It is with deep sadness that we announce the passing of Sato Tadao, Professor Emeritus, Japan Institute of the Moving Image, on March 17th, 2022. He was 91 years old. The funeral service was held among close family members, who supported him with love and care during his final years of declining health. We thank Sato sensei for the unrivalled depth and breadth of his contribution to Japanese and world cinema.
Professor Sato taught film studies since 1973, when he taught alongside Institute founder and film director Shohei Imamura. Although he stepped down as president of JIMI in March 2017, he retained a strong commitment to education, particularly delighting in discussing and learning from students from other Asian countries. In 2018 at the age of 88, he taught a course on the History of Japanese Films to first year students, engaging them with his broad, insightful, and often first-hand knowledge about the subject. He was an amazingly prolific writer, although unfortunately most of his writings are available only in Japanese.
His recent publications include Thinking about Japan through Films: Mizoguchi, Ozu, and Kurosawa (2015), The World Seen through Films: Notes by a Critic Traveling in Search for a New Film (2016), The Contemporary World Depicted by the 13 Great Film Directors of the World (2016), and A Short History of Romantic Films: The Best Love-Scenes to Remember (2017).
In the face of a trend for convoluted theoretical writing accessible to an exclusive audience, Professor Sato stood out for having kept to a clear and straightforward style of writing. He always aimed to reach out to those who were young or missed out on higher education. He will be remembered as Japan’s most admired film critic and historian.
Members of Japan Institute of the Moving Image
Further information below.
SATO tadao
Film critic and historian
President Emeritus of Japan Institute of the Moving Image
School Address: 1-16-30 Manpukuji, Asaoku, Kanagawa 215-0004 Japan
(Contact: info@eiga.ac.jp)
Date of Birth: 6th October, 1930
Date of Death: 17th March, 2022 (aged 91)
1.Positions Held
2017-2022: President Emeritus, Japan Institute of the Moving Image (JIMI / a.k.a. IMAMURA Shohei Film School)
2011-2018: President, Professor, Japan Institute of the Moving Image (accredited four-year university)
Subject taught: History of Japanese Film (five series of lectures and workshops for the first year); Inauguration lecture for the first year, Principal panelist for student work presentations for all year levels (15-20 sessions per year)
1996-2011: Principle, Japan Academy of Moving Images (JAMI / accredited three-year college, the previous body of the JIMI above)
Subject taught: History of Japanese Film, Principal panelist for student work presentations
1973-1996: Lecturer, Yokohama School of Film and Television (two-year college, the previous school of the JAMI above, founded by late film director, IMAMURA Shohei)
Subject taught: History of Japanese Film, panelist for student work presentations
1991-2006: Director, Focus on Asia - Fukuoka International Film Festival
Role: To create a regional cultural center in Fukuoka City by introducing films and filmmakers of Asian countries to Japanese audiences, and to develop, through films, a more inclusive and tolerant youth community in the region.
1996-to date: Founder, Film Archive Project at Fukuoka City Library
Role: Together with his wife and producer, Hisako Sato, to establish a well-funded and well-managed film archive specializing in Asian films.
1995-to date: Chair of the Executive Committee, Kawasaki Art Center
Role: to oversee the film festival focused on the regional community and the development of the youth and children, to provide professional advice to the selection committee for the film showings for local residents and senior citizens, to provide with teaching staff and technical support to the screen literacy courses for primary and secondary students.
1957-to date: Editorial member of journals, Film Criticism (Eiga hyoron), Science of Thoughts (Shiso no kagaku), Main editor for Film History Studies (Eigashi kenkyu, a privately run film journal)
2.Publications
Monographs in English
1982: Currents in Japanese Cinema: Essays, Kodansha
2008: Kenji Mizoguchi and Art of Japanese Cinema, Berg Publisher
e.t.c.
Monographs in Japanese（Refer to https://ja.wikipedia.org/wiki/佐藤忠男 ）
Selected List of Major Publications
1962: Aesthetics of Being Killed by a Sward, Chikuma Shobo
1966: On Television, San-ichi Shobo
1969: Contemporary Japanese Films, Hyoronsha
1970: Contemporary American Films, Hyoronsha
1971: Movies for Liberation After the Nouvelle Vague, Chuo Koronsha
1971: Naked Japanese, Hyoronsha
1971: Yasujiro Ozu and His Art, Asahi Shinbunsha
1973: Japanese Manga, Hyoronsha
1973: Nagisa Oshima and His Art, Chikuma Shobo
1977: History of Film Theory, Hyoronsha
1977: History of Japanese Documentary, Hyoronsha
1980: Myths of Masculinity, Toyo Keizai Shinposha
1987: Aesthetics of Actors, Miraisha
1990: Akira Kurosawa, Iwanami Shoten
1992: European Films, Daisan Bunmeisha
1993: Asian Films, Daisan Bunmeisha
1995: History of Japanese Films, Vol 1-4, Iwanami Shoten
1995-6: History of World Films, Daisan Bunmeisha
2000: Spiritual Centre of Korean Films, Iwanami Shoten
2006: A Hundred Years of Chinese Films, Nigensha
List of Monographs for Young Readers and on Education
1964: Youthful Idealism: Educational Issues Series, Meiji Tosho Shuppan
1965: Children in Films: The Era of Education, Toyokan Shuppansha
1968: Universal Rights to Education, Chikuma Shobo
1969: Freedom of Education, Kokudosha
1971: What is Knowledge for the Contemporary Youth?: It All Begins with A Sense of Frustration, Nihon Bungeisha
1972: Film and A Formation of the Self, Hyoronsha
1972: A Story of a Delinquent Boy, Chikuma Shobo
1973: Logic of the Rights to Learn, Heibonsha
1973: How Do We Learn?: On a New Method of Self-Education, Yamato Shuppan
1974: Why Do We Have Wars? Popurasha (2001)
1974: How to Read Movies: Solving the Mystery and the Theory of Filmmaking, Jakometti Shuppan
1974: Thinking Outside School, Shoheisha
1975: Film Culture and Education, Meijitosho Shuppan
1975: Education as Rights: On the Logic and Emotions of Words, San-ichi shobo
1975: School and the World Out There: Beyond the Culture of Academic Qualifications, Chuokoronsha
1976: For What End Are You Studying?: Recommendation of Self-Learning, Chikuma Shobo
1976: How to Watch a Movie, Kodansha
1976: What to Read: Recommendation of a Multi-Dimensional Reading, Yamato Shuppan
1977: Have You Seen Samurai Movies? Jakometti Shuppan
1977: Questioning School Textbooks: Contemporary Education and the School-Manufactured Common Sense, Gakuyo Shobo
1978: Book-Reading and A Formation of the Self: Discovering the Joy of Marching Alone, Chikuma Shobo
1980: My School was the Cinema, Nihonkeizai Shinbunsha
1980: How to Write a Thesis: My Own Writing Methods, Kodansha
1980: Children’s Heroes, Bunka Shuppankyoku
1982: How to Become a Film or TV Director, Perikansha
1984: Thoughts on Labour: The Meaning of Work Seen on Screen, Gaifusha (2006)
1984: What it Means to Work: Finding Your Own Way, Daiyamondosha
1984: Why Not Finding Your Own Way?: The Way of Learning and Thinking that Encourages You to Start Again and Again, Yamato Shuppan
1985: Cinema was My School: My Youthful Days, Kodansha
1989: Hate School?: Alternative Ways of Living, Popurasha
1996: New Study Guide: Learning is Fun; An Essay on an Unbound Life, Popurasha
1998: What it Means to Become an Adult, Iwanami Shoten
2000: How to Benefit from University Education, Iwanami Shoten
2001: School is Fun at the Moment, Iwanami Shoten
2001: Understanding the Wars of the World through Films: Agitation, Anti-War, and the Paths to Reconciliation, Besutoserazu
2003: Why You Cannot Live in Your Own Way, Popurasha
2005: The Asia Seen in Films, Yosensha
2007: To See and To Be Seen, Iwanami Shoten
2007: Self-Taught: My Life with Books, Chikuma Shobo
2007: A Film Guide for 12 Year-Olds and Beyond: Fifty Films to Learn How to Live, Shogakukan
2008: Japan and the World Seen in the Movies, Kinema Junpo
2010: Educator, Shohei Imamura, Kinema Junpo
＊Japanese titles above are found in Tadao Sato’s author page at Amazon.co.jp
3.Presentations at International Conferences
1991-2006: Organized numerous seminars and gave lectures for young people as Director for Focus on Asia - Fukuoka International Film Festival for over 16 years.
1950s-to date: Throughout his career, he gave numerous lectures and keynote speeches for local, national, and international audiences, many of which are for the promotion of film education and education in general.
4.Organizational Services
2016: Organizing Committee Advisor for the Japan Society of Image Arts and Sciences (JSIAS) 42nd Annual Conference at JIMI
2006-2011: Executive Secretary for the JASIAS
1986-2001: Executive Committee Member for the JASIAS
1974-1983: Executive Committee Member for the JASIAS
2011-to date: Executive Committee Chair for Shin-yuri Arts Festival
2005-2010: Kyoto Award Selection Committee Member
1996-to date: Archive Collection Committee Member for the Fukuoka City Public Library
1991-2006: Selection Committee Member for the Fukuoka Prize
5.Awards and Grants
Medals (State Levels)
2019: Person of Cultural Merits (Japan)
2016: CILECT Teaching Award
2013: Merit for Polish Culture (Poland)
2010: Japan Foundation Award (Japan)
2004: Friendship Order (Vietnam)
2004: L'ordre National de la Légion D'honneur, Chevalier (France)
2004: Korean Cultural Merit, the Crown Award (Korea)
2004: Order of the Rising Sun, The Fourth Grade (Japan)
1996: Purple Ribbon Order (Japan)
1995: Ministry of Education Award for Fine Arts (Japan)
Awards (Private and Regional levels)
2022: Kinema Junpo Special Award (Japan)
2010: Kanagawa Culture Award (Japan)
1995: Mainichi Press Cultural Award (Japan/for the book History of Japanese Films)
1988: Kawakita Award (Japan/with Mrs. Hisako Sato)
1986: Yamaji Fumiko Cultural Award (Japan)
1956: Kinema Junpo Award (Japan/for the book, Films of Japan)
Grants
2015-2017: Japan Society for Promotion of Science Research Funds (Foundational Study B): “For the Foundation of East Asian Film Studies as an Interdisciplinary Social Science: Historical Research and Primary Source Collection”
6.Selected Student Achievements
MISAWA Takuya, Beijing International Film Festival Young Scriptwriter’s Award (2015, scriptwriter and director)
ABE Kazushige, Akutagawa Literary Award (2005, novelist)
Keralino SANDROVICH, Kishida Drama Writer Award (1999, scriptwriter and director)
Ucchan & Nanchan, Goldern Arrow Young Entertainer Award (1988, comedians)
MOTOHIRO Katsuyuki, The Historically Highest Box-office Revenue for a drama series (director)
MATSUE Tetsuaki, Tokyo International Film Festival Audience Award ( 2012, director)
LEE Sang-il, Kinema Junpo Best Film Award and Best Director Award (2010)
MIIKE Takashi, Cannes Film Festival Invitation Film (2012)
