18 Facts About Kenji Misumi

Kenji Misumi created film series such as Lone Wolf and Cub and the initial film in the long-running Zatoichi series, and directed Hanzo the Razor: Sword of Justice, starring Shintaro Katsu.

Kenji Misumi's father was a Kobe entrepreneur Fukujiro Misumi and his mother was a geisha from Kyoto's pleasure district who went by the name Shizu.

Kenji Misumi was more interested in film, specifically chanbara films with actors like Tsumasaburo Bando and Denjiro Okochi, which led him to tell his father that he wanted to pursue arts and work in film.

Kenji Misumi continued his studies at Ritsumeikan as well as beginning work at his Aunt's restaurant.

Two years after this, Kenji Misumi went to his contact at Nikkatsu finding that the person no longer was employed there.

Kenji Misumi was taken as a prisoner of war by Russians and sent to Siberia where he remained for two and a half years.

Kenji Misumi was sent back to Japan in 1948 where he re-entered the film industry.

The film industry in Japan had changed after World War II with Nikkatsu having been absorbed into the structure of Daiei where Kenji Misumi sought employment and was hired as an assistant director.

Kenji Misumi worked on two films for director Kozaburo Yoshimura, The Tale of Genji and Sisters of Nishijin.

Kenji Misumi spent his spare time during this period watching other directors at work and watching films.

Kenji Misumi began a friendship with director Teinosuke Kinugasa, assisting him on his films Dedication of the Great Buddha and Gate of Hell, which led to Kinugasa personally asking Daiei's head Masaichi Nagata to promote Kenji Misumi to a director position.

Kenji Misumi followed it with further chanbara films, averaging about four films per year.

Kenji Misumi's films has continued success at the box office in Japan which led him to direct more features often with the same crew.

Kenji Misumi stayed loyal with Daiei early in his career, even turning down an offer to work for Toei.

One of Kenji Misumi's projects became Japan's first 70 mm film with Buddha, the film was a very expensive feature that became the highest-grossing film that year in Japan in 1961.

Kenji Misumi was offered by Nagata to direct more prestigious films for Daiei, but Kenji Misumi continued working on chanbara films, including directing the first entry in the Zatoichi film series with The Tale of Zatoichi released in 1962.

Kenji Misumi was released from his contract with Daiei in 1971 when the studio shut down film production.

Kenji Misumi had already made Zatoichi at the Fire Festival the previous year for Katsu Productions and made his debut in television with the series Tenno no seiki in 1971, following it up with the first entry in the Lone Wolf and Cub series with Lone Wolf and Cub: Sword of Vengeance again for Katsu.