Biography and Filmography

  Major events and works Technique Sound
Jun 1, 1900 Born in Asakusa, Tokyo
ca.1921 Established Jiyu Eiga Kenkyusho
1924 The Slow Old Man のろまな爺 (Test Film) Cutout silent
A Story of Tobacco 煙り草物語 (Test Film) Cutout, Live-action silent
1926 Burglars of "Baghdad" Castle 馬具田城の盗賊 Cutout (Chiyogami) silent
1927 A Ship of Oranges みかん舩 Cutout (Chiyogami) silent
Established Chiyogami Eigasha
1929 The Golden Flower こがねの花 Cutout (Chiyogami, trial film with Cinecolor) record talkie
The Black Cat 黒ニャゴ Cutout (Chiyogami) record talkie
Established a studio in Uehara, Shibuya, Tokyo
1930 At the Border Checkpoint お関所 Cutout (Chiyogami) record talkie
Village Festival 村祭 Cutout (Chiyogami) record talkie
1931 National Anthem, Kimigayo 國歌 君か代 Cutout (Silhouette) record talkie
Spring Song 春の唄 Cutout (Chiyogami) record talkie
The Golden Flower received the Quality Film Award (文部省優良映画賞) from the Ministry of Education
1933 General of the Swamp 沼の大将 Cel sound
1934 Goblins Put To Flight Cel sound
The Story of the Monkey King Cel sound
Engages in productions with Kenzo Masaoka around this time
1936 Heibei the Pooch and the Magic Box Cel sound
1937 Princess katsura (カツラ姫), introduced in The Making of a Color Animation Cel (trial film with Kodachrome) sound
1939 Fighters in the Sky 空の荒鷲 Cel sound
1943 Naval Battle of Malaya マレー沖海戦 Cutout (Silhouette) sound
1946 The Spider's Thread 蜘蛛の絲 Cutout (Silhouette) sound
Began experiments with colored cellophane around this time
1951 A Biblical Fantasy: Adam and Eve 聖書幻想譜 アダムとイブ Cutout (Silhouette, color) sound
1952 Whale くじら Cutout (Silhouette, color) sound
1953 Submitted Whale to the Cannes International Film Festival short film category
1954 Flower and Butterfly 花と蝶 Cel (color) sound
1955 Extract from the Kojiki: Opening of the Cave of the Sun Goddess 古事記抄 天の岩戸開き Cutout (Silhouette) sound
1956 The Phantom Ship 幽霊船 Cutout (Silhouette, color) sound
The Phantom Ship was submitted to the Venice International Documentary and Short Film Festival where it received honorable mention
Tales of the Kojiki: Routing of Yamata no Orochi 古事記物語 八岐の大蛇退治 Cutout (Silhouette) sound
1957 Tales of the Kojiki: Okuninushi no Mikoto and the Hare of Inaba 古事記物語 大国主命といなばの兎 Cutout (Silhouette) sound
1958 Tales of the Kojiki: The Descent to Earth of the Grandson of the Sun Goddess 古事記物語 天孫降臨 Cutout (Silhouette) sound
1959 Tales of the Kojiki: The Three Sacred Treasures of the Imperial Family 古事記物語 皇孫家之三つの宝 Cutout (Silhouette) sound
Began production of The Tale of the Bamboo Cutter and Gulliver's Travels around this time
Jul 28, 1961 Passed away (61 years old)
The Life of Buddha 釈迦の生涯 *An edited version of the first and second half of The Great Sage Shakyamuni Buddha 大聖釈尊 Cutout (Silhouette) sound
1962 "The Noburo Ofuji Award" was established at the Mainichi Film Awards
1974 Elder sister Yae passed away

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