- Literary Roots: Before becoming a filmmaker, Tanaka aspired to be a novelist and later a poet, which influenced his later use of poetic imagery and visual metaphors in film.
- Academic Background: He studied French literature at Meiji University in Tokyo.
- Notable Mentors: After joining Nikkatsu studios, he worked as an assistant director under influential filmmakers, including [Seijun Suzuki] and [Shohei Imamura].
- Kurosawa Collaboration: In 1961, he served as a production assistant on Akira Kurosawa's classic samurai film [Yojimbo].
- The "Showa Trilogy": He is critically respected for a trio of films often called the "Showa Trilogy," which includes [A Woman Called Sada Abe] (1975), [The Watcher in the Attic] (1976), and [Beauty's Exotic Dance: Torture!] (1977).
- Beat Oshima to the Punch: His 1975 film A Woman Called Sada Abe was released one year before [Nagisa Oshima]'s internationally acclaimed [In the Realm of the Senses] (1976), which covered the same historical story.
- Poetic Eroticism: Known for blending a harsh, brutal world with imaginative, sometimes surreal, and colorful imagery.
- Directorial Debut: He began his directing career in 1972 with the softcore drama [Beads From a Petal] (also translated as Dewdrops on the Petals).
- Award Winner: He won the [Directors Guild of Japan New Directors Award] for his work on [Secret Chronicle: Torture Hell] (1973).
- Later Career: He continued directing into the 2000s, including directing the television movie [Kichiku] (2002).
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