A portrait of Junya Satō

Junya Satō

Directing

Born

November 6, 1932

Place of Birth

Tokyo, Japan

Deceased

February 9, 2019

Biography

Junya Satō (佐藤 純彌, Satō Jun'ya, 6 November 1932 – 9 February 2019) was a Japanese film director and screenwriter. His son, Tōya Satō (佐藤 東弥, Satō Tōya), is also a film director. Born in Tokyo, Satō graduated from the University of Tokyo in 1956 with a degree in French literature. He joined the Toei studio and worked as an assistant to such directors as Tadashi Imai and Miyoji Ieki. He debuted as a director in 1963 with Rikugun Zangyaku Monogatari, for which he won a best newcomer's award at the Blue Ribbon Awards. While starting in mostly yakuza film, Satō eventually became known for big budget spectaculars. The Go Masters, a China-Japan co-production he co-directed with Duan Jishun, won the grand prize at the Montreal World Film Festival in 1983. He won the Japan Academy Prize for Director of the Year in 1989 for The Silk Road.

The Filmography

We respect your privacy

We use cookies and similar technologies to enhance your experience, customize content to match your preferences, and analyze how you interact with our platform. Essential cookies ensure the site functions correctly, while others help us improve performance and security.

By clicking "Accept", you agree to the use of all cookies. You can select "Manage" to control your cookie preferences and decide which ones to enable. For complete information, visit our Cookies Policy.