This article is a list of Japanese people working in the cinema industry who have been nominated for or won an Academy Award. 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 for the Academy Award for Best Picture.
Production
Best Picture Best PictureYearFilmNomineeStatusNotes 2021 Drive My Car Teruhisa Yamamoto First Japanese film to be nominated for Best Picture.
Best Animated Feature
Best Animated FeatureYearNameFilmStatusNotes 2002 Hayao Miyazaki Spirited Away Japanese descent.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 2013 Hayao MiyazakiToshio Suzuki The Wind Rises Suzuki is of Japanese descent. 2014 Isao TakahataYoshiaki Nishimura Both are of Japanese descent. 2015 Hiromasa YonebayashiYoshiaki Nishimura When Marnie Was There Yonebayashi is of Japanese descent. 2016 Toshio Suzuki The Red Turtle 2017 Ramsey Naito The Boss Baby Japanese father. 2018 Mamoru HosodaYuichiro Saito Mirai 2023 Hayao MiyazakiToshio Suzuki The Boy and the Heron 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
Animated Short FilmYearNameFilmStatusNotes 2002 Kōji Yamamura Mt. Head Japanese descent. 2008 Kunio Katō La Maison En Petits Cubes Japanese descent.First Asian to win Best Animated Short Film. 2013 Shuhei Morita Possessions Japanese descent. 2014 Daisuke Tsutsumi The Dam Keeper 2018 Ru Kuwahata Negative Space 2024Daisuke NishioTakashi WashioMagic Candies
Best Documentary Feature FIlm Documentary Feature Film Year(Ceremony) Film Director Result 2024(97th) Black Box Diaries Shiori Itō
Best Documentary Short Film Documentary Short Film Year(Ceremony) Film Director Result 2024(97th) Instruments of a Beating Heart Ema Ryan Yamazaki
International Feature Film
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 Film Original title Director Result 1951(24th) Rashomon 1954(27th) Gate of Hell 1955(28th) Samurai, The Legend of Musashi 1956(29th) Harp of Burma 1961(34th) Immortal Love 1963(36th) Twin Sisters of Kyoto 1964(37th) Woman in the Dunes 1965(38th) Kwaidan 1967(40th) Portrait of Chieko 1971(44th) Dodes'ka-den 1975(48th) Sandakan No. 8 1980(53rd) Kagemusha (The Shadow Warrior) 1981(54th) Muddy River 2003(76th) The Twilight Samurai 2008(81st) Departures 2018(91st) Shoplifters Hirokazu Kore-eda 2021(94th) Drive My Car Ryusuke Hamaguchi 2023(96th) Perfect DaysWim Winders
Performance
Best Supporting Actor Best Actor in a Supporting Role Year Name Film Role StatusMilestone / Notes 1957 Colonel Saito Japanese descent.First Asian man to be nominated for an acting Academy Award. 1966 Mako Iwamatsu The Sand Pebbles Po-Han Japanese descent. 1985 Mr. Miyagi Japanese descent. 2003 Ken Watanabe The Last Samurai Japanese descent.
Best Supporting Actress
Best Actress in a Supporting RoleYearNameFilmRoleStatusMilestone / Notes 1957 Miyoshi Umeki Sayonara Katsumi Kelly Japanese descent.First Asian nominated for Best Supporting ActressFirst East Asian to win an acting award. 2006 Rinko Kikuchi Babel Chieko Wataya Japanese descent.First role that used Japanese sign language to ever be nominated.
Craft
Best Director
DirectorYearNameFilmStatusNotes 1965 Hiroshi Teshigahara Woman in the Dunes Japanese descent.First Asian nominated for Best Director.Film was nominated in previous year for Best Foreign Language Film. 1985 Akira Kurosawa Ran 2021 Ryusuke Hamaguchi Drive My Car
Best Adapted Screenplay Adapted ScreenplayYearNameFilmStatusNotes 2021 Ryusuke HamaguchiTakamasa Oe Drive My Car First Japanese film nominated in a screenplay category.
Best Cinematography CinematographyYearNameFilmStatusNotes 1970 Osamu FuruyaShinsaku HimedaMasamichi Satoh Tora! Tora! Tora! All three are of Japanese descent. 1985 Takao SaitoMasaharu UedaAsakazu Nakai Ran All three are of Japanese descent
Best Production Design Production DesignYearNameFilmStatusNotes 1952 So MatsuyamaH. Motsumoto Rashomon Both are of Japanese descent.First Asians nominated for Best Art Direction. 1956 Albert Nozaki The Ten Commandments Japanese descent. So Matsuyama Seven Samurai 1970 Yoshirō MurakiTaizô Kawashima Tora! Tora! Tora! Both are of Japanese descent. 1980 Yoshirō Muraki Kagemusha 1985 Yoshirō MurakiShinobu Muraki Ran Muraki is of Japanese descent.
Best Costume Design
Costume DesignYearNameFilmStatusNotes 1954 Sanzo Wada Gate of Hell Japanese descent.First Asian nominated for Best Costume Design.First Asian to win Best Costume Design. 1955 Tadaoto Kainosho Ugetsu Japanese descent. 1956 Kohei Ezaki Seven Samurai Japanese descent. 1961 Yoshirō Muraki Yojimbo Tied for third most Oscar-nominated Asian of all time, with four nominations. 1985 Emi Wada Ran Japanese descent. 1992Eiko Ishioka Bram Stoker's Dracula Japanese descent. 2012 Mirror Mirror Posthumous nomination.
Best Makeup and Hairstyling Best Makeup and HairstylingYearNameFilmStatusNotes 2006Kazu Hiro Click Japanese descent.First Asian nominated for Best Makeup and Hairstyling. 2007 Norbit 2017 Darkest Hour First Asian to win for Best Makeup and Hairstyling. 2019 Bombshell 2023 Maestro 2025 The Smashing Machine Kyoko ToyokawaNaomi HibinoTadashi Nishimatsu Kokuho
Best Original Score
Best Original ScoreYearNameFilmStatusNotes 1966 Toshiro Mayuzumi The Bible Japanese descentFirst Asian nominated for Best Original Score. 1987 Ryuichi Sakamoto The Last Emperor (Shared with Cong Su and David Byrne)Japanese descentSakamoto and Su were the first Asians to win Best Original Score
Best Original Song Best Original SongYearNameFilmSongStatusNotes 2022 Mitski Everything Everywhere All at Once "This is a Life" Japanese descent
Best Visual Effects
Best Visual EffectsYearNameFilmStatusNotes 2023 Takashi YamazakiKiyoko ShibuyaMasaki TakahashiTatsuji Nojima Godzilla Minus One First Japanese production to be nominated and win for Best Visual Effects.
Honorary Award
Honorary AwardYearName Notes 1989 Akira Kurosawa "for accomplishments that have inspired, delighted, enriched and entertained audiences and influenced filmmakers throughout the world."Academy Awards Acceptance Speech Database . Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences. 2014 Hayao Miyazaki "a master storyteller whose animated artistry has inspired filmmakers and audiences around the world."2015 Memorable Moments . Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences.
See also
Cinema of Japan List of Japanese films
References