"Twenty-four Eyes" and "Insect Woman" art director Kimihiko Nakamura, 1916-2010

by Chris MaGee

Sad news in the Japanese film world this past week. Art director Kimihiko Nakamura, whose credits included such iconic films as Keisuke Kino-shita's "Twenty-four Eyes" and Shohei Imamura's "Pigs and Battleships" and "The Insect Woman" passed away on Tuesday in Tokyo from renal failure. He was 94.

Nakamura was born in Kumamoto Prefecture in 1916 and initially worked for Mitsubishi Heavy Industries before joining the Shochiku Ofuna studio in 1951. After a year working at the studio he was assigined to work under director Keisuke Kinoshita for whom he did art direction for both "Twenty-four Eyes" and "The Garden of Women". After his time at Shochiku Ofuna Nakamura joined Nikkatsu Studios where he did art direction for two of Japanese New Wave director Shohei Imamura's best known films - "Pigs and Battleships" and "The Insect Woman".

Our deepest condolences go out to Nakamura-san's friends and relatives during this time. Thanks to Tokyograph for the details on his remarkable career.