Yasujirō Ozu

Known for: Directing
Born: December 11, 1903, Tokyo, Tokyo Prefecture, Japan
Died: December 12, 1963
Movies: 62

Yasujirō Ozu was a Japanese film director and screenwriter. He began his career during the era of silent films. Ozu first made a number of short comedies, before turning to more serious themes in the 1930s. Marriage and family, especially the relationships between the generations, are prominent themes in Ozu's work. His most lauded films include Late Spring (1949), Tokyo Story (1953), Floating Weeds (1959), and An Autumn Afternoon (1962). His reputation has continued to grow since his death, and he is widely regarded as one of the world's most influential directors. In the 2012 Sight & Sound poll, Ozu's Tokyo Story was voted the greatest film of all time by world directors.

Best-Known Movies

8.1

Tokyo Story

1953

8.0

Late Spring

1949

7.9

An Autumn Afternoon

1962

7.7

Good Morning

1959

7.9

Early Summer

1951

7.5

Floating Weeds

1959

7.7

Late Autumn

1960

7.4

Equinox Flower

1958

7.7

Tokyo Twilight

1957

7.5

I Was Born, But...

1932

Filmography

2026	Proust Palimpsesto: Pastiches e Misturas	Self (archive footage) (uncredited)
2025	The Ozu Diaries	Self (archive footage)
1978	Yasujiro Ozu and the Taste of Sake	Self (archive footage)

Directing, Writing & Producing

2016	Lil’ Tokyo Story	Writer
2003	An Autumn Afternoon	Screenplay
1964	Watashi-wa beretto	Writer
1963	Youth After School	Writer
1962	An Autumn Afternoon	Screenplay, Director
1961	The End of Summer	Screenplay, Director
1960	Late Autumn	Screenplay, Director
1959	Floating Weeds	Screenplay, Director
1959	Good Morning	Director, Screenplay
1958	Equinox Flower	Director, Screenplay
1957	Tokyo Twilight	Director, Screenplay
1956	Early Spring	Director, Screenplay
1955	The Moon Has Risen	Screenplay
1953	Tokyo Story	Director, Screenplay
1952	The Flavor of Green Tea Over Rice	Director, Screenplay
1951	Early Summer	Director, Screenplay
1950	The Munekata Sisters	Director, Screenplay
1949	Late Spring	Director, Screenplay
1948	A Hen in the Wind	Director, Screenplay
1947	Record of a Tenement Gentleman	Director, Screenplay
1942	There Was a Father	Director, Writer
1941	Brothers and Sisters of the Toda Family	Director, Writer
1937	What Did the Lady Forget?	Director, Writer
1936	The Only Son	Director
1936	The Lion Dance	Director
1936	College Is a Nice Place	Director, Writer
1935	An Inn in Tokyo	Director
1935	An Innocent Maid	Director
1934	A Story of Floating Weeds	Director
1934	A Mother Should Be Loved	Director
1933	Passing Fancy	Director
1933	Dragnet Girl	Director
1933	Woman of Tokyo	Director
1932	Until the Day We Meet Again	Director
1932	Where Now Are the Dreams of Youth?	Director
1932	I Was Born, But...	Director
1932	Spring Comes from the Ladies	Director
1931	Tokyo Chorus	Director
1931	The Sorrow of the Beautiful Woman	Director, Writer
1931	The Lady and the Beard	Director
1930	Young Lady	Director
1930	The Luck Which Touched the Leg	Director
1930	The Revengeful Spirit of Eros	Director
1930	That Night's Wife	Director
1930	I Flunked, But...	Director
1930	Walk Cheerfully	Director
1930	A Primer on Marriage	Director
1929	A Straightforward Boy	Director
1929	The Life of an Office Worker	Director
1929	I Graduated, But...	Director
1929	Fighting Friends	Director
1929	Days of Youth	Director, Writer
1929	Treasure Mountain	Director
1928	Physical Beauty	Director
1928	Couple on the Move	Director
1928	Pumpkin	Director
1928	Wife Lost	Director
1928	Dreams of Youth	Director, Writer
1927	Sword of Penitence	Director

Data from TMDB. This product uses the TMDB API but is not endorsed or certified by TMDB.