Japanese Literary Awards

← Back to Home

Yasuo Tsuruhashi

つるはし やすお

tsuruhashi yasuo

Aliases: 倉田 康夫
Pen Names: Yasuo Kurata（Legal name after marriage (changed surname)）

Profile

Gender
Male
Born
1940-01-15 （Murakami, Niigata, Japan）
Died
2023-10-09 age 83
Nationality
Japan
Languages
Japanese

Career

Occupations
television director, film director
Active Years
1962-2023
Affiliations
Yomiuri Telecasting Corporation (Yomiuri TV), Tohokushinsha Film Corporation
Influenced By
Seicho Matsumoto
Influenced
Hisashi Nozawa, Koji Yakusho, Shinobu Otake

Education

Chuo University
Faculty of Law / Department of Law
Country: Japan
Graduated (year not specified)

Awards

Art Encouragement Prize (Newcomer) — Minister of Education, Culture, Sports, Science and Technology
1981
Work: Goben no Tsubaki / Kagerou no Shi
Category: 放送部門
Organization: Agency for Cultural Affairs (Japan)
Result: 受賞
Arts Festival Prize — Excellence Award (Television Drama)
1983
Work: Kari no Yado Naru wo
Category: テレビドラマ部門
Organization: Agency for Cultural Affairs (Arts Festival)
Result: 受賞（優秀賞）
TV Awards — Best Individual Award
1984
Organization: TV Awards
Result: 受賞（最優秀個人賞）
Arts Festival — Excellence Award
1984
Work: Mashou / Kiken na Toshi-goro
Organization: Agency for Cultural Affairs (Arts Festival)
Result: 受賞（優秀賞）
Galaxy Awards — Special Award
1988
Organization: Japan Council for Better Radio and Television (Galaxy Awards)
Result: 受賞（特別賞）
Shanghai Television Festival — Best Director
1993
Organization: Shanghai Television Festival
Result: 受賞（監督賞）
Agency for Cultural Affairs — Art Work Prize
1993
Work: Suzume-iro Toki
Organization: Agency for Cultural Affairs
Result: 受賞
Broadcasting Culture Foundation Award
1999
Category: 第25回
Organization: Broadcasting Culture Foundation
Result: 受賞
Galaxy Awards — Grand Prize
1999
Work: Keiji-tachi no Natsu
Organization: Japan Council for Better Radio and Television (Galaxy Awards)
Result: 受賞（最優秀賞）
Broadcasting Culture Foundation — Individual Award
1999
Work: Keiji-tachi no Natsu
Category: 第26回
Organization: Broadcasting Culture Foundation
Result: 受賞（個人賞）
Broadcasting Culture Foundation Award (31st)
2005
Work: Toride Naki Mono
Organization: Broadcasting Culture Foundation
Result: 受賞
Art Encouragement Prize — Minister of Education, Culture, Sports, Science and Technology Award
2005
Work: Toride Naki Mono
Organization: Agency for Cultural Affairs (Japan)
Result: 受賞（文部科学大臣賞）
Broadcasting Person Grand Prix — Special Award
2005
Work: Toride Naki Mono
Organization: Broadcasting Person Grand Prix
Result: 受賞（特別賞）
Purple Ribbon Medal
2007
Organization: Cabinet Office (Medals of Honor)
Result: 受章
Order of the Rising Sun, Gold and Silver Rays
2013
Organization: Cabinet Office (Orders and Decorations)
Result: 受章
TV Awards — Best Individual Award
2003
Work: Mashou — A Woman Death-Row Prisoner's Cry: I Don't Want to Die!
Organization: TV Awards
Result: 受賞（最優秀個人賞）
Galaxy Grand Prize (37th)
2000
Work: Keiji-tachi no Natsu
Organization: Japan Council for Better Radio and Television (Galaxy Awards)
Result: 受賞（大賞）

Awards & Nominations

Works

Major Works

Goben no Tsubaki

1981 TV drama (single episode)

A socially themed single-episode TV drama. Recognized as one of his works that keenly depicted human psychology.

human psychologysocial issues

Kagerou no Shi

1981 TV drama (single episode)

A social drama starring Ruriko Asaoka. One of the works that earned him the Art Encouragement Prize (Newcomer).

inner darknessethics

Keiji-tachi no Natsu

1999 TV drama (single episode)

A 1999 drama that won multiple awards including the Galaxy Grand Prize and Broadcasting Culture Foundation awards.

detective dramahuman relations

Toride Naki Mono

2004 TV drama (single episode)

A social TV drama produced after his move to Tohokushinsha. Winner of the Art Encouragement Prize (Minister's Award) and Broadcasting Culture Foundation Award.

social issuesjustice and humanity

Ai no Rukeichi

2007 film

A 2007 film directed by Tsuruhashi; a screen adaptation of an existing work.

lovehuman relationships

Genji Monogatari: Millennium of Mystery

2011 film

A film based on the classic 'The Tale of Genji'; he served as director for this large-scale production.

classical adaptationhistory

The Lonely Samurai

2018 film

One of the films he directed/participated in that was released in 2018.

human dramaperiod drama elements

Bibliography

  • Shikakui Sora
  • Onna in the New Car
  • Goben no Tsubaki
  • Kagerou no Shi
  • Keiji-tachi no Natsu
  • Toride Naki Mono
  • Ai no Rukeichi

Adaptations

Style & Themes

Literary Style
socially oriented drama styleediting-focused direction utilizing cutbacks/cross-cuttingpsychological perspective (visual depth) in cinematography
Recurring Motifs
inner darknessdepiction of human psychologyconflict between society and the individual

Health

  • aspiration pneumonia
    2023
    Died due to aspiration pneumonia

Legacy

Renowned master of socially oriented TV drama, recipient of numerous awards over decades. Praised for his editing-driven directorial techniques and close collaboration with actors; nicknamed the 'Arts Festival Man'.

In Popular Culture

  • Often referred to in popular media as the 'Arts Festival Man' for his many awards

Quotes

  • The word 'television' originally means to look far away (...) When I thought about what is the furthest thing, it might be one's own heart. So let's look at the darkness of the heart.
    Source: Interview / cited on Wikipedia

Trivia

  • Born as Tsuruhashi Yasuo but changed surname to Kurata after marriage.
  • Eldest son is Takaya Kurata (employee of Nippon TV, involved in drama production).
  • Nicknamed the 'Arts Festival Man' for winning numerous awards for single-episode social dramas.