Itami, Juzo

Itami, Juzo

 orig. Yoshihiro Ikeuchi

(born May 15, 1933, Kyoto, Japan—died Dec. 20, 1997, Tokyo) Japanese film director and screenwriter. He had a successful 20-year career as an actor in films such as 55 Days at Peking (1963) before venturing into directing. His directorial debut, The Funeral (1984), was acclaimed for its satire of social conventions, a novelty in Japanese cinema. He became an international success with his artful and entertaining Tampopo (1986) and A Taxing Woman (1987). His satire on Japan's crime syndicate, The Gangster's Moll (1992), provoked a near-deadly attack on him by gangsters.