was a Japanese film director, screenwriter, and actor who was known for his war films and comedies and as the mentor of

Akira Kurosawa was a Japanese filmmaker who List of works by Akira Kurosawa, directed 30 feature films in a career spanning six decades. He is widely regarded as one of the greatest and most influential filmmakers in the History of film, history of cinema ...

. The combined list of his efforts as a director for documentaries, silent, and sound films includes over 90 film titles during his lifetime.

Early life

Born in

Tokyo Tokyo, officially the Tokyo Metropolis, is the capital of Japan, capital and List of cities in Japan, most populous city in Japan. With a population of over 14 million in the city proper in 2023, it is List of largest cities, one of the most ...

, Yamamoto attended

Keio University , abbreviated as or , is a private university, private research university located in Minato, Tokyo, Japan. It was originally established as a school for Rangaku, Western studies in 1858 in Edo. It was granted university status in 1920, becomi ...

, where he helped form a film appreciation society. He first appeared in film in 1921 as an actor opposite Yoshiko Okada, but that only earned the wrath of his family, who disowned him.

Career

He worked as an actor on the stage, joined

Nikkatsu is a Japanese film studio located in Bunkyō. The name ''Nikkatsu'' amalgamates the words Nippon Katsudō Shashin, literally "Japan Motion Pictures". Shareholders are Nippon Television Holdings (35%) and SKY Perfect JSAT Corporation (28.4%). ...

as an assistant director, and finally made his directorial debut in 1924 at Tōa Kinema. After working at Nikkatsu again, he was lured to Photo Chemical Laboratories (P. C. L.) in 1934, where he first made a name filming the comedies of Kenichi Enomoto. When P. C. L. became the

Toho is a Japanese entertainment company that primarily engages in producing and distributing films and exhibiting stage plays. It is headquartered in Chiyoda, Tokyo, and is one of the core companies of the Osaka-based Hankyu Hanshin Toho Group. ...

company, Yamamoto helmed realist dramas such as '' Tsuzurikata kyōshitsu'' and '' Uma'' (starring

Hideko Takamine was a Japanese actress who began as a child actress and maintained her fame in a career that spanned 50 years. She is particularly known for her collaborations with directors Mikio Naruse and Keisuke Kinoshita, with ''Twenty-Four Eyes'' (1954) a ...

), and war films such as '' Hawai Mare oki kaisen''. After

World War II World War II or the Second World War (1 September 1939 – 2 September 1945) was a World war, global conflict between two coalitions: the Allies of World War II, Allies and the Axis powers. World War II by country, Nearly all of the wo ...

, he continued directing films, but increasingly worked in television and radio.

Legacy

He is now mostly known as the mentor of

, who served as his assistant director on 17 films. He is also responsible for the career of

Toshiro Mifune was a Japanese actor and producer. The recipient of numerous awards and accolades over a lengthy career, he is widely considered one of the greatest actors of all time. He often played hypermasculine characters and was noted for his commandin ...

. In 1947, one of Mifune's friends who worked for the Photography Department of Toho Productions suggested Mifune try out for the Photography Department. He was accepted for a position as an assistant cameraman. At this time, a large number of Toho actors, after a prolonged strike, had formed a separate company,

Shintoho was a Japanese movie studio. It was one of the big six film studios (which also included Daiei, Nikkatsu, Shochiku, Toei Company, and Toho) during the Golden Age of Japanese cinema. It was founded by defectors from the original Toho company ...

. Toho then organized a "new faces" contest to find new talent. Mifune's friends submitted an application and photo, without his knowledge. He was accepted, along with 48 others (out of roughly 4000 applicants), and allowed to take a screen test for Kajiro Yamamoto. Instructed to mime anger, he drew from his wartime experiences. Yamamoto took a liking to Mifune, recommending him to director

Senkichi Taniguchi (February 19, 1912 – October 29, 2007) was a Japanese film director and screenwriter. Life and career Born in Tokyo, Japan, he attended Waseda University but left before graduating due to his involvement in a left-wing theater troupe. He ...

Selected filmography

Director

*Danun; 1924 *Renbo kouta shōdoshima jowa; 1924 *Yama no shinpi; 1924 *Bakudanji; 1925 *Hito wo kutta hanashi; 1925 *Kagayakeru tobira; 1925 *Mori no asa; 1925 *Matsuda eiga shōhin-shū: Kumo; 1926 *Junange; 1932 *Momoiro no musume; 1933 *Sōkyū no mon; 1933 *Arupusu taishō; 1934 *Ren'ai ski jutsu; 1934 *Furusato harete; 1934 *'' Enoken no Kondō Isami'' (エノケンの近藤勇) (1935) *Sumire musume; 1935 *Botchan; 1935 *Enoken's Ten Millions 2; 1936 *Wagahai wa neko de aru; 1936 *'' Enoken no Chakkiri Kinta'' (エノケンのちゃっきり金太) (1937) *Utsukushiki taka; 1937, with Kurosawa *Enoken no chakkiri Kinta 'Go', kaeri wa kowai, mateba hiyori; 1937, with Kurosawa *Enoken no chakkiri Kinta 'Zen' - Mamayo sandogasa - Ikiwa yoiyoi; 1937, with Kurosawa *Nihon josei dokuhon (volume 1); 1937, with Kurosawa *A Husband's Chastity: Fall Once Again; 1937, with Kurosawa *Otto no teiso - haru kitareba; 1937, with Kurosawa *Enoken no bikkuri jinsei; 1938, with Kurosawa *'' Tsuzurikata Kyōshitsu'' (綴方教室) (1938), with Kurosawa *Tōjūrō no koi; 1938, with Kurosawa *Nonki Yokocho; 1939, with Kurosawa *Chushingura (Go); 1939, with Kurosawa *Chushingura (Zen); 1939, with Kurosawa *Enoken no gatchiri jidai; 1939, with Kurosawa *Enoken no songokū: songokū zenko-hen; 1940, with Kurosawa *Enoken no zangiri Kinta; 1940, with Kurosawa *Roppa no shinkon ryoko; 1940, with Kurosawa *'' Uma'' (馬) (1941), with Kurosawa *'' Hawai Mare oki kaisen'' (ハワイ・マレー沖海戦) (1942) *The Sky of Hope; 1942 *Raigekitai Shutsudō; 1944 *'' Katō Hayabusa Sentōtai'' (加藤隼戦闘隊) (1944) *Koi no fuunjî; 1945 *Amerika Yosoro; 1945 * ''

Those Who Make Tomorrow is a 1946 Japanese film directed by Akira Kurosawa, Hideo Sekigawa and Kajirō Yamamoto (who was also co-writer). Purpose The film was produced to illustrate the purpose of the Trade union, workers' union at the Toho film studios, as the Alli ...

'' (明日を作る人々, Asu o tsukuru hitobito) (1946) *Haru no kyōen; 1947 *These Foolish Times II; 1947 *These Foolish Times; 1947 *Four Love Stories; 1947 *Kaze no ko; 1949 *Haru no tawamure; 1949 *Escape from Prison; 1950 *Who Knows a Woman's Heart; 1951 *Hopu-san: sararîman no maki; 1951 *Elegy; 1951 *Hana no naka no musumetachi; 1953 *Saturday Angel; 1954 *Zoku Take-chan shacho; 1954 *Take-chan shacho; 1954 *Ai no rekishi; 1955 *Muttsuri Umon torimonocho; 1955 *Ore mo otoko sa; 1955 *A Man Among Men; 1955 *Mt. Manaslu: 8,125 Meters in Altitude (Documentary); 1956 *The Underworld; 1956 *Yoshida to Sanpei monogatari: Ohanake no sekai; 1957 *''

A Holiday in Tokyo A, or a, is the first letter and the first vowel letter of the Latin alphabet, used in the modern English alphabet, and others worldwide. Its name in English is '' a'' (pronounced ), plural ''aes''. It is similar in shape to the Ancient ...

'' (東京の休日 ''Tōkyō no kyūjitsu'') (1958) *Jazu musume ni eiko are; 1958 *'' Monkey Sun'' (1959) *Ginza taikutsu musume; 1960 *Hana no oedo no musekinin; 1964 *Tensai sagishi monogatari: Tanuki no hanamichi; 1964 *Tameki no taisho; 1965 *Neko no kyujitsu; 1966 *Take-chan shacho: Seishun de tsukkare!; 1967 *Take-chan shacho: Seishun wa ryu no mono da!; 1967

References

External links

* * {{DEFAULTSORT:Yamamoto, Kajiro Japanese film directors Japanese propagandists Japanese propaganda film directors Japanese comedy film directors Japanese male screenwriters 1902 births 1974 deaths People from Chūō, Tokyo Film people from Tokyo Silent film directors Keio University alumni 20th-century Japanese screenwriters