---
name: "Masaki Tamura"
canonical: "https://film.one/person/masaki-tamura"
fi1m_id: "masaki-tamura"
imdb_id: "nm0848786"
tmdb_id: 70631
wikidata_id: "Q6782460"
roles: ["Cinematographer"]
born: "26 January 1939"
died: "23 May 2018"
reviewed_on_fi1m: 1
average_over: 1
updated: "2026-09-26T01:31:07.758812+00:00"
licence: "© Fi1m Ltd. Written by AI under a human editor; checked against sources before publication. Quote with attribution and a link to the canonical URL."
---

# Masaki Tamura

## Identity

Masaki Tamura

- **Canonical:** https://film.one/person/masaki-tamura
- **Type:** Person
- **Fi1m ID:** masaki-tamura
- **IMDb ID:** nm0848786
- **TMDB ID:** 70631
- **Wikidata ID:** Q6782460
- **Same entity:** https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Masaki_Tamura, https://www.wikidata.org/wiki/Q6782460, https://www.imdb.com/name/nm0848786/, https://www.themoviedb.org/person/70631

Cinematographer. Born 26 January 1939 in Hirosaki, Aomori, Japan. Died 23 May 2018.

## Details

- **Work:** Cinematographer
- **Born:** 26 January 1939, Hirosaki, Aomori, Japan
- **Died:** 23 May 2018
- **Also known as:** Masaki Tamra, たむらまさき
- **Elsewhere:** https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Masaki_Tamura, https://www.wikidata.org/wiki/Q6782460, https://www.imdb.com/name/nm0848786/, https://www.themoviedb.org/person/70631

## Streaming the US now

- **HBO Max:** [*Tampopo*](https://film.one/film/tampopo.md) (84)

For United States; add `?region=XX` for another country.

## Biography

Masaki Tamura (also credited as Masaki Tamra or たむらまさき) was a Japanese cinematographer. Born in Hirosaki, Aomori Prefecture, he began his career at Iwanami Productions as an assistant on documentary films before becoming a full cinematographer on the documentaries of Shinsuke Ogawa.

He photographed numerous feature films, including *Lady Snowblood* (1973), *Farewell to the Land* (1982), *Tampopo* (1985), *Evil Dead Trap* (1988), *Suzaku* (1997) and *Eureka* (2000). He collaborated frequently with directors such as Mitsuo Yanagimachi and, later, Shinji Aoyama. In 1982 he won the Mainichi Film Award for best cinematography for *Farewell to the Land* and the Yokohama Film Festival award for best cinematography for that film and *A Japanese Village – Furuyashikimura*.

Tamura directed one feature film, *Drive-in Gamo* (2014). He died in Tokyo on 23 May 2018.

*Sources: en.wikipedia.org, imdb.com, bfi.org.uk.*

## On Fi1m (1)

- *Tampopo* (1985), Fi1m 84, Director of Photography, Cinematography — [page](https://film.one/film/tampopo.md)

## Complete filmography (61)

Every credit, newest first. Titles without a page can be requested for review on the HTML page.

- *The Dog Bridegroom* (2017), Cinematography
- *Drive-In Gamo* (2014), Director, Director of Photography
- *The Wife of Gegege* (2010), Director of Photography
- *I’m a Cat Stalker* (2009), Director of Photography
- *Ordinary Miracles* (2009), series, Director
- *Tokyo Rendezvous* (2008), Director of Photography
- *Shadow of Sand* (2008), Director of Photography
- *Sad Vacation* (2007), Director of Photography
- *AA* (2006), Camera Operator
- *Crickets* (2006), Director of Photography
- *My God, My God, Why Hast Thou Forsaken Me?* (2005), Director of Photography
- *The Lakeside Murder Case* (2005), Director of Photography
- *TRUNK* (2003), Cinematography
- *海流から遠く離れて* (2003), Cinematography
- *Mike Yokohama: A Forest with No Name* (2003), Director of Photography
- *A Boy's Summer in 1945* (2002), Director of Photography
- *Tampen* (2001), Director of Photography
- *Red Persimmons* (2001), Director of Photography
- *To the Backstreet: The Films Kenji Nakagami Left Out* (2001), Director of Photography
- *Desert Moon* (2001), Director of Photography
- *Self and Others* (2001), Director of Photography
- *Eureka* (2001), Director of Photography
- *Shady Grove* (1999), Director of Photography
- *Paradise Sea* (1998), Director of Photography
- *Eyes of the Spider* (1998), Director of Photography
- *Serpent's Path* (1998), Director of Photography
- *Suzaku* (1997), Director of Photography
- *2/Duo* (1997), Director of Photography
- *Helpless* (1996), Director of Photography
- *How Old Is the River?* (1995), Director of Photography
- *Wandering Peddlers* (1995), Director of Photography
- *A Tragic Prime Minister: The Life of Koki Hirota* (1993), Cinematography
- *Cockroach Trading Company's Hilarious Tale: The Five Hundred Million Yen Blues of Love* (1991), Director of Photography
- *The Legend of Zipang* (1990), Director of Photography
- *Untamagiru* (1989), Director of Photography
- *Festival of Dreams* (1989), Director of Photography
- *Evil Dead Trap* (1988), Director of Photography
- *Cheek to Cheek at Night ~ A Woman Embracing the Past* (1988), Director of Photography
- *Magino Village: A Tale* (1987), Director of Photography
- *Atami Murder Case* (1986), Director of Photography
- *三姉妹探偵団* (1986), Director of Photography
- *Tampopo* (1985), Director of Photography — Fi1m 84, [page](https://film.one/film/tampopo.md)
- *Fire Festival* (1985), Director of Photography
- *The Crazy Family* (1984), Director of Photography
- *P. P. Rider* (1983), Director of Photography
- *Furuyashiki: A Japanese Village* (1982), Director of Photography
- *The Unspoiled Diamond* (1982), Director of Photography
- *Farewell to the Land* (1982), Director of Photography
- *The Magino Village Story: Pass* (1978), Director of Photography
- *Kitamura Tokoku: My Winter Song* (1977), Director of Photography
- *Sanrizuka: The Sky of May* (1977), Director of Photography
- *Nemuremitsu* (1976), Director of Photography
- *The Assassination of Ryoma* (1974), Director of Photography
- *Lady Snowblood* (1973), Director of Photography
- *A Japanese Demon* (1973), Director of Photography
- *Sanrizuka: Heta Village* (1973), Director of Photography
- *Sanrizuka: The Building of Iwayama Tower* (1972), Director of Photography
- *Narita: The Peasants of the Second Fortress* (1971), Director of Photography
- *Winter in Sanrizuka* (1970), Director of Photography
- *Sanrizuka: The Three-Day War* (1970), Director of Photography
- *Summer in Sanrizuka* (1968), Director of Photography

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© Fi1m Ltd. Written by AI under a human editor; checked against sources before publication. Quote with attribution and a link to the canonical URL. Canonical: https://film.one/person/masaki-tamura