Japanese Film Producer Shiro Sasaki Passes Away at Age 83

Shiro Sasaki in January 2019. Photo by Brett Homenick.

Japanese film producer Shiro Sasaki, who produced films for directors Kazuki Omori, Nobuhiko Obayashi, and Nobuo Nakagawa, passed away on April 18 of lung cancer. He was 83. A private funeral has already been held.

Mr. Sasaki was born on January 22, 1939, in Dalian, China, as Masamichi Sasaki. After working extensively in television during the 1960s and '70s (mostly for TBS), Mr. Sasaki entered the film industry as a producer in 1978.

Taking the helm in 1979, he served as the second president of Art Theatre Guild (ATG), the production company responsible for arthouse films directed by the likes of Akio Jissoji, Nagisa Oshima, and Shohei Imamura. During his tenure as president of ATG, he focused on recruiting younger, lesser-known directors to make films that would appeal to a wider audience.

Shiro Sasaki (left) and Kazuki Omori. Photo by Brett Homenick.

Mr. Sasaki produced the Kazuki Omori films Disciples of Hippocrates (1980), Hear the Wind Sing (1981), Sukanpin Walk (1984), You Gotta Chance (1985), and The Reason Why I Became Ill (1990). For genre fans, his biggest credit is producing the final film of director Nobuo Nakagawa, a ghost story called The Living Koheji (1982).

His other notable credits include Kihachi Okamoto's At This Late Date, the Charleston (1981), Nobuhiko Obayashi's all-star fantasy I Are You, You Am Me (1982), and the critically praised comedy-drama The Family Game (1983). In 2004, he received a Japan Academy Prize Association Special Award.

Shiro Sasaki with his daughter Sonoko Mikami. Photo by Brett Homenick.

His daughter Sonoko Mikami (pictured above) is a poet and dancer.

With Shiro Sasaki.

I met Mr. Sasaki in January 2019 at a screening of Sukanpin Walk, which was also attended by Kazuki Omori. While I wasn't very familiar with Mr. Sasaki's work, it was still great to meet him. I also became acquainted with Mr. Sasaki's daughter at the event, whose dance performance I attended later that year.

In between Shiro Sasaki and Kazuki Omori.

I didn't realize the extent of his involvement in the film industry, or the impact he'd had on it, when I met him. I wish I had, but I'll certainly remember my brief encounter with him very fondly.

RIP, Mr. Sasaki.