"Film Director Tanaka Kinuyo": The Challenges of Female Authorship

Abstract

abstract:In 1953, Tanaka Kinuyo, one of Japan's legendary stars, made her debut as a film director, becoming the first Japanese woman to regularly direct feature-length fiction films. In "Eiga kantoku Tanaka Kinuyo" ("Film Director Tanaka Kinuyo," 2016), Murakawa Hide explores Tanaka's early directorial career through interviews with actors and staff members who worked under Tanaka at the time. These interviews provide valuable insight into the industrial and political context in which Tanaka debuted and how she was perceived inside the industry. Included here is an original translation of Murakawa's article as well as an introduction from the translator addressing how the gendered experiences of authorship, stardom, and ageism intersect in Tanaka's directorial career.