Cast & creator
Kinuyo Tanaka
Best known for Red Beard, Mominoki wa Nokotta, Ugetsu
Kinuyo Tanaka (田中 絹代 Tanaka Kinuyo, 29 November 1909 – 21 March 1977) was a Japanese actress and director. Tanaka was born in Shimonoseki, Yamaguchi Prefecture, Japan. She became a leading actress at seventeen years old, appearing in Heinosuke Gosho's An Embarrassing Dream in 1927. She proceeded to take leading parts in, among others, Yasujirō Ozu's I Graduated, But... in 1929, Gosho's Aiyoku no ki in 1930, and in 1931, Japan's first talkie, The Neighbor's Wife and Mine, directed by Gosho. She had a close working relationship with director Kenji Mizoguchi, having parts in 15 of his films, including leading roles in The Life of Oharu (1952), Ugetsu (1953) and Sansho the Bailiff (1954). Their working relationship ended when Mizoguchi countered a recommendation from the Directors Guild of Japan for the Nikkatsu studio to hire her as a director. Despite this, the production of her second film as director went ahead, but Tanaka never forgave Mizoguchi, and the reasons for his behaviour are unclear. She also played Noboru Yasumoto's mother in Akira Kurosawa's Red Beard (1965). For her portrayal in Kei Kumai's Sandakan N° 8 she won the Best Actress Award at the 25th Berlin International Film Festival in 1975. Her last screen appearance was in 1976 in Kei Kumai's Kita No Misaki. Tanaka was the second Japanese woman who worked as a film director, after Sakane Tazuko (1904‐1975). Her first directing job was on the film Love Letter in 1953, and she made five further films in that role.
Also known as: 다나카 키누요, کینو تاناکا, 田中 絹代
231
film credits
1
television credits
225
1924–2022 · acting roles
7.5
average across scored titles
Signature credits
Known for
Across film & television
Filmography (232)
Showing 232 of 232 credits
Red Beard
Madame Yasumoto
1965
Mominoki wa Nokotta
Tsuta
1970
Ugetsu
Miyagi
1953
Sansho the Bailiff
Tamaki
1954
The Ballad of Narayama
Orin
1958
The Life of Oharu
Oharu
1952
Sandakan No. 8
Old Osaki
1974
Equinox Flower
Kiyoko Hirayama
1958
The Munekata Sisters
Setsuko Munekata
1950
Kenji Mizoguchi: The Life of a Film Director
Self
1975
Forever a Woman
Neighbor's Wife
1955Forever a Woman
Director
1955
Girls of the Night
Director
1961
The Three Treasures
Princess Yamato
1959
Love Letter
Landlady
1953Love Letter
Director
1953
A Hen in the Wind
Tokiko Amamiya
1948
Lullaby of the Earth
1976
Victory or Defeat
1932
Brother and Sister
Assistant Director
1953
Utamaro and His Five Women
Okita
1946Aizenbashi
1951
Miss Oyu
Oyû Kayukawa
1951
Flame of My Love
Eiko Hirayama
1949
Mother
Masako Fukuhara
1952
On This Earth
Omitsu, Heiichiro's mother
1957
Stepbrothers
Rie
1957
Flowing
Rika Yamanaka / Oharu
1956
The Wandering Princess
Director
1960
The Scent of Incense
Tsuna
1964
Love Under the Crucifix
Director
1962
Ginza Cosmetics
Yukiko Tsuji
1951
Army
Waka
1944
The Moon Has Risen
Yoneya
1955The Moon Has Risen
Director
1955
The New Road: Ryota
1936
This Is Home
1956
The Woman in the Rumor
Hatsuko Mabuchi
1954
Women in Prison
Prison Warden
1956
An Heir's Place
Hisa Hosho
1953
Song of the Flower Basket
Yoko
1937
Tora-san's Dream-Come-True
旧家的夫人
1972
The Storm
1956
A Legend or Was It?
Shizuko Sonobe
1963
Dragnet Girl
Tokiko
1933
Wedding Ring
Noriko Kuki
1950
A Tale of Archery at the Sanjusangendo
Okinu
1945
Her Brother
Mother
1960
Women of the Night
Fusako Owada
1948
The Travels of Kinuyo Tanaka
Self (archive footage)
2009
Geisha in the Old City
Oei
1957
A Wanderer's Notebook
Kishi, Fumiko's Mother
1962
Eternity of Love
Michi's Mother
1961
Five Sisters
1954
Yotsuya Ghost Story Part 1
Oiwa / Osode
1949
The Lady of Musashino
Michiko Akiyama
1951
A Man's Recompense: Part 2
1937
Alone Across the Pacific
Youth's Mother
1963
Tsukiyo no kasa
1955
The Eternal Rainbow
Fumi
1958
Kinuyo's First Love
1940Sisters: Part 1
1931
I Flunked, But...
Cafe's Waitress
1930
ABC Lifeline
1931
Her Secret
1952How Sorrowful
1956Kanojo no hatsugen
1946
Kinuyo Tanaka, a Woman We Talk About
Self (archive footage)
2022
My Elder Brother
Sumako
1934
Where Now Are the Dreams of Youth?
Oshige
1932
Bright Sea
Nobuko Yazaki
1963
The Dancing Girl of Izu
Kaoru, a dancer
1933
A Man's Recompense: Part 1
1937Honeymoon
1934
Chikamatsu's Love in Osaka
Myokan
1959
Burden of Life
Itsuko Kuriyama
1935Sisters: Part 2
1931
Woman of Tokyo
Harue
1933
The Inner Palace Conspiracy
Onaka
1951Yotsuya Ghost Story Part 2
Oiwa / Osode
1949
The Tree of Love
Katsue Takaishi
1938
Mama, I Need You!
1962
Confession
1956
Air Raid of the Enemy Plane
Kiyo
1943
Victory Song
Woman who sings lullaby
1945
House of Many Pleasures
Oshige
1955
Marriage
Fumie Matsukawa
1947
Okoto and Sasuke
Okoto
1935
Miyamoto Musashi
Shinobu Nonomiya
1944
A Certain Woman
1942
Where Chimneys Are Seen
Hiroko Ogata
1953The Golden Demon
Omiya
1932
Double Wedding
1963
Young Lady
Kinuko
1930
The Love of the Actress Sumako
Sumako Matsui
1947
The Man Who Has Returned
1944The Basement
1927
Phoenix
Sayoko Aihara
1947
Men vs. Women
1936
The Bride Talks in Her Sleep
Haruko, bride
1933
Love, Be with Humanity: Part 1
Mayumi
1931Madame Pearl
1927
Sisters of Nishijin
1952
The Ataka Family
Kuniko Ataka
1952
Ornamental Hairpin
Emi
1941
The New Road: Akemi
1936
The Fencing Master
Oharu
1962
Youth, Why Do You Cry?
Kozue Uesugi
1930Cry Cheerfully!
1931The Willows of Ginza
1932
Kono sora no aru kagiri
1964
Shine, Japanese Women
Shigeko
1932Mother of the East
Taeko
1934
I Graduated, But...
Machiko Nomoto
1929Triumphant Song of the Mountain
Yuki Matsuyama
1929Buried Youth
1926
An Innocent Maid
Oshige
1935Constellations on Earth, Part One: Earth Chapter
1934The Actress and the Detective
1950Love, Be with Humanity: Part 2
Mayumi
1931
Let's Go in Good Spirits
1941
King of the Land
Namiko
1928
Sorrow Is Only for Women
1958
Weeds with flowers
1939Seisen aiba fu: Akatsuki ni inoru
Chiyo
1940
Marching On
Toshiko Yamamoto
1930
Victory of Women
Hiroko Hosokawa
1946
Hahakogusa
Shige Ozawa
1959
Shōnen shikeishū
1955
The Neighbour's Wife and Mine
Wife of the Playwright
1931
Record of Love and Desire
1930
Record of a Woman Doctor
1941
Before the Wedding
Yukiko Takada
1933
The Loyal 47 Ronin
Yae
1932The Father and His Son
1929Oh! Carefree, Aren't You?
1926
Sincere Heart
Kuniko
1953
Cape of the North
Old Nun
1976The Road to Marriage
1933
Yellow Crow
Yukiko Matsumoto
1957The Great Ship
1930The Face of Humanity
1928Immortal Love
1928Lovers' Suicide at Kiso
1927
The Blacksmith of the Forest
Omitsu
1929
Studio Romance: A Guide to Love
1932
Zoku aizen katsura
1939
Banchō sarayashiki
1937
Let's Go, Grandma!
Kiku Sasaki
1975
Okinu and Banto
1940Thank You for Your Hard Work
1928The Village Bride
1928Sakura Ondo
1934Clear and Cloudy
Fusako Kawahara
1933The Big City: Labor
Okimi (cleaning woman)
1929Cheerful Song
Mamoko
1929The Cheerleading Captain's Love
Omitsu
1933The Sun Rises from the East
Miyoko
1932The Harakiri at Tennōji
1927
Lady Doctor Kinuyo
Kinuyo Yamaoka
1937
Sanbaba
1974
Daphne
Tamayō (Geisha)
1933Nature Is the Judge
1925Flashing Blade
1926The Oath of a Thousand Kills
Kaōgi (Courtesan)
1927
ABC Lifeline: Fujieda Chapter
1931Storm in the City
1934
Mother, Don't Tarnish Your Name
1930The Big City: Explosion
1930Symphony of Youth
Kinuko Noguchi
1928Constellations on Earth, Part 2: Constellations
1934
Story of Lightning
1951Useless Button
1926The Tramp and His Daughter
1931Song of the Border Patrol
Tsutae
1927Love's Snare
Osato (Thread Shop Owner)
1925Love in Tokyo
1932The Model of New Women
1929
Spring Thunder
1939Sôbô
Yoshiko Chō
1933
Young Master
Tamako (Geisha in training)
1926
Osaka Woman
1940
Village Pasture
Oharu
1924The Beating
1930Secret Struggle
1927
Kaisen no Zenya
1943The Age of Emotion
1928Sankichi the Flying Squirrel
Oshizu (Tazaemon's Daughter)
1927
Okayo's Preparedness
Okayo
1939Echigo Lion
1929Her
1926The Cursed Sword
Owaka
1926
The Genealogy of Women
Otsuta
1934
Fallen Samurai
Omaki
1925Woman of Suffering
1931
Mother and Child
Chieko
1938
Where Do Women Go?
Omitsu
1930A Wife Quits
1928The Complete Story of Jirocho Shimizu, Part 2: Ashura's Revenge
1926
Chronicles of a Sea Country
Oaki (Sister)
1928A Smiling Life
1930Torrent
1926
The Glory of the Shōwa Era
Yayoi Sakurai (Shōwa Chapter)
1928The Little Traveling Entertainer
Okiku
1925
Osayo Koi Sugata
Osayo
1934An Embarrassing Dream
1927No Need for Your Opinion
Daughter
1925The Killing of a Hundred Men at Isshinji Temple
Otami
1925
The Eternal Heart
1928Brave Love
1925Storm Zone
1932My Brother's a Fool
1932Troubled Days
Osaki (Reiko's Sister)
1926Townspeople
1926That Night's Woman
1934The Betrayed
O-Fumi
1926Song of Youth
Kinuko Yamada
1930Yakko no Koman
1927
The Tale of Kinuyo
Kinuyo
1930Him and Life
1929
Flower
1941If Only She...
1928What a Handsome Man!
Shikanyu (geisha)
1928Cry of the Raging Current
Okimi
1925A Woman from the Genroku Era
1924Magic
1927Modern Warrior Training
1928Iron Virgin
Namiko
1928