Sadao Nakajima

Sadao Nakajima was a Japanese film director and screenwriter known for his work in yakuza films and jidaigeki.

Career

Born in Tōgane, Chiba, he attended Hibiya High School and then the University of Tokyo before joining the Toei studio in 1959. Working at Toei's Kyoto studio, he served as an assistant director under such directors as Masahiro Makino, Tadashi Imai, and Tomotaka Tasaka. He made his directorial debut in 1964 with Kunoichi Ninpō, and won the Directors Guild of Japan New Directors Award in 1966 for Yakuza (893) Gurentai, the first gendaigeki shot at Toei's Kyoto studio. He directed such popular film series as Kogarashi Monjirō and Nihon no Don, and also worked in television. His 1985 film Seburi Monogatari was entered into the 35th Berlin International Film Festival. From 1987 to 2008 he served as a professor of the Osaka University of Arts. He directed over 60 films in his career.
Nakajima died from pneumonia on June 11, 2023, at the age of 88.

Selected filmography

Kunoichi NinpōKunoichi KeshōYakuza GurentaiMemoir of Japanese AssassinationsKogarashi Monjirō Aesthetics of a BulletGirl Boss: Escape From Reform SchoolTokyo-Seoul-Bangkok Drug Triangle Jeans Blues No FutureThe Rapacious JailbreakerBohachi Bushido Saburai - scriptCrazed BeastThe Japanese GodfatherThe Japanese Godfather II: AmbitionThe Japanese Godfather III: ConclusionSanada Yukimura no Bōryaku Conquest Theater of Life - co-directed with Kinji Fukasaku and Jun'ya SatōAppassionataSeburi Monogatari Takeda Shingen - TV movieShogun's Shadow Nemuri Kyōshirō: The Man with No Tomorrow - TV movieChambara: The Art of Japanese Swordplay

''Love's Twisting Path''