Celebrating the 120th Anniversary of Ozu Yasujiro’s Birth

Along with Kurosawa Akira and Mizoguchi Kenji, Ozu Yasujiro is one of the three great masters of Japanese cinema and is highly regarded by filmmakers around the world. Throughout his life, Ozu created films about family, depicting themes such as the bond between parents and children and family hardship. He is a director who has continued to bring emotion and enjoyment to viewers through films with a universality that transcends time and culture.
Sight and Sound Magazine, a publication of the British Film Institute (BFI), ranked Tokyo Story as the fourth best Japanese film in its "100 Greatest Films of All Time" in 2022, and several Ozu films have been screened at international film festivals such as those in Cannes and Venice. Many filmmakers around the world have paid tribute to and been influenced by Ozu.

Ozu's connection to Tateshina began in the summer of 1954 after filming Tokyo Story. He visited Unkoso, the mountain retreat of his screenwriting partner Noda Kogo. He was immediately impressed by the nature and atmosphere of the highlands in the foothills of the Yatsugatake Mountains—the pure water, delicious sake, and crisp air. He loved the area with all his heart and made the most of his time in Tateshina. He devoted himself to his work more than anything else. Tateshina is at the heart of Ozu's films, and all his later works, including Tokyo Twilight (1957), Equinox Flower (1958), Good Morning (1959), Floating Weeds (1959), Late Autumn (1960), The End of Summer (1961), and An Autumn Afternoon (1962), were developed here.

December 12, 2023 marks the 120th anniversary of Ozu Yasujiro’s birth.

Experience the World of Ozu Yasujiro: Chino Overnight Stay

Experience the World of Ozu Yasujiro: Mugeiso Day Trip