Japanese Literary Awards

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Yohei Taneda

たねだ ようへい

Taneda Yohei

Profile

Gender
Male
Born
1960-01-01 （Osaka Prefecture）
Nationality
Japan
Languages
Japanese

Career

Occupations
Production Designer, Art Director, Set/Production Designer
Active Years
1984-
Influenced By
Akira Kurosawa, John Ford

Education

Musashino Art University
Oil Painting Department / Oil Painting Department
Country: Japan
Participated in film productions as an art assistant while a student.

Awards

Japan Academy Prize — Outstanding Achievement in Art Direction
2009
Work: The Magic Hour
Organization: Japan Academy Prize Association
Result: Winner
Japan Academy Prize — Best Art Direction
2010
Work: Villon's Wife
Organization: Japan Academy Prize Association
Result: Winner
Mainichi Film Awards — Art Direction Award
2009
Work: Hula Girls
Organization: Mainichi Newspapers
Result: Winner
Hong Kong Film Awards — Best Art Direction
1999
Work: Sleepless Town
Organization: Hong Kong Film Awards Association
Result: Winner
Art Encouragement Prize — Minister of Education, Culture, Sports, Science and Technology Award (Film)
2009
Organization: Agency for Cultural Affairs (Japan)
Result: Winner
Medal with Purple Ribbon
2011
Organization: Government of Japan
Result: Recipient
Art Directors Guild — Excellence in Production Design (Nomination)
2004
Work: Kill Bill: Vol. 1
Organization: Art Directors Guild (USA)
Result: Nominated

Awards & Nominations

Works

Major Works

Swallowtail

1996 Film (Production Design)

Constructed the film's urban visual world; one of the works that brought him wider attention.

Urban spaceSocial strataNostalgia

Hula Girls

2006 Film (Drama)

A human drama set against regional revitalization in the Showa era; the production design supported the film's theatrical and period atmosphere.

Regional revitalizationRebirthHope

Villon's Wife

2009 Film (Drama)

Noted for its restrained visual aesthetics; one of the works that earned him major awards.

Human relationshipsSolitudeSubtleties of daily life

When Marnie Was There

2014 Animated Film

Served as art director for a Studio Ghibli film, contributing to the construction of the animated world.

MemoryNostalgiaRelationships

The Hateful Eight

2015 Film (Western)

Worked as production designer on a Hollywood film, designing the claustrophobic snowy Rocky Mountain setting.

IsolationTensionConflict

Bibliography

  • TOWN for the FILMS ARTWORKS from “Swallowtail Butterfly” to “Sleepless Town”
  • Hot Set — Yohei Taneda: Production Design Works
  • Somewhere Far Away
  • Creating the World of Ghibli
  • Stella and the Future

Style & Themes

Literary Style
Meticulous attention to detailCinematic and architectural spatial composition
Recurring Motifs
Miniaturized vistasTextures of antiques and handcrafted objectsLayered urban spaces

Legacy

A leading figure in production design acclaimed domestically and internationally. Demonstrated meticulous Japanese detail and world-building across many genres, influencing later practitioners.

Museums

  • Edo-Tokyo Museum (When Marnie Was There × Yohei Taneda Exhibition) Edo-Tokyo Museum, Tokyo, Japan Opened in 2014
  • Ehime Prefectural Museum of Art (touring exhibition) Matsuyama, Ehime, Japan Opened in 2015

Quotes

  • I dislike the idea that films such as 'Seven Samurai' or 'Tokyo Story' always top the list, so I deliberately left them out.
    Source: Kinema Junpo (1999 poll) (1999)

Trivia

  • Received the Art Encouragement Prize (Minister of Education Award) in 2009.
  • Awarded the Medal with Purple Ribbon in 2011.