Kon Ichikawa

市川崑　/　いちかわこん

Master Japanese filmmaker and visual stylist

November 20, 1915 – February 13, 2008　・　Ise, Mie Prefecture, Japan

From Mie Prefecture
Film Director
Screenwriter
Film Producer

My Take

I love that Kon Ichikawa started out as an animator, because once you know that, his films suddenly make sense to me — the guy composed frames like a draftsman, every shot balanced to the millimeter, like he couldn't help drawing even with a camera. He's one of those directors whose name carries serious weight (The Burmese Harp, Fires on the Plain, that gorgeous Tokyo Olympiad documentary), yet he never feels like a showoff to me. He's a craftsman, calm and exacting and a little cool, but never cold — there's real feeling under all that precision. And the man worked from the prewar era into his nineties, still calling action past ninety. That's not just talent, that's devotion. I find that kind of lifelong stubbornness genuinely moving.

Overview

Kon Ichikawa (November 20, 1915 – February 13, 2008) was a Japanese film director, screenwriter, producer, and animator born in Ise, Mie Prefecture. He began his career as an animator before establishing himself as one of Japan's most distinctive and prolific filmmakers, known for his precise visual compositions. Over a career spanning the prewar era through the 2000s, he directed films that earned international recognition including a Jury Prize at the Cannes Film Festival in 1960. He was decorated with the Medal with Purple Ribbon in 1982 and designated a Person of Cultural Merit in 1994.

1. Profile

Name (English): Kon Ichikawa
Name (Japanese): 市川崑
Reading: いちかわこん
Born: November 20, 1915 – February 13, 2008
Zodiac / Chinese zodiac: Scorpio / 卯 (Rabbit)
Origin: Ise, Mie Prefecture, Japan
Blood type: Private
Height: Private
Agency: Private
Active years: Unknown
Occupation: Film Director / Screenwriter / Film Producer / Animator

2. Background

Elementary school: Private
Junior high: Private
High school: Private
University: Private
Debut: Unknown

Awards & achievements

1960 – Blue Ribbon Award for Best Director
1960 – Cannes Film Festival Jury Prize
1961 – Blue Ribbon Award for Best Director
1963 – Blue Ribbon Award for Best Director
1982 – Medal with Purple Ribbon
1994 – Person of Cultural Merit
2000 – Berlinale Camera
Year unknown – Golden Arrow Award

Kon Ichikawa

My Take

Overview

1. Profile

2. Background

Awards & achievements

3. Relationships

4. Personality

Motto

6. Links

7. About this entry

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