Newspapers Mainichi Shimbun and Yomiuri Shimbun Both reported on Thursday that the film director and screenwriter Toshio Masuda He died of old age on August 26. He was 98 years old.
Masuda was born in Kobe in October 1927. He debuted as a director in 1958 with the film From Kokoro to Nikutai no Tabi while working at nikatsuwhich he joined in 1954 after working for Shintoho. In nikatsu He also directed films such as rusty knife, red scarfand Red Dock.
He is perhaps best known outside Japan for co-directing the Japanese sequences of the 1970 Japanese-American war film. Torah! Torah! Torah!. Some of his other famous works include Tall Teen Boogie, Katayoku Dake no Tenshiand Nostradamus propheciesand was nominated for the Best Director Award at the 4th and 13th Japan Academy Film Awards for his films. The Battle of Port Arthur and company executivesrespectively.
In the anime, Masuda supervised the scripts and supervised the 1974 film. Star Blazers TV series. He later directed the 1977 Space battleship Yamato cinematographic compilation of the series. He was one of the directors and screenwriters of the 1978 film. Farewell to space battleship Yamatothe 1979 film Space Battleship Yamato: The New Journeyand the 1980 film Be forever Yamato.
Additionally, he was the chief supervisor and one of the screenwriters of the 1983 film. final Yamatoand was the general supervisor of the 2009 film. Space Battleship Yamato Resurrection.
He also co-directed the Future War Year 198X film, and was the chief director and one of the screenwriters of the Odin – Starlight Mutiny movie.
Masuda directed 82 films in total throughout his career and was praised as “a craftsman among craftsmen.” He received the Distinguished Service Award from the President at the 41st Japan Academy Awards in 2018. He was awarded the Medal of Honor with Purple Ribbon in 1993 and the Order of the Sacred Treasure, Golden Rays with Rosette in 1999.
The Japan Academy Film Award Association expressed its condolences on Friday.
Upon learning of the passing of director Toshio Masuda, I would like to offer my deepest condolences.
He joined Shin-Toho in 1950 and moved to Nikkatsu in 1954. He made his directorial debut in 1958 with “A Journey of Mind and Body.” He created the heyday of Nikkatsu action films, working on films such as “Akai Handkerchief” and “Crimson Shooting Star.” After “Tora, Tora, Tora!” In 1968, he became free. pic.twitter.com/ayVn33WtUc
– Japan Academy Awards Association (@japanacademy) September 25, 2026
Sources: Mainichi Shimbun, Yomiuri Shimbun via MyAnimeList