Jūzō Itami (1933–1997) was a Japanese actor and, later, a popular modern screenwriter and film director. Many critics came to regard him as Japan's greatest director since Akira Kurosawa. His ten feature-length movies and one short film, all of which he wrote himself, are comic satires on elements of Japanese culture. He died under suspicious circumstances in December 1997 and may have been murdered by the yakuza.

Filmography

• 2003北の国から 記憶 前編
• 1997Woman in Witness Protection — Director, Screenplay
• 1996Supermarket Woman — Director, Screenplay
• 1995A Quiet Life — Director, Screenplay
• 1993The Last Dance — Director, Screenplay
• 1992Convenience Jack
• 1992Minbo, or The Gentle Art of Japanese Extortion — Writer, Director
• 1991Shirayuri Girls' Academy Western Archery Club: A Silver Target
• 1990Tales of a Golden Geisha — Director, Writer, Producer
• 1989Sweet Home — Kenichi Yamamura, Executive Producer
• 1988A Taxing Woman's Return — Director, Screenplay
• 1987A Taxing Woman — Writer, Director
• 1985Bumpkin Soup — Professor Hirayama
• 1985Tampopo — Producer, Screenplay, Director
• 1984MacArthur's Children — Hatano
• 1984Make-Up — Kumakura
• 1984The Funeral — Director, Screenplay
• 1983Choji Snack Bar — Kawara
• 1983The Family Game — Kosuke Numata
• 1983The Makioka Sisters — Tatsuo
• 1983The Politicians — Itakura
• 1982Kidnapping Blues — Walking Man
• 1982Onna no naka no akuma
• Toge no Gunzo
• 1981Baian the Assassin — Sahei Oumiya
• 1981Island of the Evil Spirits — Ryuhei Ochi
• 1981Play it, Boogie-Woogie — Lawyer
• 1980Until Evening — Sasa
• 1979Grass Labyrinth — Principal / Priest / Old man
• 1979No More Easy Life — Takamizawa
• 1979Private Collections — (segment "Kusa-Meikyu")
• 1979The Biggest Post-war Kidnapping: The Yoshinobu case — Narration
• 1975I Am a Cat — Meitei
• 1974Lady Snowblood 2: Love Song of Vengeance — Ransui Tokunaga
• 1974My Way — Dr. Takagi
• 1971Sweet Secret
• 1971The Gentle Japanese
• 1970A Young Man's Stronghold
• 1969Heat Wave Island — Iino
• 1969Safari 5000 — Kenichi Nomura
• 1969Team of Ruffians
• 1968Even If Life Withers — Shinji Sakaguchi
• 1968Human Torpedoes
• 1968The Notorious Concubines — Ximen Qing
• 1968The Young Eagles of the Kamikaze
• 1968Tokyo 196X — Kenkichi Godai
• 1967Parole — Kenji Kijima
• 1967Sing a Song of Sex — Ôtake
• 1966By a Man's Face Shall You Know Him — Shunji Amemiya
• 1965Lord Jim — Waris
• 1964The Flame of Devotion — Takuji Yoshii
• 196355 Days at Peking — Col. Shiba
• 1962Rubber Band Pistol — Director, Screenplay
• 1961Ten Women in Black — Hanamaki
• 1961The Big Wave — Toru
• 1960Her Brother — Son of Factory Owner
• 1960Kirai Kirai Kirai
• 1960The False Student — Sozo

Appearances as themselves (14)

• 2012"Utsukishiki Shizuka na Seikatsu" + satsuei genba hōmonki — Self
• 2012'Marutai no Onna' satsuei wo oete — Self
• 2012Itami-ryū super na supermarket ga dekiru made — Self
• Kodawari Otoko to Marusa no Onna — Self (archive footage)
• 2011Itami Juzo Museum's "13" — Self (archive footage)
• 2007Itami Jūzō Kinenkan ga dekiru made — Self
• 2007Juzo Itami: The Man with 13 Faces — Self (archive footage)
• 1993Making of Daibyonin — Self
• 1992The Making of "Minbo: the Gentle Art of Japanese Extortion" — Self
• 1990The Making of "Tales of a Golden Geisha" — Self
• 1989Great SFX Adventure: Take Me to 'Sweet Home' — Self
• 1988The Making of "A Taxing Woman's Return" — Self
• 1987The Making of "A Taxing Woman" — Self
• 1986The Making of "Tampopo" — Self