Little-known fact: Japanese filmmaker Akira Kurosawa meticulously painted more than 2,000 storyboards in his lifetime. Masterpieces in their own right, a selection of around 150 will be displayed at an exhibition in Ebisu, accompanied by screenings of his movies "The Quiet Duel," "Rashomon," "Ran" and "Madadayo." A talk will be held about "Ran" to boot.
The creator of such masterpieces as "Seven Samurai" and "Yojimbo," Kurosawa is for many the greatest artist the medium has known. To mark the centenary of his birth, "Akira Kurosawa Centenary Exhibition — All For Cinema" at the Tokyo Metropolitan Museum of Photography celebrates his mind-blowing career.
"Japan does not understand very well that one of its proudest cultural achievements is in film," Kurosawa once said. Perhaps it will now, as Tokyo is reminded of his cinematic genius.
"Akira Kurosawa Centenary Exhibition — All For Cinema" runs till Oct. 11 at the Tokyo Metropolitan Museum of Photography in Ebisu (¥700-1,000; [03] 3280-0099); film screenings till Oct. 8. See www.kurosawa-drawings.com for information and closed dates.
