood are found ...
'' in 2002 had Kitano directing but not starring in a romantic drama with three different stories about undying love, and was loosely based on a
bunraku
(also known as ) is a form of traditional Japanese puppet theatre, founded in Osaka in the beginning of the 17th century, which is still performed in the modern day. Three kinds of performers take part in a performance: the or (puppeteers ...
play.
Following the disappointing response to the film ''Brother'' and the film ''Dolls'', Kitano received a sequence of unsympathetic reviews from the press in the United States. Criticism was less severe in Europe and Asia though many commentators were not as lavish with their praise as they had been with his previous films. 2003's ''
Zatōichi'', directed by and starring Kitano, silenced many of these dissenters. With a new take on the character from
Shintaro Katsu
was a Japanese actor, singer, and filmmaker. He is known for starring in the ''Akumyo'' series, the ''Hoodlum Soldier'' series, and the ''Zatoichi'' series.
Life and career
Born Toshio Okumura (奥村 利夫 ''Okumura Toshio'') on 29 Novemb ...
's
long-running film and TV series, ''Zatōichi'' was Kitano's biggest box office success in Japan,
did quite well in limited release across the world, and won countless awards at home and abroad, including the
Silver Lion
The Silver Lion ( it, Leone d'argento, also known as Silver Lion for Best Direction) is an annual award presented for best directing achievements in a feature film at official competition section of the Venice Film Festival since 1998.
The pri ...
award at the Venice Film Festival. Kitano revealed that he was approached by others to create the film and therefore differed from his own techniques and followed the common filmmaking process in order to please them and make a pure-entertainment film.
From April 2005 to 2008, Kitano was an instructor at the Graduate School of Visual Arts,
Tokyo University of the Arts
or is the most prestigious art school in Japan. Located in Ueno Park, it also has facilities in Toride, Ibaraki, Yokohama, Kanagawa, and Kitasenju and Adachi, Tokyo. The university has trained renowned artists in the fields of painting, scul ...
.
Kitano's film, ''
Takeshis'
''Takeshis'' is a 2005 Japanese film directed, written, edited by, and starring Takeshi Kitano. It is the first film in Kitano's surrealist autobiographical trilogy, being followed by ''Glory to the Filmmaker!'', and '' Achilles and the Tortoise'' ...
'' was released in Japan in November 2005, as the first installment in his surrealist autobiographical series. This was followed in 2007, by his second surrealist autobiographical film ''
Glory to the Filmmaker!
is a 2007 Japanese film written, directed, edited by the film's lead star Takeshi Kitano. It is the second film in Kitano's surrealist autobiographical trilogy, following '' Takeshis, and concluding with '' Achilles and the Tortoise''.
Style
...
'' (appearing as Beat Takeshi), and a third in 2008, titled ''
Achilles and the Tortoise
Zeno's paradoxes are a set of philosophical problems generally thought to have been devised by Greek philosopher Zeno of Elea (c. 490–430 BC) to support Parmenides' doctrine that contrary to the evidence of one's senses, the belief in pluralit ...
''. In between these films, Kitano appeared in a number of other television projects and smaller projects. In 2007 he appeared in ''Dots and Lines'' (a TV mini-series) as Jūtarō Torikai. Also in 2007, Kitano appeared in ''To Each His Own Cinema'' as the projectionist (in the segment "Rencontre unique") as Beat Takeshi, and in the TV movie ''Wada Akiko Satsujin Jiken''. In 2008, he did the voice-over in ''The Monster X Strikes Back: Attack the G8 Summit'', for Take-Majin, a heroic monster based on Kitano.
In 2010, the
Fondation Cartier pour l'art contemporain
The Fondation Cartier pour l'Art Contemporain, known simply as the Fondation Cartier, is a contemporary art museum located at 261 boulevard Raspail in the 14th arrondissement of the French capital, Paris.
History
The Fondation Cartier was cr ...
in Paris held a one-man show displaying his paintings and installations. A room in the basement played a 12-hour loop of his work as a TV host.
Kitano's 2010 film ''
Outrage
Outrage may refer to:
* Outrage (emotion), an emotion
* Tort of outrage, in law, an alternative term for ''intentional infliction of emotional distress''
Books
* ''Outrage'', a novel by Henry Denker 1982
* ''Outrage'', a play by Itamar Moses 2 ...
'' was screened at the
2010 Cannes Film Festival. He admitted he tried something different for ''Outrage'' by adding a lot of dialogue, stepping back as the main character to make an ensemble piece, and having the feel of a nature documentary watching the characters kill each other. A sequel, 2012's ''
Outrage Beyond
is a 2012 Japanese yakuza film directed by Takeshi Kitano, starring Kitano (a.k.a. "Beat Takeshi"), Toshiyuki Nishida, and Tomokazu Miura. It is a sequel to Kitano's 2010 film '' Outrage'' and is followed by the 2017 film ''Outrage Coda''.
Pl ...
'', was screened in competition at the
69th Venice International Film Festival
The 69th annual Venice International Film Festival, organized by Venice Biennale, took place at Venice Lido from 29 August to 8 September 2012. The festival opened with the Indian director Mira Nair's '' The Reluctant Fundamentalist'', and close ...
. He also appeared in Yasuo Furuhata's 2012 film, ''
Dearest''. In September 2012, Takeshi Kitano said that the producers wanted him to make a third ''Outrage'' film depending on the box office.
On 7 March 2013, ''Minkei News'' of Hong Kong reported that Kitano won the Best Director award for ''Outrage Beyond'' at the 7th
Asian Film Awards
Asian may refer to:
* Items from or related to the continent of Asia:
** Asian people, people in or descending from Asia
** Asian culture, the culture of the people from Asia
** Asian cuisine, food based on the style of food of the people from Asi ...
in Hong Kong.
On 10 August 2013, in an interview reported by John Bleasdale, Kitano revealed his current plans for a sequel to ''Outrage Beyond'' and an untitled personal film project. As Kitano stated, "Ideally what would happen would be this: ''Outrage Beyond'' becomes a huge hit, so huge that my producer allows me to make one film I really want to do and then come back to the sequel after I've made the film I really want to do."
In September 2015, it was announced that Kitano would be contributing his voice and likeness to the character Toru Hirose in the
SEGA video game ''
Yakuza 6: The Song of Life''. This collaboration marked Kitano's first involvement with the video game industry in 30 years since the 1986 release of ''
Takeshi no Chōsenjō''.
Takeshi co-starred in the live action adaptation of the manga ''
Ghost in the Shell
''Ghost in the Shell'' is a Japanese cyberpunk media franchise based on the seinen manga series of the same name written and illustrated by Masamune Shirow. The manga, first serialized in 1989 under the subtitle of ''The Ghost in the Shell'' ...
'', marking his return to American cinema nearly twenty years after ''
Johnny Mnemonic
"Johnny Mnemonic" is a science fiction short story by American-Canadian writer William Gibson. It first appeared in '' Omni'' magazine in May 1981, and was subsequently included in ''Burning Chrome'', a 1986 collection of Gibson's short fiction. ...
'' in 1995. Although he has expressed his dislike of anime and manga in the past, he accepted the role because "even though this stylish piece of entertainment is totally different from the films I've directed, I thought it was interesting that
Aramaki, the role I play, is a character who gives off a peculiar vibe and, in various episodes, is set at the core of the characters' relationships. I'm looking forward to see how the movie turns out."
In 2017, Kitano released the third and final installment in the successful ''
Outrage
Outrage may refer to:
* Outrage (emotion), an emotion
* Tort of outrage, in law, an alternative term for ''intentional infliction of emotional distress''
Books
* ''Outrage'', a novel by Henry Denker 1982
* ''Outrage'', a play by Itamar Moses 2 ...
'' series titled ''
Outrage Coda
is a 2017 Japanese yakuza film directed by Takeshi Kitano, starring Kitano (a.k.a. "Beat Takeshi"), and was released in Japan on 7 October 2017. It is a sequel to Kitano's 2012 film, ''Beyond Outrage'', and completes Kitano's ''Outrage (2010 fi ...
''.
Awards
Kitano won the
Golden Lion award at the
54th Venice International Film Festival
The 54th annual Venice International Film Festival was held between 27 August to 6 September 1997.
Jury
The following people comprised the 1997 jury:
* Jane Campion (New Zealand) (head of jury)
* Ronald Bass (USA)
* Véra Belmont (France)
* ...
in 1997 for his film ''
Hana-bi''. In 2008, at the
30th Moscow International Film Festival
The 30th Moscow International Film Festival was held from 19 to 28 June 2008. The Golden George was awarded to the Iranian film '' As Simple as That'' directed by Reza Mirkarimi.
Jury
* Liv Ullmann (Norway – Chairman of the Jury)
* Michael G ...
, Kitano was given the Lifetime Achievement Award.
In March 2010 Kitano was named a Commander of
the Order of the Arts and Letters of France. On the 29th of April 2022 he received the Golden Mulberry Lifetime Achievement Award at the 24th Far East International Film Festival of Udine 2022, in Italy.
Agency
2018.4-:
T.N Gon
-2018.3:
Office Kitano
is a Japanese comedian, television presenter, actor, filmmaker, and author. While he is known primarily as a comedian and TV host in his native Japan, he is better known abroad for his work as a filmmaker and actor as well as TV host. With th ...
is a Japanese
talent management
Talent management (TM) refers to the anticipation of required human capital for an organization and the planning to meet those needs. The field has been growing in significance and gaining interest among practitioners as well as in the scholarl ...
company founded in February 1988 by Kitano.
In 2015, Kitano established .
On March 2018 Kitano left Office Kitano in order to become independent. Following this the company changed its name to TAP on January 1, 2020.
Filmography
Films
As director
* ''
Violent Cop'' (1989)
* ''
Boiling Point'' (1990)
* ''
A Scene at the Sea
is a 1991 Japanese drama film written, edited and directed by Takeshi Kitano starring Claude Maki.
Plot
A deaf garbage collector happens upon a broken and discarded surfboard. The discovery plants in him dreams of becoming a surf champion. Enc ...
'' (1991)
* ''
Sonatine'' (1993)
* ''
Getting Any?
is a 1995 Japanese film, written, directed, edited, and starring Takeshi Kitano. ''Yatteru'' (やってる) is the colloquial form for ''yatteiru'' (やっている), ''yatteru'' coming from the Japanese verb ''yaru'', which is an informal word m ...
'' (1995)
* ''
Kids Return
is a 1996 Japanese film written, edited and directed by Takeshi Kitano. The film was made directly after Kitano recovered from a motorcycle wreck that left one side of his body paralyzed. After undergoing extensive surgery and physical therapy, h ...
'' (1996)
* ''
Hana-bi'' (1997)
* ''
Kikujiro
''Kikujiro'' () is a 1999 Japanese road drama film starring, written, and directed by Takeshi Kitano. Its score was composed by Joe Hisaishi. The film was entered into the 1999 Cannes Film Festival.
''Kikujiro'' tells the story of a young boy sea ...
'' (1999)
* ''
Brother
A brother is a man or boy who shares one or more parents with another; a male sibling. The female counterpart is a sister. Although the term typically refers to a familial relationship, it is sometimes used endearingly to refer to non-familia ...
'' (2000)
* ''
Dolls
A doll is a model typically of a human or humanoid character, often used as a toy for children. Dolls have also been used in traditional religious rituals throughout the world. Traditional dolls made of materials such as clay and wood are found ...
'' (2002)
* ''
Zatōichi'' (2003)
* ''
Takeshis'
''Takeshis'' is a 2005 Japanese film directed, written, edited by, and starring Takeshi Kitano. It is the first film in Kitano's surrealist autobiographical trilogy, being followed by ''Glory to the Filmmaker!'', and '' Achilles and the Tortoise'' ...
'' (2005)
* ''
Glory to the Filmmaker!
is a 2007 Japanese film written, directed, edited by the film's lead star Takeshi Kitano. It is the second film in Kitano's surrealist autobiographical trilogy, following '' Takeshis, and concluding with '' Achilles and the Tortoise''.
Style
...
'' (2007)
* ''
Achilles and the Tortoise
Zeno's paradoxes are a set of philosophical problems generally thought to have been devised by Greek philosopher Zeno of Elea (c. 490–430 BC) to support Parmenides' doctrine that contrary to the evidence of one's senses, the belief in pluralit ...
'' (2008)
* ''
Outrage
Outrage may refer to:
* Outrage (emotion), an emotion
* Tort of outrage, in law, an alternative term for ''intentional infliction of emotional distress''
Books
* ''Outrage'', a novel by Henry Denker 1982
* ''Outrage'', a play by Itamar Moses 2 ...
'' (2010)
* ''
Beyond Outrage
is a 2012 Japanese yakuza film directed by Takeshi Kitano, starring Kitano (a.k.a. "Beat Takeshi"), Toshiyuki Nishida, and Tomokazu Miura. It is a sequel to Kitano's 2010 film '' Outrage'' and is followed by the 2017 film ''Outrage Coda''.
Plo ...
'' (2012)
* ''
Ryuzo and the Seven Henchmen
, also known as ''Ryuzo 7'', is a 2015 Japanese action comedy film directed by Takeshi Kitano. It was released on April 25, 2015.
Plot
Ryuzo (Tatsuya Fuji) is a retired yakuza gangster who lives a quiet unassuming life with his salaryman son, Ryuh ...
'' (2015)
* ''
Outrage Coda
is a 2017 Japanese yakuza film directed by Takeshi Kitano, starring Kitano (a.k.a. "Beat Takeshi"), and was released in Japan on 7 October 2017. It is a sequel to Kitano's 2012 film, ''Beyond Outrage'', and completes Kitano's ''Outrage (2010 fi ...
'' (2017)
As actor
* ''
Go, Go, Second Time Virgin'' (1969)
* ''Shinjuku Mad'' (1970)
* ''Makoto'' (1980)
* ''Dump Migratory Bird'' (1981)
* ''Manon'' (1981)
* ''Sukkari... Sono Kide'' (1981)
* ''Secret of Summer'' (1982)
* ''
Merry Christmas, Mr. Lawrence'' (1983)
* ''Mosquito on the Tenth Floor'' (1983)
* ''Kanashii kibun de joke'' (1985)
* ''Yasha'' (1985)
* ''
Comic Magazine Comic magazine may refer to:
* Comics anthology
* ''Comic Magazine'', a 1986 Japanese film
* Comic Magazines, the parent company of Quality Comics
* Franco-Belgian comics magazines
* Japanese manga magazines
* A periodical containing comic strips, ...
'' (1986)
* ''Anego'' (1988)
* ''
Violent Cop'' (1989)
* ''
Boiling Point'' (1990)
* ''Setsuna Kimono, Sore wa Ai'' (1990)
* ''Hoshi wo tsugu mono'' (1990)
* ''A Legend of Turmoil'' (1992)
* ''Dioxin from Fish!'' (1992)
* ''Erotic Liaisons'' (1992)
* ''Silver Ball'' (1992)
* ''
Sonatine'' (1993)
* ''Kyoso Tanjo'' (1993)
* ''
Getting Any?
is a 1995 Japanese film, written, directed, edited, and starring Takeshi Kitano. ''Yatteru'' (やってる) is the colloquial form for ''yatteiru'' (やっている), ''yatteru'' coming from the Japanese verb ''yaru'', which is an informal word m ...
'' (1995)
* ''
Johnny Mnemonic
"Johnny Mnemonic" is a science fiction short story by American-Canadian writer William Gibson. It first appeared in '' Omni'' magazine in May 1981, and was subsequently included in ''Burning Chrome'', a 1986 collection of Gibson's short fiction. ...
'' (1995)
* ''
Gonin'' (1995)
* ''
Hana-bi'' (1997)
* ''
Tokyo Eyes'' (1998)
* ''
Kikujiro
''Kikujiro'' () is a 1999 Japanese road drama film starring, written, and directed by Takeshi Kitano. Its score was composed by Joe Hisaishi. The film was entered into the 1999 Cannes Film Festival.
''Kikujiro'' tells the story of a young boy sea ...
'' (1999)
* ''
Taboo
A taboo or tabu is a social group's ban, prohibition, or avoidance of something (usually an utterance or behavior) based on the group's sense that it is excessively repulsive, sacred, or allowed only for certain persons.''Encyclopædia Britannica ...
'' (1999)
* ''Remains of Chivalry Zankyo'' (1999)
* ''
Brother
A brother is a man or boy who shares one or more parents with another; a male sibling. The female counterpart is a sister. Although the term typically refers to a familial relationship, it is sometimes used endearingly to refer to non-familia ...
'' (2000)
* ''
Battle Royale'' (2000)
* ''
Battle Royale: Special Edition'' (2001)
* ''
Zatoichi
is a fictional character created by Japanese novelist Kan Shimozawa. He is an itinerant blind masseur and swordsman of Japan's late Edo period (1830s and 1840s). He first appeared in the 1948 essay , part of Shimozawa's ''Futokoro Techō'' se ...
'' (2003)
* ''
Battle Royale II: Requiem'' (2003)
* ''
Izo'' (2004)
* ''
Blood and Bones
is a Japanese film, directed by Yōichi Sai and starring Takeshi Kitano. It is based on the semi-autobiographical novel ''Chi to Hone'' by Zainichi Korean author Yan Sogiru (Yang Seok-il).
The film opened in Japan on November 6, 2004. It was r ...
'' (2004)
* ''The Golden Cups One More Time'' (2004)
* ''
Takeshis'
''Takeshis'' is a 2005 Japanese film directed, written, edited by, and starring Takeshi Kitano. It is the first film in Kitano's surrealist autobiographical trilogy, being followed by ''Glory to the Filmmaker!'', and '' Achilles and the Tortoise'' ...
'' (2005)
* ''Arakimentari'' (2005)
* ''
Glory to the Filmmaker!
is a 2007 Japanese film written, directed, edited by the film's lead star Takeshi Kitano. It is the second film in Kitano's surrealist autobiographical trilogy, following '' Takeshis, and concluding with '' Achilles and the Tortoise''.
Style
...
'' (2007)
* ''
The Monster X Strikes Back/Attack the G8 Summit
''Monster X Strikes Back: Attack the G8 Summit'' ( ''Girara no Gyakushū: Tōyako Samitto Kiki Ippatsu'' lit. ''Guilala's Counterattack: Lake Toya Summit Crisis'') is a 2008 Japanese '' kaiju'' comedy film, released by Shochiku and produced by the ...
'' (2008) - Take-Majin
* ''
Achilles and the Tortoise
Zeno's paradoxes are a set of philosophical problems generally thought to have been devised by Greek philosopher Zeno of Elea (c. 490–430 BC) to support Parmenides' doctrine that contrary to the evidence of one's senses, the belief in pluralit ...
'' (2008)
* ''
Outrage
Outrage may refer to:
* Outrage (emotion), an emotion
* Tort of outrage, in law, an alternative term for ''intentional infliction of emotional distress''
Books
* ''Outrage'', a novel by Henry Denker 1982
* ''Outrage'', a play by Itamar Moses 2 ...
'' (2010)
* ''
Dearest'' (2012)
* ''
Beyond Outrage
is a 2012 Japanese yakuza film directed by Takeshi Kitano, starring Kitano (a.k.a. "Beat Takeshi"), Toshiyuki Nishida, and Tomokazu Miura. It is a sequel to Kitano's 2010 film '' Outrage'' and is followed by the 2017 film ''Outrage Coda''.
Plo ...
'' (2012)
* ''
Ryuzo 7'' (2015)
* ''
Mozu'' (2015)
* ''
While the Women Are Sleeping'' (2016)
* ''
Ghost in the Shell
''Ghost in the Shell'' is a Japanese cyberpunk media franchise based on the seinen manga series of the same name written and illustrated by Masamune Shirow. The manga, first serialized in 1989 under the subtitle of ''The Ghost in the Shell'' ...
'' (2017) -
Chief Daisuke Aramaki
* ''
Outrage Coda
is a 2017 Japanese yakuza film directed by Takeshi Kitano, starring Kitano (a.k.a. "Beat Takeshi"), and was released in Japan on 7 October 2017. It is a sequel to Kitano's 2012 film, ''Beyond Outrage'', and completes Kitano's ''Outrage (2010 fi ...
'' (2017)
Television
* ''Thousand Stars and One Night'' (1980–1981)
* ''The Manzai'' (1980–1982)
* ''Oretachi Hyōkin-zoku'' (1981–1989)
* ''Bakumatsu Seishun Graffiti: Sakamoto Ryōma'' (1982),
Yamauchi Yōdō
Yamauchi Toyoshige
, also known as , was a Japanese ''daimyō'' in the Shikoku region in the late Edo period. Nussbaum, Louis-Frédéric. (2005)"Yamauchi Toyoshige"in ''Japan Encyclopedia'', p. 1045. He was usually referred to as “Lord Yōdō” ...
* ''Waratte Pon!'' (1983)
* ''Super Jockey'' (1983–1999)
* ''Sports Taisho'' (1985–1990)
* ''Owarai Ultra Quiz'' (1989–1996, 2007)
* Genki TV (1985–1996)
* ''
Takeshi's Castle
is a Japanese game show that aired between 1986 and 1990 on the Tokyo Broadcasting System (TBS). It features the Japanese comedian Takeshi Kitano (also known as Beat Takeshi) as a count who owns a castle and sets up difficult physical challeng ...
'' (1986–1989)
* ''TV Tackle'' (1989–present)
* ''Heisei Board of Education'' (1991–1997)
* ''Daredemo Picasso'' (1997–present)
* ''
Kiseki Taiken! Anbiribabō'' (1997–present)
* ''
Koko ga Hen da yo Nihonjin'' (1998–2002)
* ''Musashi'' (2003)
* ''
Quiz $ Millionaire'' (2009)
*
Fuji Television
JOCX-DTV (channel 8), branded as and colloquially known as CX, is a Japanese television station based in Odaiba, Minato, Tokyo, Japan. Owned and operated by the it is the key station of the Fuji News Network (FNN) and the Fuji Network S ...
midnight broadcasting series (1991–present)
:''Kitano Fan Club''
:''Kitano Fuji''
:''Adachi-ku no Takeshi, Sekai no Kitano''
:''Saitoh Singu-ten''
:''Kitano Talent Meikan''
:''Takeshi Kitano presents Comăneci University Mathematics''
* ''Aka Medaka'' (2015)
* ''Hagoku'' (2017)
* ''
Idaten'' (2019), Kokontei Shinshō V
* ''Two Homelands'' (2019),
Hideki Tojo
Hideki Tojo (, ', December 30, 1884 – December 23, 1948) was a Japanese politician, general of the Imperial Japanese Army (IJA), and convicted war criminal who served as prime minister of Japan and president of the Imperial Rule Assistan ...
Radio
* ''
All Night Nippon
is a Japanese radio program broadcast by Nippon Broadcasting System and other radio stations from 1–5 am (JST). It preempts broadcasts from TBS Radio's programming heard on stations under both JRN and NRN (TBC Radio, CBC Radio, etc.).
...
by Beat Takeshi'' (1981–1990)
* ''Beatnik Radio'' (1997–2000)
* ''Beat Takeshi's literary night talk (NRN)''
* ''International men's friendship book show''
Books
*
*
*
*
*
*
*
*
Video games
As designer
* ''
Takeshi no Chōsenjō'' (1986)
As actor
* ''
Yakuza 6: The Song of Life'' (2016)
References
Further reading
*
External links
Takeshi Kitano official site*
*
*
{{DEFAULTSORT:Kitano, Takeshi
1947 births
Living people
Male actors from Tokyo
Commandeurs of the Ordre des Arts et des Lettres
Japanese comedians
Japanese male film actors
Japanese film directors
Japanese film editors
Japanese film producers
Japanese game show hosts
Japanese painters
Japanese screenwriters
Japanese male television actors
Japanese television personalities
Japanese television talk show hosts
Yakuza film directors
20th-century Japanese male actors
21st-century Japanese male actors
Directors of Golden Lion winners
Venice Best Director Silver Lion winners
Best Director Asian Film Award winners
European Film Awards winners (people)
Asian film producers
Meiji University alumni
Comedians from Tokyo