---
name: "Takao Saitō"
canonical: "https://film.one/person/takao-saito"
fi1m_id: "takao-saito"
imdb_id: "nm0756912"
tmdb_id: 70129
wikidata_id: "Q974053"
roles: ["Cinematographer"]
born: "5 March 1929"
died: "6 December 2014"
reviewed_on_fi1m: 4
average_fi1m_score: 91
average_over: 4
updated: "2026-09-17T18:29:07.054130+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."
---

# Takao Saitō

## Identity

Takao Saitō

- **Canonical:** https://film.one/person/takao-saito
- **Type:** Person
- **Fi1m ID:** takao-saito
- **IMDb ID:** nm0756912
- **TMDB ID:** 70129
- **Wikidata ID:** Q974053
- **Same entity:** https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Takao_Saito_(cinematographer), https://www.wikidata.org/wiki/Q974053, https://www.imdb.com/name/nm0756912/, https://www.themoviedb.org/person/70129

Cinematographer. Born 5 March 1929 in Kyoto, Japan. Died 6 December 2014.

## Details

- **Work:** Cinematographer
- **Born:** 5 March 1929, Kyoto, Japan
- **Died:** 6 December 2014
- **Active:** 1954–1985
- **Also known as:** 斎藤 孝雄, Takao Saitô
- **Frequently works with:** [Akira Kurosawa](https://film.one/person/akira-kurosawa.md), [Hideo Oguni](https://film.one/person/hideo-oguni.md), [Tatsuya Nakadai](https://film.one/person/tatsuya-nakadai.md)
- **Academy Awards:** 1 Oscar nomination
- **Fi1m score by decade:** 1950s 95 (1), 1960s 89 (2), 1980s 92 (1)
- **Fi1m against the critics:** 91 to 86 across 4 titles
- **Score spread:** 4 at 80+, 0 at 60–79, 0 under 60
- **Genres:** Drama 4, Action 2, Thriller 2, Crime 1, History 1, Mystery 1
- **Screen time:** 10 hours of reviewed films
- **Box office:** $940m across 4 films with figures
- **Elsewhere:** https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Takao_Saito_(cinematographer), https://www.wikidata.org/wiki/Q974053, https://www.imdb.com/name/nm0756912/, https://www.themoviedb.org/person/70129

## Streaming the US now

- **Apple TV:** [*Ran*](https://film.one/film/ran.md) (92)
- **HBO Max:** [*High and Low*](https://film.one/film/high-and-low.md) (90)

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

## Biography

Takao Saitō (also credited as Takao Saito or 斎藤 孝雄) was a Japanese cinematographer. He joined Toho Studios in 1946 as a camera assistant and worked on numerous films directed by Akira Kurosawa, initially as an assistant or on secondary cameras.

He served as cinematographer or co-cinematographer on Kurosawa films including *Sanjuro* (1962), *High and Low* (1963), *Dodes'ka-den* (1970), *Kagemusha* (1980), *Ran* (1985) and *Dreams* (1990). Saitō received an Academy Award nomination for Best Cinematography for *Ran*. He died in 2014.

*Sources: en.wikipedia.org, hollywoodreporter.com, imdb.com.*

## On Fi1m (4)

- *Ran* (1985), Fi1m 92, Director of Photography, Cinematography — [page](https://film.one/film/ran.md)
- *High and Low* (1963), Fi1m 90, Director of Photography, Cinematography — [page](https://film.one/film/high-and-low.md)
- *Yojimbo* (1961), Fi1m 88, First Assistant Camera — [page](https://film.one/film/yojimbo.md)
- *Seven Samurai* (1954), Fi1m 95, First Assistant Camera — [page](https://film.one/film/seven-samurai.md)

## Complete filmography (33)

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

- *After the Rain* (2000), Additional Director of Photography
- *Rainbow Bridge* (1993), Director of Photography
- *Madadayo* (1993), Director of Photography
- *Rhapsody in August* (1991), Director of Photography
- *Dreams* (1990), Director of Photography
- *Oración* (1988), Director of Photography
- *Secret Agreement: Ministry of Foreign Affairs Secret Leak Incident* (1988), Director of Photography
- *Ran* (1985), Director of Photography — Fi1m 92, [page](https://film.one/film/ran.md)
- *Lake of Illusions* (1982), Director of Photography
- *Kagemusha* (1980), Director of Photography
- *Shag* (1978), Director of Photography
- *Falcons of Edo* (1978), series, Cinematography
- *Morning for Two* (1971), Cinematography
- *Epic Chushingura* (1971), series, Cinematography
- *Dodes'ka-den* (1970), Director of Photography
- *Red Lion* (1969), Director of Photography
- *Bullet Wound* (1969), Director of Photography
- *My Brother, My Love* (1968), Director of Photography
- *Kojiro* (1967), Director of Photography
- *The Killing Bottle* (1967), Director of Photography
- *The Mad Atlantic* (1966), Cinematography
- *Raccoon Dog Leader* (1965), Director of Photography
- *Japan's No. 1 Sesame Paste Man* (1965), Camera Technician
- *Red Beard* (1965), Director of Photography
- *Samurai Pirate* (1963), Director of Photography
- *Legacy of the 500,000* (1963), Director of Photography, Cinematography
- *High and Low* (1963), Director of Photography — Fi1m 90, [page](https://film.one/film/high-and-low.md)
- *Attack Squadron* (1963), Director of Photography
- *Irresponsible Age of Japan* (1962), Director of Photography
- *Sanjuro* (1962), Director of Photography
- *Yojimbo* (1961), First Assistant Camera — Fi1m 88, [page](https://film.one/film/yojimbo.md)
- *The Bad Sleep Well* (1960), Assistant Camera
- *Seven Samurai* (1954), First Assistant Camera — Fi1m 95, [page](https://film.one/film/seven-samurai.md)

## Awards

### Academy Awards — 0 won, 1 nominated

- 1986: Best Cinematography (nominated), for *Ran*

*From Wikidata, which records wins more completely than nominations.*

---
© 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/takao-saito