Kiyoshi Nishimura (西村潔, September 7, 1932 – November 17, 1993) was a

Japanese Japanese may refer to: * Something from or related to Japan, an island country in East Asia * Japanese language, spoken mainly in Japan * Japanese people, the ethnic group that identifies with Japan through ancestry or culture ** Japanese diaspor ...

film

director Director may refer to: Literature * ''Director'' (magazine), a British magazine * ''The Director'' (novel), a 1971 novel by Henry Denker * ''The Director'' (play), a 2000 play by Nancy Hasty Music * Director (band), an Irish rock band * ''D ...

and screenwriter. He was best known for working as an assistant director for filmmakers such as

Akira Kurosawa was a Japanese filmmaker who List of works by Akira Kurosawa, directed 30 feature films in a career spanning six decades. He is widely regarded as one of the greatest and most influential filmmakers in the History of film, history of cinema ...

and

Ishiro Honda Ishiro may refer to: * Chamacoco language, or Ishiro, a language of South America * Chamacoco, or Ishiro, an ethnic group of South America * Ishirō Honda was a Japanese filmmaker who directed 46 feature films in a career spanning five decade ...

, and for directing numerous films under

Toho is a Japanese entertainment company that primarily engages in producing and distributing films and exhibiting stage plays. It is headquartered in Chiyoda, Tokyo, and is one of the core companies of the Osaka-based Hankyu Hanshin Toho Group. ...

Education

Nishimura graduated from the

Tachikawa High School 250px, Showa Memorial Park is a city located in the western portion of the Tokyo Metropolis, Japan. , the city had an estimated population of 184,383 in 93,428 households, and a population density of 7,600 persons per km2. The total area of t ...

Tokyo Tokyo, officially the Tokyo Metropolis, is the capital of Japan, capital and List of cities in Japan, most populous city in Japan. With a population of over 14 million in the city proper in 2023, it is List of largest cities, one of the most ...

. While studying, he worked part-time at a U.S. military base in

Tachikawa file:Autumn colors in Showa memorial park.jpg, 250px, Showa Memorial Park is a Cities of Japan, city located in the western Tokyo, western portion of the Tokyo Metropolis, Japan. , the city had an estimated population of 184,383 in 93,428 househ ...

, where he became interested in

filmmaking Filmmaking or film production is the process by which a Film, motion picture is produced. Filmmaking involves a number of complex and discrete stages, beginning with an initial story, idea, or commission. Production then continues through screen ...

. In 1956, he graduated from

Hitotsubashi University , formerly known as , is a national university, national research university in Tokyo, Japan. Often regarded as Japan’s foremost institution for the study of the social sciences, particularly commerce, economics, law, political science, sociolog ...

, where he was a classmate of politician

Shintaro Ishihara was a Japanese politician and writer, who served as the Governor of Tokyo Metropolis, Governor of Tokyo from 1999 to 2012. Being the former leader of the Far-right politics, radical right Sunrise Party, later merged with Toru Hashimoto's Japan ...

Career

Nishimura joined the

entertainment corporation and worked as an assistant director for multiple filmmakers, including

Mikio Naruse was a Japanese filmmaker who directed 89 films spanning the period 1930 to 1967. Naruse is known for imbuing his films with a bleak and pessimistic outlook. He made primarily Shoshimin-eiga, shōshimin-eiga ("common people drama") films with f ...

Ishirō Honda was a Japanese filmmaker who directed 46 feature films in a career spanning five decades. He is acknowledged as the most internationally successful Japanese filmmaker prior to Hayao Miyazaki and one of the founders of modern disaster film, wit ...

, Yuzō Kawashima, Hirokawa Horimichi, Yasuki Chiba,

Eizō Sugawa was a Japanese filmmaker. Career Sugawa was born in Osaka to a family that owned an asbestos manufacturing business. He graduated from the economics department of Tokyo University in 1953, and subsequently joined Toho studios. He was inspired ...

, Kengo Furusawa, and

Hideo Onchi was a Japanese film and television director. Career Born in Tokyo, Onchi graduated from Keio University and joined the Toho studios. He debuted as a director with '' Wakai ōkami'' (1961), and first made a name for himself directing youth fi ...

. In 1969, he made his directorial debut with the action-thriller ''It's Too Early to Die'' (''Shinu ni wa Mada Hayai),'' starring Toshio Kurosawa. Nishimura was known for incorporating

jazz Jazz is a music genre that originated in the African-American communities of New Orleans, Louisiana, in the late 19th and early 20th centuries. Its roots are in blues, ragtime, European harmony, African rhythmic rituals, spirituals, h ...

into his film soundtracks. Due to the decline of the

Japanese film industry The , also known domestically as , has a history that spans more than 100 years. Japan has one of the oldest and largest film industries in the world; as of 2022, it was the fourth largest by number of feature films produced, producing 634 fi ...

, Nishimura left Tokyo to work independently and directed numerous television series. In 1987, Nishimura was arrested for using a video camera in a public bathhouse (

sentō is a type of Japanese communal bathhouse where customers pay for entrance. Traditionally these bathhouses have been quite utilitarian, with a tall barrier separating the sexes within one large room, a minimum of lined-up faucets on both sides ...

) to film women. This incident negatively impacted his career and public image, leading to a lack of job opportunities. Following the incident, he directed television series under the pseudonym Yūsai Itō (井藤雄才).

Death

Nishimura was found dead on the

Hayama 260px, Morito Beach is a town located in Kanagawa Prefecture, on central Honshū, Japan. , the town had an estimated population of 32,961 and a population density of 1900 persons per km2. The total area of the town is . Since 1894, the Japanese ...

coast in

Kanagawa is a Prefectures of Japan, prefecture of Japan located in the Kantō region of Honshu. Kanagawa Prefecture is the List of Japanese prefectures by population, second-most populous prefecture of Japan at 9,221,129 (1 April 2022) and third-dens ...

on November 17, 1993, having drowned. A police investigation concluded that his death was a suicide.

Legacy

Kiyoshi Nishimura's work never became popular outside of Japan and several of his lesser known works fell into obscurity. However, some English critics revisited his films and reviewed them positively. Benjamin Hunting of Hagerty discovered ''Hairpin Circus'' and was impressed with the cinematography of the film. He called the film "ahead of its time" and wrote: Hayley Scanlon, an independent film critic, revisted Nishimura's debut film ''Too Young To Die'' and positively reviewed it, writing that "Nishimura’s 1969 debut is a masterclass in high tension." She also reviewed ''The Creature Called Man'' and acclaimed the film, applauding its heavy political commentary.

Filmography

As director: *

References

External links

* *
''Hairpin Circus'' review
at Midnight Eye {{DEFAULTSORT:Nishimura, Kiyoshi 1932 births 1993 deaths Japanese filmmakers Film people from Tokyo Hitotsubashi University alumni Suicides by drowning in Japan