was a Japanese businessman and served as president of

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 ...

. The self-proclaimed creator of

Gamera is a fictional monster, or '' kaiju'', originating from a series of Japanese films. Debuting in the 1965 film ''Gamera, the Giant Monster'', the character and the first film were intended to compete with the success of Toho's ''Godzilla'' film ...

, he produced the kaiju's second film ''

Gamera vs. Barugon is a 1966 Japanese Kaiju, ''kaiju'' film directed by Shigeo Tanaka, with special effects by Noriaki Yuasa and Kazufumi Fujii. Produced by Daiei Film, it is the second entry in the Gamera, ''Gamera'' franchise, and stars Kōjirō Hongō, Kyōko E ...

'', with the remainder of the Showa ''Gamera'' films produced instead by his son

Hidemasa Nagata (1925 – October 3, 2017) was a Japanese film producer and served as vice-president of Daiei Film. Filmography * '' Brooba'' (1955) * '' Punishment Room'' (1956) * '' The Crowded Streetcar'' (1957) * '' The Kiss'' (1957) * '' The Invisible ...

Film career

Born in Kyoto, Nagata attended the Ōkura Kōtō Shōgyō Gakkō (now

Tokyo Keizai University (Tokyo University of Economics) is a private university in Tokyo, Japan Japan ( ja, 日本, or , and formally , ''Nihonkoku'') is an island country in East Asia. It is situated in the northwest Pacific Ocean, and is bordered on the w ...

), but left before graduating. He joined the

Nikkatsu is a Japanese entertainment company known for its film and television productions. It is Japan's oldest major movie studio, founded in 1912 during the silent film era. The name ''Nikkatsu'' amalgamates the words Nippon Katsudō Shashin, literally ...

studio in 1925 and, after working as a location manager, rose to become head of production at the Kyoto studio. Experiencing conflicts with the Nikkatsu president, he left the company in 1934, taking many Nikkatsu stars with him, to form

Daiichi Eiga (第一) is a compound (linguistics)#Noun–noun compounds, compound grammatical modifier, modifier phrase of Japanese language, Japanese origin, meaning ''wikt:number one, number one'', or ''wikt:first, first''. In kanji, "dai" ("number") is � ...

. While short-lived, that studio created such masterpieces as

Kenji Mizoguchi was a Japanese film director and screenwriter, who directed about one hundred films during his career between 1923 and 1956. His most acclaimed works include ''The Story of the Last Chrysanthemums'' (1939), ''The Life of Oharu'' (1952), ''Uget ...

's '' Sisters of the Gion'' (1936) and ''

Osaka Elegy is a 1936 Japanese drama film directed by Kenji Mizoguchi. It forms a diptych with Mizoguchi's ''Sisters of the Gion'' which shares much of the same cast and production team, and is considered an early masterpiece in the director's career. Plot S ...

'' (1936). When Daiichi Eiga folded, Nagata became head of the Kyoto studio of

Shinkō Kinema was a Japanese film studio active in the 1930s. Background Shinkō was established in September 1931 out of the remnants of the Teikoku Kinema studio with the help of Shōchiku capital. The historian Jun'ichirō Tanaka writes that the studio w ...

until the government reorganized the industry during World War Two. Against a government plan to combine the fiction film companies into two studios, Nagata fought hard for the alternative option of creating a third studio. His efforts resulted in the creation of the

Daiei Motion Picture Company 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 n ...

, where he first served as an executive. He rose to become president in 1947 and, apart from a brief period when he was purged by

Occupation Occupation commonly refers to: *Occupation (human activity), or job, one's role in society, often a regular activity performed for payment *Occupation (protest), political demonstration by holding public or symbolic spaces *Military occupation, th ...

authorities, remained in that position until 1971. Under his reign, Daiei produced

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 ...

's ''

Rashomon is a 1950 Jidaigeki psychological thriller/crime film directed and written by Akira Kurosawa, working in close collaboration with cinematographer Kazuo Miyagawa. Starring Toshiro Mifune, Machiko Kyō, Masayuki Mori (actor), Masayuki Mori, and ...

'' (1950) and entered it in the

Venice Film Festival The Venice Film Festival or Venice International Film Festival ( it, Mostra Internazionale d'Arte Cinematografica della Biennale di Venezia, "International Exhibition of Cinematographic Art of the Venice Biennale") is an annual film festival he ...

, where it won the grand prize and became the first Japanese film to win an international award, thus introducing Japanese cinema to the world. Nagata also spurred the production of

Teinosuke Kinugasa was a Japanese filmmaker. He was born in Kameyama, Mie Prefecture and died in Kyoto. Kinugasa won the 1954 Palme d'or at the Cannes Film Festival for '' Gate of Hell''. Biography Kinugasa began his career as an onnagata (actor specializing in f ...

's '' Gate of Hell'' (1953), the first Japanese color film to be shown abroad, earning both an honorary

Academy Award for Best Foreign Language Film The Academy Award for Best International Feature Film (known as Best Foreign Language Film prior to 2020) is one of the Academy Awards handed out annually by the U.S.-based Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences (AMPAS). It is given to a ...

and the

Palme d'Or The Palme d'Or (; en, Golden Palm) is the highest prize awarded at the Cannes Film Festival. It was introduced in 1955 by the festival's organizing committee. Previously, from 1939 to 1954, the festival's highest prize was the Grand Prix du Fe ...

at the

Cannes Film Festival The Cannes Festival (; french: link=no, Festival de Cannes), until 2003 called the International Film Festival (') and known in English as the Cannes Film Festival, is an annual film festival held in Cannes, France, which previews new films o ...

. Nagata also produced such renowned films as Mizoguchi's ''

Ugetsu , is a 1953 Japanese historical drama and fantasy film directed by Kenji Mizoguchi starring Masayuki Mori and Machiko Kyō. It is based on two stories in Ueda Akinari's 1776 book of the same name, combining elements of the '' jidaigeki'' ( ...

'' (1953) and '' Sansho the Bailiff'' (1954), as well as '' Jokyo'' (which was entered into the 10th Berlin International Film Festival). On the popular front, Nagata's Daiei was also known for such successful film series as 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 ...

films starring

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 ...

, the

Sleepy Eyes of Death Sleepy means feeling a need for sleep, also known as somnolence. It may also refer to: People * Sleepy (rapper) (born 1984), a South Korean rapper part of the hip hop duo Untouchable * Sleepy Bill Burns (1880–1953), American baseball player * S ...

series featuring Raizō Ichikawa, and the

movies. Due to the decline of the film industry, and Nagata's extravagant expenditures, Daiei went bankrupt in 1971, but he continued as an independent producer for some years after that. He produced more than 160 films during his career.

Baseball

During the age when many Japanese film studios owned professional baseball teams, Nagata served as owner first of the

Daiei Stars The were a Japanese professional baseball team that was founded in 1946, and played in various incarnations until 1957, when it merged with another team. Overall, the franchise only had three winning seasons, never rising higher than third place ...

, and then of the

Daimai Orions The are a professional baseball team in Japan's Pacific League based in Chiba City, Chiba Prefecture, in the Kantō region, and owned by Lotte Holdings Co., Ltd. History The Marines franchise began in 1950 as the Mainichi Orions, an inaugura ...

when the Stars merged with the Mainichi Orions in 1958. He promoted the two-league system, helped build

Tokyo Stadium , also known as Tokyo Stadium in AFC Champions League, is a multi-purpose stadium in Chōfu, Tokyo, Japan. The stadium was founded at Kantō Mura, the redevelopment area formerly used by United States Forces Japan, in March 2001. It was the fi ...

, and became the first president of the

Pacific League The or is one of the two professional baseball leagues constituting Nippon Professional Baseball in Japan. The winner of the league championship competes against the winner in the Central League for the annual Japan Series. It currently consis ...

in Japan. He was inducted into the

Japanese Baseball Hall of Fame The is a museum which includes a library, reference rooms and . It first opened in 1959 next door to Korakuen Stadium in Tokyo, Japan. In 1988, the museum moved to a new site within the Tokyo Dome. The Hall of Fame and Museum was created as ...

in 1988.

Selected filmography

* '' Sisters of the Gion'' (1936) * ''

'' (1936) * ''

'' (1950) * '' Miss Oyu'' (1951) * '' Tetsu no tsume'' (1951) aka ''Claws of Steel'' * '' The Tale of Genji'' (1951) * ''

'' (1953) aka ''Tales of Ugetsu'' * '' Gate of Hell'' (1953) * '' Sansho the Bailiff'' (1954) * ''

The Crucified Lovers is a 1954 Japanese film directed by Kenji Mizoguchi. It was adapted from Monzaemon Chikamatsu's 1715 bunraku play ''Daikyōji Mukashi Goyomi''. The film was presented at the 1955 Cannes Film Festival, Plot Mohei is an apprentice to Ishun, t ...

'' (1954) * ''

Princess Yang Kwei-Fei is a 1955 Japanese historical film directed by Kenji Mizoguchi. It was a co-production between Daiei Film and Shaw & Sons, Hong Kong (later Shaw Brothers). It is one of Mizoguchi's two colour films, the other being '' Tales of the Taira Clan'', ...

'' (1955) * ''

The Phantom Horse is a 1955 color (Eastmancolor) Japanese drama film directed by Koji Shima. It was entered into the 1956 Cannes Film Festival. Cast * Bontarō Miyake as Yasuke Shiraishi * Ayako Wakao as Yuki Shiraishi * Yukihiro Iwatare as Jiro Shiraishi * Yos ...

'' (1955) * '' Shin Heike Monogatari'' (1955) * ''

Warning from Space is a Japanese ''tokusatsu'' science fiction film released in January 1956 by Daiei, and was the first Japanese science fiction film to be produced in color. In the film's plot, starfish-like aliens disguised as humans travel to Earth to wa ...

'' (1956) * ''

Street of Shame is a 1956 black-and-white Japanese film directed by Kenji Mizoguchi. It is the personal tales of several Japanese women of different backgrounds who work together in a brothel. It was Mizoguchi's last film. The film is based on the novel '' Su ...

'' (1956) * '' Zangiku monogatari'' (1956) * '' Suzakumon'' (1957) * ''

The Loyal 47 Ronin ''The'' () is a grammatical article in English, denoting persons or things already mentioned, under discussion, implied or otherwise presumed familiar to listeners, readers, or speakers. It is the definite article in English. ''The'' is the m ...

'' (1958) * ''

The Snowy Heron is a 1958 Japanese film directed by Teinosuke Kinugasa. It was entered into the 1959 Cannes Film Festival. Cast * Fujiko Yamamoto - Oshino * Keizo Kawasaki - Junichi Inaki * Yosuke Irie - Takashi Irie * Shūji Sano - Kumajirō Gosaka * Hito ...

'' (1958) * ''

Enjō is a 1958 Japanese film directed by Kon Ichikawa and adapted from the Yukio Mishima novel '' The Temple of the Golden Pavilion''. Its English title is ''Conflagration''. Synopsis Told in an intricate flashback structure, ''Enjō'' dramatizes ...

'' (1958) * ''

Floating Weeds is a 1959 Japanese drama directed by Yasujirō Ozu, starring Nakamura Ganjirō II and Machiko Kyō. It is a remake of Ozu's own black-and-white silent film '' A Story of Floating Weeds'' (1934) and considered one of the greatest films ever made. ...

'' (1959) * '' Fires on the Plain'' (1959) * ''

Odd Obsession is a 1959 Japanese drama film directed by Kon Ichikawa. It was entered into the 1960 Cannes Film Festival, where it won the Jury Prize. It was based on the novel '' The Key'', by Japanese novelist Junichirō Tanizaki. Plot A man who suspects ...

'' (1959) * '' Jokyo'' (1960) * ''

Her Brother is a 1960 Japanese drama film directed by Kon Ichikawa. The film is based on the novel ''Otōto'' by Aya Koda. It was entered into the 1961 Cannes Film Festival, where it won a prize for Special Distinction. Plot 17-year-old Gen takes care ...

'' (1960) * ''

An Actor's Revenge , also known as ''Revenge of a Kabuki Actor'', is a 1963 Japanese film directed by Kon Ichikawa, based on a novel by Otokichi Mikami. Plot Japan in the late Edo period: Three men — Sansai Dobe, Kawaguchiya and Hiromiya — are responsible fo ...

'' (1963) * ''

'' (1965) * ''

The Hoodlum Soldier is a Japanese film directed by Yasuzo Masumura. ''The Hoodlum Soldier'' was the first of a series of nine films that followed two soldiers, Kisaburo Omiya (Shintaro Katsu), a former yakuza who has become a soldier, and Arita (Takahiro Tamura), an ...

'' (1965) * ''

Shiroi Kyotō is a 1965 novel by Toyoko Yamasaki. It has been adapted into a film in 1966 and then five times as a television series in 1967, 1978, 1990, 2003, and 2019. The 1966 film was entered into the 5th Moscow International Film Festival where it won a ...

'' (1966) * ''

Zatoichi the Outlaw is a 1967 Japanese ''chambara'' film directed by Satsuo Yamamoto and starring Shintaro Katsu as the blind masseur Zatoichi. It was originally released by the Daiei Film, Daiei Motion Picture Company (later acquired by Kadokawa Pictures), and is th ...

'' (1967) * ''

Nichiren Nichiren (16 February 1222 – 13 October 1282) was a Japanese Buddhist priest and philosopher of the Kamakura period. Nichiren declared that the Lotus Sutra alone contains the highest truth of Buddhist teachings suited for the Third Age of ...

'' (1979)

Bibliography

* *

References

External links

* * {{DEFAULTSORT:Nagata, Masaichi 1906 births 1985 deaths Japanese film producers Deaths from pneumonia in Japan Baseball executives Film studio executives People from Kyoto Recipients of the Medal with Purple Ribbon