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Yasujiro Ozu. Photo Source

Top 10 Remarkable Facts about Yasujir艒 Ozu

Yasujiro Ozu was a screenwriter and film director popularly known for his 1953 film, Tokyo Story. He was born in December 1903 to a merchant family from Ise but slowly became internationally recognized for his mastery in screenwriting and directing.

Yasujiro鈥檚 first job was in a film company. A year after he began working in Shochiku, Ozu decided to join the military service where he became a corporal. He was drafted into the Japanese Imperial Army twice i.e 1938 and 1943.

Ozu鈥檚 first project as a director was the silent film, Sword of Patience (1927). The film was also his first screenwriting project where he collaborated with Kogo Noda, who became his co-writer throughout his career.

Yasujiro often shot films in a low camera position,making this his trademark. He transitioned from silent films to talkies in 1936 in the movie The Only Son. His last film, An Autumn Afternoon was showcased in 1962, a year before his death.

1. Yasujiro Was Sent Away From His Home By His Father

At the age of 9, Ozu鈥檚 father sent him and his 5 siblings to their patriarchal home in Matsusaka. He continued his schooling joining Ujiyamada High School in 1916.

After 9 years, Ozu鈥檚 family moved back to Tokyo. However, Ozu decided to continue his stay until his sister graduated. He finally moved back to Tokyo in 1923.

2. His School Truancy Was Attributed To His Love For Film

Camera and film. Photo By PublicDomainPictures-

Ozu鈥檚 interest in film often landed him in trouble. He would skip school and travel far into the mountains to watch movies on the weekends. During his time in Matsusaka, Quo Vadis (1913), The Last Days of Pompeii (1913) and Civilization (1916) were some of the notable films that drove him towards his desire for film directing.

3. Yasujiro鈥檚 Father Was Unsupportive Of His Passion For Film

After graduating from high school in 1921, Ozu attempted to join Kobe University. His attempt to pursue economics was cut short when he failed his entrance exams. A year later he set out to become a teacher but unfortunately, he did not succeed.

In 1923, Ozu was able to secure a position at the Shochiku Film Company with the help of his uncle. He worked as an assistant in the department of cinematography. Toranosuke, Ozu鈥檚 father, was against this as he prefered a more office based job.

4. Yasujiro Used His First Physical Altercation As The Pitch For His First Film

After his service in the military, Ozu returned and continued to serve as assistant director at Shochiku. In 1927, Ozu got himself involved in an altercation with a work colleague. He had physically assaulted the employee after he decide to jump the cafeteria queue.

Ozu was summoned to the director鈥檚 office where he saw an opportunity to present his first written script. In September of that year, he was promoted to lead director where he directed his first film Sword of Penitence (1927). No trace of the film has been found to date.

5. He Participated In Two Defining Battles Between Japan And China

Second_Sino-Japanese_War_collection . Photo Source

In 1937, Shiro Kido, head of Shochiku studio, had expressed his disappointment with Ozu鈥檚 deteriorating success in box office movies. Coincidentally, Ozu was recruited into the Imperial Japanes Army that same year.

Yasujiro resided in China for the years that followed and took part in the Second Sino-Japanese War (1937-1945). He began as a corporal and was promoted to sergeant after 9 months. Ozu participated in both the Battle of Nanchang and the Battle of Xiushi River.

During his time in Nanjing, Ozu was privileged to meet Sadao Yamanaka, a Japanese screenwriter and film director. The two shared a common interest and became good friends before his Yamanaka succumbed to death.

6. Yasujiro Was Drafted into The Army As A Film Maker

In 1943, Ozu was sent to Singapore after being redrafted into the Japanese army. The army had recruited him as a lead film director for the documentary Derii e, Derii e (To Delhi, to Delhi).

The film was based on the life of Subhas Chandra Bose, a nationalist who defied the British Authority in India. In August 1945, Ozu destroyed all the footage and script of the film before being detained as a civilian in a rubber plantation.

7. His Most Acclaimed Film Received A Global Accolade Post-Humorously

Film poster of Tokyo Story. Photo by Neonsigh –

Out of Ozu鈥檚 successful films, Tokyo Story was considered his masterpiece. It was his last written script in Chigasakikan. In 2012, worldwide critics of the British monthly film magazine named Sight and Sound voted it the greatest film of all time.

8. Yasujiro Never Married Nor Had Children

Ozu spent his life living with his mother and siblings and serving in the Japanese Imperial Army. The film director chose to be a bachelor all through his sixty years of life having borne no children.

Perhaps his lack of interest in having a family of his own could be attributed to his drinking and smoking habits.

9. Yasujiro鈥檚 Style Of Filming Deviated From The Hollywood Conventions

Hollywood Sign. Photo By S枚rn – Flickr –

Aside from being a screenwriter, Ozu was also known for his innovations and unique technical style. His film director persona is easily recognized in his postwar films such as Late Spring (1949) and Early Summer (1951).

Ozu鈥檚 aim during film directing was to make the viewer feel as though they were part of the movie in real life. He used a 50mm filming lens throughout his career, a camera usually equated to the human vision.

Furthermore, Ozu improvised on the angles of characters during dialogues by placing the viewer in the middle scene. Unlike the typical Hollywood concept of fading out, his film transitions would either be done by taking shots of static objects or direct cuts.

10. He Was The Inventor of The Tatami Shot

A tatami is a flooring material used to style Japanese rooms. The term tatami shot refered to a low-lying camera angle of about two feet off the ground, purportedly the eye level of a kneeling person. Ozu used this concept in nearly all his films.