Photo: Rita Molnár / CC BY-SA 2.5 (source: Wikimedia Commons)
Nagisa Ōshima was born on March 31, 1932 in Kyoto, Kyoto Prefecture, Japan. Nagisa Ōshima was credited as a screenwriter, film director and film producer. Death is recorded on January 15, 2013, at the age of 80. Education on record includes Kyoto University. Recorded honors include Cannes Best Director Award (1978), Blue Ribbon Awards for Best Director (2000), Sutherland Trophy (1976) and 4 more.
My Take
Nagisa Ōshima is, to me, one of cinema's great agitators. A Kyoto University intellectual and committed leftist, he used film as a scalpel against postwar Japanese complacency, and the results still unsettle. In the Realm of the Senses is reckless in the best sense, while Merry Christmas, Mr. Lawrence pairs beauty with deep ache. His haul, the Cannes Best Director prize, the Medal with Purple Ribbon, two Mainichi screenplay awards, confirms a mastery his provocations sometimes obscured. He divided audiences precisely because he refused to soothe them. I deeply admire artists who treat discomfort as a duty, and Ōshima did so to the end.
1. Profile
- Name (English)
- Nagisa Ōshima
- Name (Japanese)
- 大島渚
- Reading
- おおしま なぎさ
- Born
- March 31, 1932 – January 15, 2013
- Zodiac / Chinese zodiac
- Aries / Monkey
- Origin
- Kyoto, Kyoto Prefecture, Japan
- Occupation
- screenwriter / film director / film producer / film editor / director
2. Background
- University
- Kyoto University
Awards & achievements
- 1978 Cannes Best Director Award
- 2000 Blue Ribbon Awards for Best Director
- 1976 Sutherland Trophy
- 2000 Medal with Purple Ribbon
- 1972 Mainichi Film Award for Best Screenplay
- 1984 Mainichi Film Award for Best Screenplay
- 1961 Blue Ribbon Awards for Best Newcomer
- 1961 Directors Guild of Japan New Directors Award
3. Links
- Wikipedia (English)https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Nagisa%20%C5%8Cshima
- Wikipedia (Japanese)https://ja.wikipedia.org/wiki/%E5%A4%A7%E5%B3%B6%E6%B8%9A
- Wikidatahttps://www.wikidata.org/wiki/Q55403
4. About this entry
Tags
- Last updated
- 2026-06-21
Facts are limited to publicly available information up to 2024; non-public or unconfirmed items are omitted. English text is machine-assisted (facts translated by Sonnet, "My Take" written by Opus 4.8). The Japanese page is the source of record.
Frequently asked questions
When was Nagisa Ōshima born?
Born March 31, 1932.
When did Nagisa Ōshima die?
Died January 15, 2013, aged 80.
Where was Nagisa Ōshima from?
Nagisa Ōshima was from Kyoto, Kyoto Prefecture, Japan.
What did Nagisa Ōshima do?
Nagisa Ōshima worked as screenwriter, film director, film producer, film editor, director.
Screenwriter — see all → · Film director — see all → · More people from Japan →