Personal Info
Known For
Directing
Known Credits
58
Gender
Male
Birthday
1932-11-06
Day of Death
2019-02-09 (87 years old)
Place of Birth
Tokyo, Japan
Also Known As
Junya Sato
佐藤純弥
Jun'ya Satō
Junya Satō
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.
