Japanese Literary Awards

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Kei Kumai

くまい けい

Kumai Kei

Profile

Gender
Male
Born
1930-06-01 （Toyoshina, Minami-Azumi District, Nagano Prefecture, Japan (now Azumino)）
Died
2007-05-23 （Died at hospital after being found collapsed at home） age 76
Nationality
Japan
Languages
Japanese

Career

Occupations
Film director, Screenwriter
Active Years
1954-2007
Influenced By
Hideo Sekigawa, Shusaku Endo, Yasushi Inoue, Tetsuro Miura
Nominations
Academy Award for Best Foreign Language Film nomination (Japan representative: Sandakan No. 8)

Education

Shinshu University
Faculty of Arts and Science
Country: Japan
Attended Tamachi Elementary and old Matsumoto schools; graduated from Shinshu University, Faculty of Arts and Science.

Awards

Silver Lion
1989
Work: Sen no Rikyu: Honkakubo Ibun
Organization: Venice International Film Festival
Result: 受賞
Silver Bear (Jury Grand Prix)
1986
Work: The Sea and Poison
Organization: Berlin International Film Festival
Result: 受賞
Berlinale Camera (Honorary Award)
2001
Organization: Berlin International Film Festival
Result: 受賞
Special Planning Award
1987
Work: The Sea and Poison
Organization: Japan Academy Prize
Result: 受賞
President's Special Award
2008
Organization: Japan Academy Prize
Result: 受賞（追贈）
Director Award (Blue Ribbon Awards)
1986
Work: The Sea and Poison
Organization: Blue Ribbon Awards
Result: 受賞
Newcomer Award (Blue Ribbon Awards)
1965
Work: Nihon Rettou (Japan Archipelago)
Organization: Blue Ribbon Awards
Result: 受賞
Directors Guild of Japan Newcomer Award
1965
Work: Nihon Rettou (Japan Archipelago)
Organization: Directors Guild of Japan
Result: 受賞
Silver Award
1989
Work: Sen no Rikyu: Honkakubo Ibun
Organization: Chicago International Film Festival
Result: 受賞
Best Film (Asian-Pacific Film Festival)
1974
Work: Sandakan No. 8
Organization: Asian-Pacific Film Festival
Result: 受賞
Art Encouragement Prize (Minister of Education)
1972
Work: Shinobu River
Organization: Agency for Cultural Affairs / Ministry of Education (as applicable)
Result: 受賞
Medal with Purple Ribbon
1995
Organization: Government of Japan
Result: 受章
Order of the Rising Sun, Gold Rays with Rosette (4th Class)
2003
Organization: Government of Japan
Result: 受章
Mainichi Film Awards Grand Prize & Director Award
1986
Work: The Sea and Poison
Organization: Mainichi Film Awards
Result: 受賞
Mainichi Film Awards Grand Prize
1972
Work: Shinobu River
Organization: Mainichi Film Awards
Result: 受賞
Mainichi Film Awards Special Award
2007
Organization: Mainichi Film Awards
Result: 受賞（追悼）
Japan Movie Critics Award — Best Film
2001
Work: Japan's Black Summer: Wrongful Conviction
Organization: Japan Movie Critics Award
Result: 受賞

Awards & Nominations

Works

Major Works

Teigin Incident: The Condemned

1964 Film

Kumai's directorial debut, a documentary-style exploration of the Teigin Incident arguing for the innocence of a suspect; Kumai also wrote the screenplay.

Postwar historyWrongful accusationDocumentary style

Nihon Rettou (Japan Archipelago)

1965 Film

A socially conscious film that links various postwar incidents in Japan to alleged U.S. plots; Kumai served as director and screenwriter.

Social issuesConspiracyPostwar Japan

The Sun of Kurobe

1968 Film (epic)

An epic depicting the construction of the Kurobe Dam, featuring a star-studded cast including Toshiro Mifune and Yujiro Ishihara.

Human dramaLabor and naturePublic works

Shinobu River

1972 Film (black-and-white)

A sober human drama adapted from Tetsuro Miura's novel, shot in black and white and acclaimed both domestically and abroad.

Human natureEthicsPostwar

Sandakan No. 8

1974 Film (social drama)

A film on the 'karayuki-san' sold to Southeast Asia; it won international acclaim and was selected as Japan's entry for the Academy Awards (Foreign Language).

Treatment of womenHistorical issuesTrafficking and exploitation

The Sea and Poison

1986 Film (social drama)

Adapted from Shusaku Endo's novel, it confronts wartime human experiments on prisoners and questions medical responsibility during war.

War responsibilityEthicsMedical morality

Sen no Rikyu: Honkakubo Ibun

1989 Film (period drama)

A period drama about Sen no Rikyu starring Toshiro Mifune; it won the Silver Lion at the Venice Film Festival.

Tea ceremonyPower and convictionHistorical figures

Japan's Black Summer: Wrongful Conviction

2001 Documentary / Drama

A film about the Matsumoto sarin incident addressing wrongful conviction and issues in the justice system; it was specially invited to the Berlin Film Festival.

Wrongful convictionJudicial issuesContemporary history

The Sea Was Watching

2002 Film

A later work directed by Kumai; one of his final theatrical films.

Human dramaMemory

Bibliography

  • Film and Poison
  • The Deep River of Cinema
  • Loving Cinema
  • Japan's Black Summer: Wrongful Conviction — Matsumoto Sarin Incident
  • The Sun of Kurobe (book)
  • Complete Record of the Film 'The Sun of Kurobe' (Shincho Bunko edition)
  • My Shinshu Story

Style & Themes

Literary Style
Socially conscious, documentary-tinged realismWeighty, tranquil visual styleFocus on characters' ethical conflicts
Recurring Motifs
Postwar history and its repercussionsConflict between authority and conscienceRelationships of victim and perpetrator

Health

  • Subarachnoid hemorrhage
    2007-05
    In May 2007 he collapsed at home and was taken to hospital; after a brief recovery he died of subarachnoid hemorrhage. He had been preparing new projects.

Legacy

A leading postwar Japanese social realist director. He was repeatedly honored at international festivals and major domestic awards for his incisive social insight and weighty human dramas.

Museums

  • Kei Kumai Memorial Museum Azumino, Nagano Prefecture, Japan

Academic Societies

  • Directors Guild of Japan

Archives

  • Azumino City (Kei Kumai works introduction and chronology)

Trivia

  • Married essayist Akiko Kumai in 1962.
  • Many of his films were selected for Kinema Junpo's Best Ten.
  • Sandakan No. 8 was selected as Japan's entry for the Academy Awards (Best Foreign Language Film).
  • Won the Silver Bear (Jury Grand Prix) at the 1986 Berlin Film Festival for The Sea and Poison.
  • Won the Silver Lion at the 1989 Venice Film Festival for Sen no Rikyu: Honkakubo Ibun.
  • Awarded the Medal with Purple Ribbon in 1995 and the Order of the Rising Sun (4th class) in 2003.
  • Left Nikkatsu in 1969 and worked as an independent director.
  • Died of a subarachnoid hemorrhage in May 2007; posthumously honored with Mainichi Film Awards' Special Award.