1936: Arigatou-san - Hiroshi Shimizu: The Forgotten Master of Japanese Cinema

Japan has a long history as one of the finest cinema producers in the world. Japanese cinema is littered with the likes of Kurosawa and Ozu, people whose name echo through history as some of the greatest filmmakers of all time. A name that I think should be added to that list is Hiroshi Shimizu. In the short time Shimizu was active, he directed over 160 films. And of those relatively few have been seen outside of his native Japan, but those that have stand as some of the most touching, beautiful and heartwarming films to come out of cinema. Shimizu’s touch is light, focusing on the simple things in life, building slow paced, almost plotless films that focus on the most vulnerable in society. He gained fame for producing films focusing of the struggles of childhood, “Children of the Beehive“, “Children of the Wind“ and “Introspection Tower“. Shimizu’s focus is on realism, he tried to capture the world as it was, and because of this his films stand as wonderful time capsules of japan as it moved through the 30’s to the 60’s. His films are rich, warm films with empathy, his kindness and generosity shines through every frame. His 1936 film Arigatou-san tells the story of a polite bus driver as he travels though the Izu peninsula with his passengers, and although it has a simple and easy charm, it reveals a dark truth about depression era Japan. Thanks for watching One Hundred Years of Cinema, I will be writing a video essay about at least one film each year from 1915 onward to track the evolution of film over the last century. Please subscribe and share! Thank you! You can support me on Patreon here: or follow me on twitter here: LINKS! WATCH CHILDREN OF THE BEEHIVE: (This film is absolutely gorgeous) Hiroshi Shimizu Box set: Recommended reading about Japanese cinema: Japanese Cinema: Texts and Contexts (kindle) - Japanese Cinema: Texts and Contexts (physical) - A Hundred Years of Japanese Film (Physical) -