was a Japanese

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 is well known for directing Zatoichi series and

Nemuri Kyōshirō is a series of jidaigeki novels written by Renzaburō Shibata. The stories were originally serialized beginning in May 1956 in the ''Shūkan Shinchō''. The stories take place during the Edo period under the Tokugawa shogunate and the rules of ...

series films.

Biography

Tanaka graduated from Kwansei Gakuin University. In 1948, he joined the Daiei studio and started working as an assistant director under Kon Ichikawa, Kenji Mizoguchi and

Kazuo Mori , also known by his street name , was a Japanese film director who primarily worked in popular genres like the jidaigeki. Mori directed over 100 films in his life. Career Born in Ehime Prefecture, Mori graduated from Kyoto University before jo ...

etc. In 1958, Tanaka was promoted to director and debuted with ''Bakeneko Goyōda''. Tanaka received the Japan Directors Guild Special award for his '' Akumyō series films''. In 1971, he was released from his contract with Daiei and become a freelance director when the studio shut down film production. As a freelance director he directed a lot of jidaigeki television dramas such as ''

Hissatsu series The is a long-running prime-time popular television Jidaigeki series about assassins in Japan. ''Hissatsu Shikakenin'' is based on Shōtarō Ikenami's novel ''Shiokinin Fujieda Baian'', but its sequels are only inspired by it. The series still co ...

''. His final work was in the 2007 short film ''Shonen Kawachiondotori Monogatari''. In December 2007, he died of

Intracranial hemorrhage Intracranial hemorrhage (ICH), also known as intracranial bleed, is bleeding within the skull. Subtypes are intracerebral bleeds ( intraventricular bleeds and intraparenchymal bleeds), subarachnoid bleeds, epidural bleeds, and subdural bleeds. ...

Selected filmography

Television

* ''

Ronin of the Wilderness is a Japanese television jidaigeki or period drama that was broadcast between 1972 and 1974. It was inspired by Akira Kurosawa's ''Sanjuro'' and the Western genre. The lead star is Toshiro Mifune. The complete DVD box was released in 2007. Plot ...

'' (1972-74) * ''

''(1972) (ep.2,4,13,14,19 and 20) * ''

Hissatsu Shiokinin is a Japanese television ''jidaigeki'' or period drama that was broadcast in 1973. It is the 2nd in the Hissatsu series. Hissatsu Shiokinin is one of the most popular ''jidaigeki'' dramas in Japan. Plot A group of common merchants in Edo city(Tok ...

'' (1973) (ep.20) * ''

Tasukenin Hashiru is a Japanese television ''jidaigeki'' or period drama, that was broadcast in 1973–1974. It is the third in the Hissatsu series and is based on Saga Sen's ''Seibei-ryū Gokui''. Plot Seibie used to be a famous bandit. Now Seibie's official job ...

'' (1973-74) (ep.18,19,23,24,28,31 and 34) * ''

Kurayami Shitomenin is a Japanese television ''jidaigeki'' or period drama that was broadcast in 1974. It is the 4th in the Hissatsu series. The drama is a sequel to Hissatsu Shiokinin. Plot Itoi Mitsugu was a scholar of Rangaku but after Bansha no goku happened, h ...

'' (1974) (ep.5,6,15 and 20) * ''

Kenkaku Shōbai { is a series of popular historical novels written by Shōtarō Ikenami and one of the representative novels of Ikenami along with ''Onihei Hankachō'' and ''Shikakenin Fujieda Baian''. The stories were originally serialized in the Shōsetsu Shin ...

'' (ep.2,4,12 and 13) *''

Amigasa Jūbei is a Japanese television ''jidaigeki'' or period drama that was broadcast from 1974 to 1975. It is based on Shōtarō Ikenami's novel by the same title. It depicts the stories of Tsukimori Jūbei and the Forty-seven rōnin. A remake was aired in 1 ...

'' (1974-75) (ep.1,2,16,17 and 18) * ''

Nagasaki Hangachōu is a Japanese television ''jidaigeki'' or period drama that was broadcast in 1975. Plot The drama depicts in the late Edo period in Nagasaki, Hiramatsu takes up Nagasaki bugyō's head post. He likes alcohol and women. Furthermore He is always ...

'' (1975) (ep.9,10 and 16) * ''

Hissatsu Shiokiya Kagyō is a Japanese television ''jidaigeki'' or period drama that was broadcast in 1975–1976. It is the 6th in the Hissatsu series. Kenji Misumi was hospitalized while directing episode 13 where he later died. Plot Nakamura Mondo retired from profess ...

'' (1975) (ep.24) * '' Zatoichi (1974-78) Season One Episode 6,7,and 10 (1974) S2 Episode 9, 12 (1976) S4 Episode 20 (1979) * '' Akō Rōshi'' (1979) (ep.3,4,9,10 and 11) * ''

Hissatsu Shigotonin is a Japanese television ''jidaigeki'' or period drama, that was broadcast from 1979 to 1981. It is the 15th in the ''Hissatsu'' series. The drama was set to end after episode 26 with Nakamura Mondo's death, but won great popularity so the broa ...

'' (1979-81) (ep.19,21,28, 42,43,47,48,52,53,58,59,66,69,70,75,77 and 80) * ''

Shin Hissatsu Shigotonin is a Japanese television ''jidaigeki'' or period drama that was broadcast in 1981 to 1982. It is the 17th in the ''Hissatsu'' series. The drama is a sequel to ''Hissatsu Shigotonin''. Cast *Makoto Fujita as Mondo Nakamura *Kunihiko Mitamura as ...

'' (1981-82) (ep.3,9,10,14,15,20,29,30,35,37,43,47,52 and 53) * ''

Hissatsu Shigotonin III is a Japanese television jidaigeki or period drama that was broadcast in 1982 to 1983. It is the 19th in the Hissatsu series. The drama is a sequel to Shin Hissatsu Shigotonin.山田誠二『必殺シリーズ完全百科』p74 Plot Cast *Mako ...

'' (1982-83) (ep.1,3,6,12,16,24,25 and 32) * ''

Hissatsu Watashinin is a Japanese television ''jidaigeki'' or period drama that was broadcast in 1983. It is the 20th in the Hissatsu series. Atsushi Watanabe appeared in the Hissatsu series twice in past but in the drama he played professional killer for the first ...

'' (1983) (ep.1,2 and 6) * ''

Hissatsu Shigotonin IV is a Japanese television jidaigeki or period drama that was broadcast in 1983 to 1984. It is the 21st in the Hissatsu series. The drama is a sequel to Hissatsu Shigotonin III.山田誠二『必殺シリーズ完全百科』p74 Plot Cast *Mako ...

'' (1983-84) (ep.1,2,4,8,9,15,21,29,32 and 38) * ''

Hissatsu Shikirinin is a Japanese television ''jidaigeki'' or period drama that was broadcast in 1984. It is the 22nd in the Hissatsu series. Cast * Machiko Kyō as Okuni * Akira Onodera as Shinkichi * Midori Nishizaki * Gannosuke Ashiya as Kanppie * Etsushi Ta ...

'' (1984) (ep.13 and 15) * ''

Hissatsu Shigotonin V is a Japanese television ''jidaigeki'' or period drama that was broadcast in 1985 to 1986. It is the 23rd in the ''Hissatsu'' series. Isuzu Yamada made her final appearance in the ''Hissatsu'' series. Plot Kumihimoya no Ryu is a maker of cords ...

'' (1985) (ep.3,6 and 11) *''

Hissatsu Shigotonin V Gekitouhen is a Japanese television '' jidaigeki'' or period drama that was broadcast in 1985 to 1986. It is the 25th in the ''Hissatsu'' series. Plot Cast *Makoto Fujita as Mondo Nakamura *Masaki Kyomoto as Kumihimoya no Ryu * Hiroaki Murakami as Kajiy ...

'' (ep.5) * '' Hissatsu Shigotonin V Senpuhen'' (1986-87) (ep. 3,6 and 9) * ''

'' (1989) (TV Movie) * ''

Abare Hasshū Goyō Tabi was a network prime-time television ''jidaigeki'' series in Japan from 1991 to 1994. It starred Teruhiko Saigō. The series began in 1991 in the 9:00 p.m. time slot on the TV Tokyo network. Saigō created the role of Tōdō Heihachirō. The c ...

'' (1990-91) (Season1, ep.1,3 and 6), (Season2, ep.10,12,22 and 23)

References

External links

* 1920 births 2007 deaths People from Osaka Japanese film directors Samurai film directors Yakuza film directors {{japan-film-director-stub