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IMDbPro

Nobuo Nakagawa(1905-1984)

  • Director
  • Writer
  • Second Unit Director or Assistant Director
IMDbProStarmeterSee rank
Born in Kyoto, Nakagawa was early on influenced by proletarian literature and wrote amateur film reviews for the Kinema Junpo film magazine. He joined Makino Film Productions in 1929 as an assistant director and worked under Masahiro Makino. When that studio went bankrupt in 1932, he switched to Utaemon Ichikawa's production company and made his debut as a director in 1934 with Yumiya Hachiman Ken. He later moved to Toho, where he made comedies starring Enoken and even documentaries during the war. It was at Shintoho after the war that he became known for his cinematic adaptations of Japanese Kaidan, especially his masterful version of Tokaido Yotsuya Kaidan in 1959.

To Western audiences, his most famous film is Jigoku (1960), which he also co-wrote. The film was released on DVD by the Criterion Collection in 2006.

He also filmed many Kaidan for television. His last film was 1982's Kaidan: Ikiteiru Koheiji.
BornApril 18, 1905
DiedJune 17, 1984(79)
BornApril 18, 1905
DiedJune 17, 1984(79)
IMDbProStarmeterSee rank
Add photos, demo reels
  • Awards
    • 1 win total

Known for

The Sinners of Hell (1960)
The Sinners of Hell
6.7
  • Director
  • 1960
Goyôuta Nezumi kozô
  • Director
  • 1935
Haji wo shiru mono
  • Director
  • 1935
Ultraman Leo (1974)
Ultraman Leo
7.3
TV Series
  • Director

Credits

IMDbPro

Director



  • Kaiidan: Ikiteiru Koheiji (1982)
    Kaiidan: Ikiteiru Koheiji
    6.6
    • Director
    • 1982
  • Ultraman Leo (1974)
    Ultraman Leo
    7.3
    TV Series
    • Director
    • 1974
  • The Water Margin (1973)
    The Water Margin
    8.1
    TV Series
    • Director
    • 1973
  • Shigeru Amachi in Mushuku Zamurai (1973)
    Mushuku Zamurai
    TV Mini Series
    • Director
    • 1973
  • Mysterious Thirteen Nights: Chapter 1 - Ghost Story at the Kagamigaike
    TV Movie
    • Director
    • 1971
  • Edogawa Rampo shirîzu: Akechi Kogorô (1970)
    Edogawa Rampo shirîzu: Akechi Kogorô
    TV Series
    • Director
    • 1970
  • Okatsu the Fugitive (1969)
    Okatsu the Fugitive
    6.5
    • Director
    • 1969
  • Quick-Draw Okatsu (1969)
    Quick-Draw Okatsu
    6.8
    • Director
    • 1969
  • Sakura-sakazuki: gikyôdai
    • Director
    • 1969
  • Snake Woman's Curse (1968)
    Snake Woman's Curse
    6.3
    • Director
    • 1968
  • Yumiko Kokonoe in Kometto-san (1967)
    Kometto-san
    8.4
    TV Series
    • Director
    • 1967
  • Nippon o shikaru: Shutter zero
    • supervising director
    • 1966
  • Man's Storm
    6.6
    • Director
    • 1963
  • Nihon zankoku monogatari (1963)
    Nihon zankoku monogatari
    • Director
    • 1963
  • Inazuma tôge no kettô
    6.4
    • Director
    • 1962

Writer



  • Kaiidan: Ikiteiru Koheiji (1982)
    Kaiidan: Ikiteiru Koheiji
    6.6
    • Writer
    • 1982
  • Snake Woman's Curse (1968)
    Snake Woman's Curse
    6.3
    • written by
    • 1968
  • Inazuma tôge no kettô
    6.4
    • screenplay
    • 1962
  • Kishû no abarenbô
    • screenplay
    • 1962
  • The Sinners of Hell (1960)
    The Sinners of Hell
    6.7
    • written by
    • 1960
  • Zoku Raiden (1959)
    Zoku Raiden
    • Writer
    • 1959
  • Raiden (1959)
    Raiden
    • Writer
    • 1959
  • Matashirô gyôjôki: Onihime shigure (1951)
    Matashirô gyôjôki: Onihime shigure
    • Writer (uncredited)
    • 1951
  • Itahachi jima
    • screenplay
    • 1938
  • Môko no ichidai
    • Writer
    • 1938
  • Akutarô shishi
    • screenplay
    • 1936
  • Goyôuta Nezumi kozô
    • screenplay
    • story (as Jōsuke Sarusawa, as Jōsuke Sarusawa)
    • 1935
  • Haji wo shiru mono
    • screenplay (as Jōsuke Sarusawa)
    • 1935
  • Yumiya hachiman-ken
    • screenplay
    • 1934

Second Unit or Assistant Director



  • Shura hakkô: Dai-ichi-hen
    • assistant director
    • 1936

  • In-development projects at IMDbPro

Personal details

  • Official site
    • France's national library catalogue
  • Alternative name
    • Jōsuke Sarusawa
  • Born
    • April 18, 1905
    • Kyoto, Japan
  • Died
    • June 17, 1984
    • Tokyo, Japan(undisclosed)

Did you know

  • Trivia
    Apprenticed at Makino Film Studios in 1934 under Masahiro Makino.

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