Nippon Modern: Shimazu Yasujiro

Shimazu Yasujiro (1897–1945, not to be mistaken for Shimizu Hiroshi) belongs to the directors who in the 1920s and 30s worked for the Shochiku company (but also for TOHO) and developed a realistic style often characterized by socially critical commitment, which became known as !Japanese classicism" of the pre-war period. The directors of the Nikkatsu company (to whom Mizoguchi belonged) pursued a different style that adhered more to theater. In the case of Shochiku, the influence of U.S. cinema was already dominant, along with the American editing technique introduced by cameraman Kotani, who had previously worked in Hollywood. Shimazu, who remained in Tokyo after the earthquake in 1923 and worked in Shochiku's Kamata Studio, initially shot melodramas, but then turned to modern dramas set in everyday life, discovering new actors and actresses and turning them into stars them stars. Many Japanese directors of the next generations were inspired by the work of Shimazu, including Gosho Heinosuke and Kinoshita Keisuke, who worked as assistant directors for Shimazu. The Tokyo FilmEx Festival stated in its catalog: "Shimazu Yasujiro’s influence on Japanese cinema cannot be overestimated." In November 2009, Tokyo FilmEx contributed to the rediscovery of Shimazu with its retrospective “Nippon Modern: 1930s”.