Kinuyo Tanaka

Known For: Acting
Born: November 28, 1909
Place of Birth: Shimonoseki, Yamaguchi, Japan
Died: March 21, 1977

Kinuyo Tanaka

Kinuyo Tanaka (田中絹代 Tanaka Kinuyo, 29 November 1909 – 21 March 1977) was a Japanese actress and director. Tanaka was born in Shimonoseki, Yamaguchi Prefecture, Japan. She became a leading actress at seventeen years old, appearing in Heinosuke Gosho's An Embarrassing Dream in 1927. She proceeded to take leading parts in, among others, Yasujirō Ozu's I Graduated, But... in 1929, Gosho's Aiyoku no ki in 1930, and in 1931, Japan's first talkie, The Neighbor's Wife and Mine, directed by Gosho. She had a close working relationship with director Kenji Mizoguchi, having parts in 15 of his films, including leading roles in The Life of Oharu (1952), Ugetsu (1953) and Sansho the Bailiff (1954). Their working relationship ended when Mizoguchi countered a recommendation from the Directors Guild of Japan for the Nikkatsu studio to hire her as a director. Despite this, the production of her second f…

Filmography

Kinuyo Tanaka, a Woman We Talk About

2022 · Self (archive footage)

The Travels of Kinuyo Tanaka

2009 · Self (archive footage)

Lullaby of the Earth

1976

Cape of the North

1976 · Old Nun

Let's Go, Grandma!

1975 · Kiku Sasaki

Kenji Mizoguchi: The Life of a Film Director

1975 · Self

Sandakan No. 8

1974 · Old Osaki

Sanbaba

1974

Tora-san's Dream-Come-True

1972 · The Old Family Mistress

Mominoki wa Nokotta

1970 · Tsuta

Red Beard

1965 · Madame Yasumoto

Kono sora no aru kagiri

1964

The Scent of Incense

1964 · Tsuna

Bright Sea

1963 · Nobuko Yazaki

Alone Across the Pacific

1963 · Youth's Mother

A Legend or Was It?

1963 · Shizuko Sonobe

Double Wedding

1963

Mama, I Need You!

1962

The Fencing Master

1962 · Oharu

A Wanderer's Notebook

1962 · Kishi, Fumiko's Mother

Love Under the Crucifix

1962 · Director

Girls of the Night

1961 · Director

Eternity of Love

1961 · Michi's Mother

Her Brother

1960 · Mother

The Wandering Princess

1960 · Director

The Three Treasures

1959 · Princess Yamato

Chikamatsu's Love in Osaka

1959 · Myokan

Hahakogusa

1959 · Shige Ozawa

The Eternal Rainbow

1958 · Fumi

Equinox Flower

1958 · Kiyoko Hirayama

The Ballad of Narayama

1958 · Orin

Sorrow Is Only for Women

1958

On This Earth

1957 · Omitsu, Heiichiro's mother

Geisha in the Old City

1957 · Oei

Stepbrothers

1957 · Rie

Yellow Crow

1957 · Yukiko Matsumoto

Flowing

1956 · Rika Yamanaka / Oharu

The Storm

1956

Women in Prison

1956 · Prison Warden

How Sorrowful

1956

This Is Home

1956

Confession

1956

Forever a Woman

1955 · Neighbor's Wife, Director

Tsukiyo no kasa

1955

Shōnen shikeishū

1955

House of Many Pleasures

1955 · Oshige

The Moon Has Risen

1955 · Yoneya, Director

The Woman in the Rumor

1954 · Hatsuko Mabuchi

Five Sisters

1954

Sansho the Bailiff

1954 · Tamaki

Love Letter

1953 · Landlady, Director

Brother and Sister

1953 · Assistant Director

An Heir's Place

1953 · Hisa Hosho

Ugetsu

1953 · Miyagi

Where Chimneys Are Seen

1953 · Hiroko Ogata

Sincere Heart

1953 · Kuniko

Himitsu

1952

Mother

1952 · Masako Fukuhara

The Ataka Family

1952 · Kuniko Ataka

The Life of Oharu

1952 · Oharu

Sisters of Nishijin

1952

Story of Lightning

1951

The Lady of Musashino

1951 · Michiko Akiyama

Miss Oyu

1951 · Oyû Kayukawa

Ginza Cosmetics

1951 · Yukiko Tsuji

The Inner Palace Conspiracy

1951 · Onaka

The Munekata Sisters

1950 · Setsuko Munekata

Wedding Ring

1950 · Noriko Kuki

Yotsuya Ghost Story Part 2

1949 · Oiwa / Osode

Yotsuya Ghost Story Part 1

1949 · Oiwa / Osode

Flame of My Love

1949 · Eiko Hirayama

A Hen in the Wind

1948 · Tokiko Amamiya

Women of the Night

1948 · Fusako Owada

Phoenix

1947 · Sayoko Aihara

The Love of the Actress Sumako

1947 · Sumako Matsui

Marriage

1947 · Fumie Matsukawa

Utamaro and His Five Women

1946 · Okita

Victory of Women

1946 · Hiroko Hosokawa

Kanojo no hatsugen

Kanojo no hatsugen

1946

A Tale of Archery at the Sanjusangendo

1945 · Okinu

Victory Song

1945 · Woman who sings lullaby

Miyamoto Musashi

1944 · Shinobu Nonomiya

Army

1944 · Waka

The Man Who Has Returned

1944

Air Raid of the Enemy Plane

1943 · Kiyo

Kaisen no Zenya

1943

A Certain Woman

1942

Record of a Woman Doctor

1941

Ornamental Hairpin

1941 · Emi

Flower

1941

Let's Go in Good Spirits

1941

Okinu and Banto

1940

Osaka Woman

1940

Seisen aiba fu: Akatsuki ni inoru

Seisen aiba fu: Akatsuki ni inoru

1940 · Chiyo

Kinuyo's First Love

1940

Weeds with flowers

1939

Zoku aizen katsura

1939

Spring Thunder

1939

Okayo's Preparedness

1939 · Okayo

The Tree of Love

1938 · Katsue Takaishi

Mother and Child

1938 · Chieko

Banchō sarayashiki

1937

A Man's Recompense: Part 2

1937

A Man's Recompense: Part 1

1937

Lady Doctor Kinuyo

1937 · Kinuyo Yamaoka

Song of the Flower Basket

1937 · Yoko

The New Road: Ryota

1936

The New Road: Akemi

1936

Men vs. Women

1936

Burden of Life

1935 · Itsuko Kuriyama

Okoto and Sasuke

1935 · Okoto

An Innocent Maid

1935 · Oshige

My Elder Brother

1934 · Sumako

That Night's Woman

That Night's Woman

1934

Osayo Koi Sugata

1934 · Osayo

Storm in the City

Storm in the City

1934

Honeymoon

1934

Constellations on Earth, Part 2: Constellations

Constellations on Earth, Part 2: Constellations

1934

Constellations on Earth, Part One: Earth Chapter

Constellations on Earth, Part One: Earth Chapter

1934

Sakura Ondo

1934

The Genealogy of Women

1934 · Otsuta

Mother of the East

Mother of the East

1934 · Taeko

Sôbô

1933 · Yoshiko Chō

Daphne

1933 · Tamayō (Geisha)

Before the Wedding

1933 · Yukiko Takada

The Road to Marriage

The Road to Marriage

1933

Clear and Cloudy

Clear and Cloudy

1933 · Fusako Kawahara

Dragnet Girl

1933 · Tokiko

The Cheerleading Captain's Love

The Cheerleading Captain's Love

1933 · Omitsu

Woman of Tokyo

1933 · Harue

The Dancing Girl of Izu

1933 · Kaoru, a dancer

The Bride Talks in Her Sleep

1933 · Haruko, bride

The Loyal 47 Ronin

1932 · Yae

Storm Zone

1932

Where Now Are the Dreams of Youth?

1932 · Oshige

Love in Tokyo

1932

Shine, Japanese Women

1932 · Shigeko

Studio Romance: A Guide to Love

1932

The Sun Rises from the East

The Sun Rises from the East

1932 · Miyoko

The Willows of Ginza

The Willows of Ginza

1932

My Brother's a Fool

My Brother's a Fool

1932

Victory or Defeat

1932

The Golden Demon

The Golden Demon

1932 · Omiya

Woman of Suffering

Woman of Suffering

1931

ABC Lifeline

1931

ABC Lifeline: Fujieda Chapter

1931

The Tramp and His Daughter

The Tramp and His Daughter

1931

The Neighbour's Wife and Mine

1931 · Wife of the Playwright

Sisters: Part 1

Sisters: Part 1

1931

Sisters: Part 2

Sisters: Part 2

1931

Cry Cheerfully!

Cry Cheerfully!

1931

Love, Be with Humanity: Part 1

1931 · Mayumi

Love, Be with Humanity: Part 2

1931 · Mayumi

Young Lady

1930 · Kinuko

Youth, Why Do You Cry?

1930 · Kozue Uesugi

Record of Love and Desire

1930

The Tale of Kinuyo

1930 · Kinuyo

Mother, Don't Tarnish Your Name

1930

The Great Ship

1930

The Big City: Explosion

The Big City: Explosion

1930

Where Do Women Go?

1930 · Omitsu

A Smiling Life

1930

I Flunked, But...

1930 · Cafe's Waitress

Song of Youth

1930 · Kinuko Yamada

Marching On

1930 · Toshiko Yamamoto

The Beating

1930

Triumphant Song of the Mountain

Triumphant Song of the Mountain

1929 · Yuki Matsuyama

The Father and His Son

The Father and His Son

1929

I Graduated, But...

1929 · Machiko Nomoto

Cheerful Song

1929 · Mamoko

The Model of New Women

The Model of New Women

1929

The Big City: Labor

The Big City: Labor

1929 · Okimi (cleaning woman)

The Village Where the Skylark Sings

The Village Where the Skylark Sings

1929

Him and Life

1929

Echigo Lion

1929

The Blacksmith of the Forest

1929 · Omitsu

Symphony of Youth

Symphony of Youth

1928 · Kinuko Noguchi

The Glory of the Shōwa Era

1928 · Yayoi Sakurai (Shōwa Chapter)

King of the Land

1928 · Namiko

Thank You for Your Hard Work

Thank You for Your Hard Work

1928

A Wife Quits

1928

The Face of Humanity

The Face of Humanity

1928

What a Handsome Man!

What a Handsome Man!

1928 · Shikanyu (geisha)

Iron Virgin

1928 · Namiko

The Eternal Heart

1928

Immortal Love

1928

The Age of Emotion

The Age of Emotion

1928

The Village Bride

The Village Bride

1928

If Only She...

1928

Chronicles of a Sea Country

1928 · Oaki (Sister)

Modern Warrior Training

Modern Warrior Training

1928

Night is a Trickster

Night is a Trickster

1927

Lovers' Suicide at Kiso

Lovers' Suicide at Kiso

1927

Sankichi the Flying Squirrel

Sankichi the Flying Squirrel

1927 · Oshizu (Tazaemon's Daughter)

The Oath of a Thousand Kills

The Oath of a Thousand Kills

1927 · Kaōgi (Courtesan)

Madame Pearl

1927

Song of the Border Patrol

Song of the Border Patrol

1927 · Tsutae

Magic

1927

An Embarrassing Dream

An Embarrassing Dream

1927

Takada no Baba

1927

The Harakiri at Tennōji

The Harakiri at Tennōji

1927

The Basement

1927

Yakko no Koman

1927

Secret Struggle

Secret Struggle

1927

Her

1926

Flashing Blade

1926

Buried Youth

1926

The Complete Story of Jirocho Shimizu, Part 2: Ashura's Revenge

The Complete Story of Jirocho Shimizu, Part 2: Ashura's Revenge

1926

Useless Button

1926

The Cursed Sword

The Cursed Sword

1926 · Owaka

Love and Courage

Love and Courage

1926

The Betrayed

1926 · O-Fumi

Torrent

1926

Young Master

1926 · Tamako (Geisha in training)

Oh! Carefree, Aren't You?

Oh! Carefree, Aren't You?

1926

Townspeople

1926

Troubled Days

1926 · Osaki (Reiko's Sister)

No Need for Your Opinion

No Need for Your Opinion

1925 · Daughter

Fallen Samurai

1925 · Omaki

Love's Snare

1925 · Osato (Thread Shop Owner)

The Killing of a Hundred Men at Isshinji Temple

The Killing of a Hundred Men at Isshinji Temple

1925 · Otami

Nature Is the Judge

Nature Is the Judge

1925

Brave Love

1925

Cry of the Raging Current

Cry of the Raging Current

1925 · Okimi

The Little Traveling Entertainer

The Little Traveling Entertainer

1925 · Okiku

Village Pasture

1924 · Oharu

A Woman from the Genroku Era

A Woman from the Genroku Era

1924

Kinuyo Tanaka · Virelixia