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List of Japanese Academy Award winners and nominees

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List of Japanese Academy Award winners and nominees
Hayao Miyazaki (pictured in 2012) has won two Academy Awards for Best Animated Feature category.
Totals[a]
Wins18
Nominations56
Note
  1. ^ Certain award groups do not simply award one winner. They acknowledge several different recipients, have runners-up, and have third place. Since this is a specific recognition and is different from losing an award, runner-up mentions are considered wins in this award tally. For simplification and to avoid errors, each award in this list has been presumed to have had a prior nomination.

This list details Japanese working in the film industry who have been nominated for, or won, Academy Awards (also known as Oscars). These include artists and filmmakers, both naturalized and international co-citizenship, or Japanese film production companies are awarded or honored by the Academy.

In the 1950s, just as after the second World War ended prior in five years, Akira Kurosawa was recognized by the Academy for his contribution as a writer/director of Rashomon (1951), which was received Best Foreign Language Film, and again in 1954 and 1955, Gate of Hell and Samurai, The Legend of Musashi also won the same category; it wasn't established yet as competitive until 1956; Departures (2008) and Drive My Car (2021) ultimately won that category in competitive, making it the most wins and nominations of any Asian countries.

In addition of Japanese people aside from Best Foreign Language Film category, these were the first-time winners for each respective categories: Sanzō Wada is the first Japanese and Asian to be nominated for and to win Best Costume Design in 1954, Miyoshi Umeki is the first Japanese and Asian to be nominated for and to win Best Supporting Actress in 1957, Ryuichi Sakamoto is the first Japanese and Asian to win Best Original Score in 1987, Hayao Miyazaki is the first Japanese and Asian animator to be nominated for and to win Best Animated Feature in 2002, Kunio Katō is the first Japanese to win Best Animated Short Film in 2008, Kazu Hiro is the first and only Japanese to be nominated for and to win Best Makeup and Hairstyling between 2006 and 2017, and Takashi Yamazaki and his Shirogumi crew (consists Kiyoko Shibuya, Masaki Takahashi, and Tatsuji Nojima) were the first Japanese crew to be nominated for and to win Best Visual Effects in 2023.

As of 2024, Miyazaki and Hiro are the only two-time competitive winners for their respective categories.

Drive My Car is the first Japanese film to be nominated the Academy Award for Best Picture.

Production

[edit]

Best Picture

[edit]
Best Picture
Year Film Nominee Status Notes
2021 Drive My Car Teruhisa Yamamoto Nominated First Japanese film to be nominated for Best Picture.

Best Animated Feature

[edit]
Studio Ghibli co-founder and veteran Toshio Suzuki also won the Best Animated Feature category (shared with Hayao Miyazaki), after his previous two nominations throughout his career.
Best Animated Feature
Year Name Film Status Notes
2002 Hayao Miyazaki Spirited Away Won Japanese descent.[1]
First Asian nominated for Best Animated Feature.
First Asian to win Best Animated Feature.
First hand drawn film to win Best Animated Feature.
2005 Howl's Moving Castle Nominated
2013 Hayao Miyazaki
Toshio Suzuki 		The Wind Rises Nominated Suzuki is of Japanese descent.[1]
2014 Isao Takahata
Yoshiaki Nishimura 		The Tale of the Princess Kaguya Nominated Both are of Japanese descent.[2][3]
2015 Hiromasa Yonebayashi
Yoshiaki Nishimura 		When Marnie Was There Nominated Yonebayashi is of Japanese descent.[3]
2016 Toshio Suzuki The Red Turtle Nominated (Shared with Michael Dudok de Wit.)
2017 Ramsey Naito The Boss Baby Nominated Japanese father.[4]
(Shared with Tom McGrath.)
2018 Mamoru Hosoda
Yuichiro Saito 		Mirai Nominated
2023 Hayao Miyazaki
Toshio Suzuki 		The Boy and the Heron Won At age 83, Hayao Miyazaki is the oldest winner of Best Animated Feature.
Miyazaki is the first Japanese person to win in the category twice.
Tied (with Pete Docter) for the most nominations in this category, with four.

Best Animated Short Film

[edit]
Kunio Katô won the Best Animated Short Film category.
Animated Short Film
Year Name Film Status Notes
2002 Kōji Yamamura Mt. Head Nominated Japanese descent.[3]
2008 Kunio Katō La Maison En Petits Cubes Won Japanese descent.[5]
First Asian to win Best Animated Short Film.
2013 Shuhei Morita Possessions Nominated Japanese descent.[6]
2014 Daisuke Tsutsumi The Dam Keeper Nominated (Shared with Robert Kondo.)
2018 Ru Kuwahata Negative Space Nominated (Shared with Max Porter.)

International Feature Film

[edit]
See also: List of Japanese submissions for the Academy Award for Best International Feature Film
Masaichi Nagata received the Best Foreign Language Film category for Gate of Hell at the 27th Academy Awards.

NOTE: In this category is awarded to countries, not individuals. This list contains directors of nominated films, who typically accept the award on behalf of their country.

International Feature Film
Year
(Ceremony)		 Film Original title Director Result
1951
(24th) 		Rashomon Rashōmon (羅生門) Akira Kurosawa Honorary Award
1954
(27th) 		Gate of Hell Jigokumon (地獄門) Teinosuke Kinugasa Honorary Award
1955
(28th) 		Samurai, The Legend of Musashi Miyamoto Musashi (宮本武蔵) Hiroshi Inagaki Honorary Award
1956
(29th) 		Harp of Burma Biruma no Tategoto (ビルマの竪琴) Kon Ichikawa Nominated
1961
(34th) 		Immortal Love Eien no Hito (永遠の人) Keisuke Kinoshita Nominated
1963
(36th) 		Twin Sisters of Kyoto Koto (古都) Noboru Nakamura Nominated
1964
(37th) 		Woman in the Dunes Suna no Onna (砂の女) Hiroshi Teshigahara Nominated
1965
(38th) 		Kwaidan Kaidan (怪談) Masaki Kobayashi Nominated
1967
(40th) 		Portrait of Chieko Chieko-sho (智恵子抄) Noboru Nakamura Nominated
1971
(44th) 		Dodes'ka-den Dodes'ka-den (どですかでん) Akira Kurosawa Nominated
1975
(48th) 		Sandakan No. 8 Sandakan Hachibanshokan Bohkyo (サンダカン八番娼館 望郷) Kei Kumai Nominated
1980
(53rd) 		Kagemusha (The Shadow Warrior) Kagemusha (影武者) Akira Kurosawa Nominated
1981
(54th) 		Muddy River Doro no Kawa (泥の河) Kōhei Oguri Nominated
2003
(76th) 		The Twilight Samurai Tasogare Seibei (たそがれ清兵衛) Yoji Yamada Nominated
2008
(81st) 		Departures[7] Okuribito (おくりびと) Yōjirō Takita Won
2018
(91st) 		Shoplifters[8] Manbiki Kazoku (万引き家族) Hirokazu Kore-eda Nominated[9]
2021
(94th) 		Drive My Car Doraibu mai kā (ドライブ・マイ・カー) Ryusuke Hamaguchi Won
2023
(96th) 		Perfect Days Wim Winders Nominated

Performance

[edit]

Best Supporting Actor

[edit]
Best Actor in a Supporting Role
Year Name Film Role Status Milestone / Notes
1957 Sessue Hayakawa The Bridge on the River Kwai Colonel Saito Nominated Japanese descent.[10]
First Asian man to be nominated for an acting Academy Award.
1966 Mako Iwamatsu The Sand Pebbles Po-Han Nominated Japanese descent.[11]
1985 Pat Morita The Karate Kid Mr. Miyagi Nominated Japanese descent.
2003 Ken Watanabe The Last Samurai Lord Katsumoto Nominated Japanese descent.[12]

Best Supporting Actress

[edit]
Miyoshi Umeki was the first Japanese and Asian to win in any acting category.
Best Actress in a Supporting Role
Year Name Film Role Status Milestone / Notes
1957 Miyoshi Umeki Sayonara Katsumi Kelly Won Japanese descent.[13]
First Asian nominated for Best Supporting Actress
First East Asian to win an acting award.
2006 Rinko Kikuchi Babel Chieko Wataya Nominated Japanese descent.[14]
First role that used Japanese sign language to ever be nominated.

Craft

[edit]

Best Director

[edit]
Ryusuke Hamaguchi was nominated the Best Director category.
Director
Year Name Film Status Notes
1965 Hiroshi Teshigahara Woman in the Dunes Nominated Japanese descent.[15]
First Asian nominated for Best Director.
Film was nominated in previous year for Best Foreign Language Film.
1985 Akira Kurosawa Ran Nominated
2021 Ryusuke Hamaguchi Drive My Car Nominated

Best Adapted Screenplay

[edit]
Adapted Screenplay
Year Name Film Status Notes
2021 Ryusuke Hamaguchi
Takamasa Oe 		Drive My Car Nominated First Japanese film nominated in a screenplay category.

Best Cinematography

[edit]
Cinematography
Year Name Film Status Notes
1970 Osamu Furuya
Shinsaku Himeda
Masamichi Satoh 		Tora! Tora! Tora! Nominated All three are of Japanese descent.[16]
(Shared with Charles F. Wheeler.)
1985 Takao Saito
Masaharu Ueda
Asakazu Nakai 		Ran Nominated All three are of Japanese descent[17][18]

Best Production Design

[edit]
Production Design
Year Name Film Status Notes
1952 So Matsuyama
H. Motsumoto 		Rashomon Nominated Both are of Japanese descent.[19]
First Asians nominated for Best Art Direction.
1956 Albert Nozaki The Ten Commandments Nominated Japanese descent.[20]
(Shared with Hal Pereira, Walter H. Tyler, Samuel M. Comer, and Ray Moyer.)
So Matsuyama Seven Samurai Nominated
1970 Yoshirō Muraki
Taizô Kawashima 		Tora! Tora! Tora! Nominated Both are of Japanese descent.[21]
(Shared with Jack Martin Smith, Richard Day, Walter M. Scott, Norman Rockett, and Carl Biddiscombe.)
1980 Yoshirō Muraki Kagemusha Nominated
1985 Yoshirō Muraki
Shinobu Muraki 		Ran Nominated Muraki is of Japanese descent.[22]

Best Costume Design

[edit]
Sanzō Wada won the Best Costume Design category.
Costume Design
Year Name Film Status Notes
1954 Sanzo Wada Gate of Hell Won Japanese descent.[23]
First Asian nominated for Best Costume Design.
First Asian to win Best Costume Design.
1955 Tadaoto Kainosho Ugetsu Nominated Japanese descent.[24]
1956 Kohei Ezaki Seven Samurai Nominated Japanese descent.[25]
1961 Yoshirō Muraki Yojimbo Nominated Tied for third most Oscar-nominated Asian of all time, with four nominations.
1985 Emi Wada Ran Won Japanese descent.[26]
1992 Eiko Ishioka Bram Stoker's Dracula Won Japanese descent.[27]
2012 Mirror Mirror Nominated Posthumous nomination.

Best Makeup and Hairstyling

[edit]
Best Makeup and Hairstyling
Year Name Film Status Notes
2006 Kazu Hiro Click Nominated Japanese descent.[28]
First Asian nominated for Best Makeup and Hairstyling.
(Shared with Bill Corso.)
2007 Norbit Nominated (Shared with Rick Baker.)
2017 Darkest Hour Won First Asian to win for Best Makeup and Hairstyling.
(Shared with David Malinowski and Lucy Sibbick.)
2019 Bombshell Won (Shared with Anne Morgan and Vivian Baker.)
2023 Maestro Nominated (Shared with Kay Georgiou and Lori McCoy-Bell.)

Best Original Score

[edit]
Ryuichi Sakamoto is the first Japanese to win Best Original Score category.
Best Original Score
Year Name Film Status Notes
1966 Toshiro Mayuzumi The Bible Nominated Japanese descent[29]
First Asian nominated for Best Original Score.
1987 Ryuichi Sakamoto The Last Emperor Won (Shared with Cong Su and David Byrne)
Japanese descent[30]
Sakamoto and Su were the first Asians to win Best Original Score

Best Original Song

[edit]
Best Original Song
Year Name Film Song Status Notes
2022 Mitski Everything Everywhere All at Once "This is a Life" Nominated Japanese descent
(Shared with Ryan Lott & David Byrne)

Best Visual Effects

[edit]
Takashi Yamazaki is one of the visual team became the first Japanese crew as well as non-English language film to win the Best Visual Effect category for his work of Godzilla Minus One.
Best Visual Effects
Year Name Film Status Notes
2023 Takashi Yamazaki
Kiyoko Shibuya
Masaki Takahashi
Tatsuji Nojima 		Godzilla Minus One Won First Japanese production to be nominated and win for Best Visual Effects.

Honorary Award

[edit]
Akira Kurosawa was received an Honorary Academy Award for his recognition.
Honorary Award
Year Name Award
1989 Akira Kurosawa Honorary Academy Award[31]
To Akira Kurosawa for accomplishments that have inspired, delighted, enriched and entertained audiences and influenced filmmakers throughout the world.
2014 Hayao Miyazaki Honorary Academy Award[32]
To Hayao Miyazaki, a master storyteller whose animated artistry has inspired filmmakers and audiences around the world.

See also

[edit]

References

[edit]
  1. ^ a b Collin, Robbie (May 9, 2014). "Hayao Miyazaki interview: 'I think the peaceful time that we are living in is coming to an end'". The Daily Telegraph. Archived from the original on October 11, 2016. Retrieved September 25, 2016.
  2. ^ Ito, Masami (September 12, 2015). "Isao Takahata's stark world of reality". The Japan Times. Archived from the original on September 23, 2016. Retrieved September 25, 2016.
  3. ^ a b c "Film academy invites 683 new members, including 13 Japanese". The Japan Times. June 30, 2016. Archived from the original on October 1, 2016. Retrieved September 25, 2016.
  4. ^ Gardiner, Margaret (March 15, 2017). "Ramsey Naito: Finding Nothing to Cry About While Producing 'The Boss Baby'". Golden Globes. Archived from the original on January 25, 2018. Retrieved January 23, 2018.
  5. ^ Nidhi, Mahejabeen Hossain (October 22, 2015). "La Maison en Petits Cubes". The Daily Star. Archived from the original on November 6, 2016. Retrieved September 20, 2016.
  6. ^ Solomon, Charles (April 17, 2014). "Review: Japanese animation in 'Short Peace' communicates vividly". Los Angeles Times. Archived from the original on June 23, 2016. Retrieved September 20, 2016.
  7. ^ Schilling, Mark; Lim, Marcus (2008-09-12). "Japan picks 'Departures' for Oscars". Variety. Retrieved 2008-09-17.
  8. ^ Blair, Gavin (27 August 2018). "Oscars: Japan Selects Palme D'Or Winner 'Shoplifters' for Foreign-Language Category". The Hollywood Reporter. Retrieved 28 August 2018.
  9. ^ "Oscars 2019: The nominees in full". BBC News. 22 January 2019. Retrieved 22 January 2019.
  10. ^ Miyao, Daisuke (2007). Sessue Hayakawa: Silent Cinema and Transnational Stardom. Duke University Press. pp. 1–3. ISBN 978-0-8223-3969-4.
  11. ^ Pulvers, Roger (September 18, 2011). "Mako: the Japanese-American actor who fought racist stereotypes". The Japan Times. Archived from the original on September 23, 2016. Retrieved September 21, 2016.
  12. ^ Keck, William (December 11, 2003). "Japanese star Ken Watanabe follows way of the samurai". USA Today. Archived from the original on September 29, 2016. Retrieved September 22, 2016.
  13. ^ McLellan, Dennis (September 6, 2007). "Miyoshi Umeki, 78; Japanese singer and actress became first Asian to win Academy Award". Los Angeles Times. Archived from the original on September 23, 2016. Retrieved September 22, 2016.
  14. ^ Chute, David (July 10, 2013). "Rinko Kikuchi: Actress on Fire in 'Pacific Rim'". IndieWire. Archived from the original on September 23, 2016. Retrieved September 22, 2016.
  15. ^ Harper, Dan (May 2003). "Hiroshi Teshigahara • Great Director profile". Senses of Cinema. Archived from the original on June 4, 2016. Retrieved September 22, 2016.
  16. ^ Hemphill, Jim (March 2012). "DVD Playback: Tora! Tora! Tora! (1970)". American Society of Cinematographers. Archived from the original on September 27, 2016. Retrieved September 24, 2016.
  17. ^ Lentz, Harris M. (2015). Obituaries in the Performing Arts, 2014. McFarland. p. 302. ISBN 978-0786476664.
  18. ^ Hemphill, Jim (April 2010). "DVD Playback: Ran (1985)". American Society of Cinematographers. Archived from the original on September 27, 2016. Retrieved September 24, 2016.
  19. ^ Schneider, Stephen Jay (2015). 1001 Movies You Must See Before You Die, 6th edition. Barron's Educational Series. p. 246. ISBN 978-0764167904.
  20. ^ McLellan, Dennis (November 29, 2003). "Albert Nozaki, 91; Art Director for Movie 'War of the Worlds'". Los Angeles Times. Archived from the original on August 9, 2016. Retrieved September 15, 2016.
  21. ^ "The 43rd Academy Awards Nominees and Winners". Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences. April 15, 1971. Archived from the original on July 2, 2015. Retrieved September 25, 2016.
  22. ^ Monaco, James (1992). The Movie Guide. Perigee Books. p. 753. ISBN 9780399517808.
  23. ^ "Wada Sanzō (1883-1967)". The Lavenberg Collection of Japanese Prints. Archived from the original on September 27, 2016. Retrieved September 25, 2016.
  24. ^ "Beauty looking back, (circa 1928) by Tadaoto Kainoshô". Art Gallery of New South Wales. Archived from the original on September 27, 2016. Retrieved September 25, 2016.
  25. ^ "The Seven Samurai (1954) - Articles". Turner Classic Movies. Archived from the original on September 27, 2016. Retrieved September 25, 2016.
  26. ^ "Portrait of Japanese movie costume maker Emi Wada and her collaboration with directors Akira Kurosawa, Peter Greenaway and Zhang Yimou". Kering. Archived from the original on September 20, 2016. Retrieved September 16, 2016.
  27. ^ Horwell, Veronica (January 29, 2012). "Eiko Ishioka obituary". The Guardian. Archived from the original on September 23, 2016. Retrieved September 16, 2016.
  28. ^ "Biography — KAZUHIRO TSUJI". Kazu Studios. Archived from the original on September 27, 2016. Retrieved September 25, 2016.
  29. ^ Kozinn, Allan (April 11, 1997). "Toshiro Mayuzumi, 68, Eclectic Composer". The New York Times. Archived from the original on March 7, 2016. Retrieved September 25, 2016.
  30. ^ Carter, Spike (December 29, 2015). "The Revenant Composer Ryuichi Sakamoto Explains His Process". Vanity Fair. Archived from the original on January 27, 2016. Retrieved September 25, 2016.
  31. ^ Academy Awards Acceptance Speech Database Archived 2017-11-07 at the Wayback Machine. Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences.
  32. ^ 2015 Memorable Moments Archived 2015-09-02 at the Wayback Machine. Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences.
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