The following is a list of works, both in film and other media, for which the Japanese filmmaker Akira Kurosawa made some documented creative contribution. This includes a complete list of films with which he was involved (including the films on which he worked as assistant director before becoming a full director), as well as his little-known contributions to theater, television and literature.

Filmography

As director All the following are Japanese productions unless otherwise specified.

Year English title Japanese title Romanized title Director Writer 1943 Sanshiro Sugata Sugata Sanshirō 1944 The Most Beautiful Ichiban utsukushiku 1945 Sanshiro Sugata Part II Zoku Sugata Sanshirō The Men Who Tread on the Tiger's Tail Tora no o wo fumu otokotachi 1946 Those Who Make Tomorrow Asu o tsukuru hitobito No Regrets for Our Youth Waga seishun ni kuinashi 1947 One Wonderful Sunday Subarashiki nichiyōbi 1948 Drunken Angel Yoidore tenshi 1949 The Quiet Duel Shizukanaru kettō Stray Dog Nora inu 1950 Scandal Sukyandaru (Shūbun) Rashomon Rashōmon 1951 The Idiot Hakuchi 1952 Ikiru Ikiru 1954 Seven Samurai Shichinin no samurai 1955 I Live in Fear Ikimono no kiroku 1957 Throne of Blood Kumonosu-jō The Lower Depths Donzoko 1958 The Hidden Fortress Kakushi toride no san akunin 1960 The Bad Sleep Well Warui yatsu hodo yoku nemuru 1961 Yojimbo Yōjinbō 1962 Sanjuro Tsubaki Sanjūrō 1963 High and Low Tengoku to jigoku 1965 Red Beard Akahige 1970 Dodes'ka-den Dodesukaden 1975 Dersu Uzala Derusu Uzāra 1980 Kagemusha Kagemusha 1985 Ran Ran 1990 Dreams Yume 1991 Rhapsody in August Hachigatsu no rapusodī (Hachigatsu no kyōshikyoku) 1993 Madadayo Mādadayo

As producer Note: Data for the remainder of this filmography is derived primarily from the complete filmography created by Kurosawa's biographer, Stuart Galbraith IV, supplemented by IMDb's Kurosawa page.

For the following films that Kurosawa directed, he also received a production credit: Stray Dog (associate producer) Throne of Blood (co-producer) The Lower Depths (producer) The Hidden Fortress (co-producer) The Bad Sleep Well (co-producer) Yojimbo (associate producer) Sanjuro (associate producer) High and Low (associate producer) Red Beard (associate producer) Dodesukaden (executive producer and producer) Kagemusha (producer).

In addition, Kurosawa received a production credit on one film that he himself did not direct: Haru no tawamure (1949) (Spring Flirtation), written and directed by Kajiro Yamamoto, on which he served as an associate producer.

As screenwriter Kurosawa wrote or co-wrote the screenplays for all the films he himself directed. However, to supplement his income, he also wrote scripts for other Japanese directors throughout the 1940s, and even through the 1950s and part of the 1960s, long after he had become world-famous. He also worked on the scripts for two Hollywood productions he was slated to direct, but which, for complex reasons, were completed by and credited to other directors (although he did shoot some scenes for Tora tora tora!, the footage from which has apparently not survived). Finally, near the end of his life, he completed scripts he intended to direct but did not live to make, which were then filmed by others. A table of all these screenplays is given below; all titles are Japanese productions unless otherwise noted.

Year English title Japanese title Romanized title Director Notes Ref. 1941 Horse Uma Kajirō Yamamoto Uncredited, but written alongside his mentor Kajirō Yamamoto. 1942 Wind Currents of Youth Seishun no kiryu Shu Fushimizu Based on "Construction of Love" and "The Life Plan" by Jun Minamikawa. The Triumphant Song of the Wings Tsubasa no gaika Satsuo Yamamoto Credited alongside Bonhei Sotoyama. 1943 Sanshiro Sugata Sugata Sanshirō Akira Kurosawa Based on the novel Sugata Sanshirō by judoka Tsuneo Tomita. 1944 Wrestling-ring Festival Dohyōmatsuri Santaro Marune The Most Beautiful Ichiban utsukushiku Akira Kurosawa 1945 Bravo! Tasuke Isshin Appare Isshin Tasuke Kiyoshi Saeki Sanshiro Sugata Part II Zoku Sugata Sanshirō Akira Kurosawa Based on the novel Sugata Sanshirō by judoka Tsuneo Tomita. The Men Who Tread on the Tiger's Tail Tora no o wo fumu otokotachi Based on the kabuki play Kanjinchō. 1946 No Regrets for Our Youth Waga seishun ni kuinashi Credited alongside Eijiro Hisaita. Keiji Matsuzaki has an uncredited writer role. 1947 Four Love Stories"First Love" Yotsu no koi no monogatari(Dai ichi: Hatsukoi) Shiro Toyoda Omnibus film. Credited for first of four sections. One Wonderful Sunday Subarashiki nichiyōbi Akira Kurosawa Credited alongside Keinosuke Uegusa. Snow Trail Ginrei no hate Senkichi Taniguchi Received main credit. Senkichi Taniguchi has an uncredited writer role. 1948 The Portrait Shōzō Keisuke Kinoshita Drunken Angel Yoidore tenshi Akira Kurosawa Credited alongside Keinosuke Uegusa. 1949 Lady from Hell Jigoku no kifujin Motoyoshi Oda Credited alongside Motosada Nishikame. The Quiet Duel Shizukanaru kettō Akira Kurosawa Credited alongside Senkichi Taniguchi. Based on a play by Kazuo Kikuta. Jakoman and Tetsu Jakoman to Tetsu Senkichi Taniguchi Credited alongside Senkichi Taniguchi. Based on "Herring Fishery" by Keizo Kajino. Stray Dog Nora inu Akira Kurosawa Credited alongside Ryūzō Kikushima. 1950 Escape at Dawn Akatsuki no dassō Senkichi Taniguchi Credited alongside Senkichi Taniguchi. Based on a story by Yasujiro Tamura. Scandal Sukyandaru (Shūbun) Akira Kurosawa Credited alongside Ryūzō Kikushima. Tetsu of Jilba Jiruba no Tetsu Isamu Kosugi Rashomon Rashomon Akira Kurosawa Credited alongside Shinobu Hashimoto. Based on the short stories "In a Grove" and "Rashōmon" by Ryūnosuke Akutagawa. Fencing Master Tateshi danpei Masahiro Makino 1951 Beyond Love and Hate Ai to nikushimi no kanata e Senkichi Taniguchi Credited alongside Senkichi Taniguchi. The Idiot Hakuchi Akira Kurosawa Credited alongside Eijiro Hisaita. Based on The Idiot by Fyodor Dostoevsky. The Den of Beasts Kedamono no yado Tatsuo Osone 1952 Vendetta for a Samurai Araki Mataemon: Kettô kagiya no tsuji Kazuo Mori Sword for Hire Sengoku burai Hiroshi Inagaki Credited alongside Hiroshi Inagaki. Based on a novel by Yasushi Inoue, serialized in Sunday Mainichi. Ikiru Ikiru Akira Kurosawa Credited alongside Shinobu Hashimoto and Hideo Ogumi. 1953 Blow! Spring Wind Fukeyo harukaze Senkichi Taniguchi Credited alongside Senkichi Taniguchi. 1954 Seven Samurai Shichinin no samurai Akira Kurosawa Credited alongside Shinobu Hashimoto and Hideo Ogumi. 1955 Vanished Enlisted Man Kieta chūtai Akira Minura Credited alongside Ryūzō Kikushima. I Live in Fear Ikimono no kiroku Akira Kurosawa Credited alongside Shinobu Hashimoto and Hideo Ogumi. Hiba Arborvitae Story Asunaro monogatari Hiromichi Horikawa Sanshiro Sugata Sugata Sanshirō Shigeo Tanaka First remake of Sanshiro Sugata (1943) based on Kurosawa's script. 1957 Throne of Blood Kumonosu-jō Akira Kurosawa Credited alongside Shinobu Hashimoto, Ryūzō Kikushima and Hideo Ogumi. Loosely based on Macbeth by William Shakespeare. The Lower Depths Donzoko Credited alongside Hideo Oguni. Based on The Lower Depths by Maxim Gorky. Three Hundred Miles through Enemy Lines Tekichū ōdan sanbyaku ri Issei Mori Credited alongside Hideo Oguni. 1958 The Hidden Fortress Kakushi toride no san akunin Akira Kurosawa Credited alongside Ryūzō Kikushima, Hideo Oguni, and Shinobu Hashimoto. 1959 Saga of the Vagabonds Sengoku guntōden Toshio Sugie Credited alongside Sadao Yamanaka. Based on a story by Juro Miyoshi. 1960 The Bad Sleep Well Warui yatsu hodo yoku nemuru Akira Kurosawa Credited alongside Hideo Oguni, Eijiro Hisata, Ryūzō Kikushima, and Shinobu Hashimoto. 1961 Yojimbo Yōjinbō Credited alongside Hideo Oguni and Ryūzō Kikushima. 1962 Sanjuro Tsubaki Sanjurō Credited alongside Hideo Oguni and Ryūzō Kikushima. Based on a novel by Shūgorō Yamamoto. Fencing Master Tateshi danpei Harumi Mizuho A remake of Fencing Master (1950), which was written by Kurosawa. 1963 High and Low Tengoku to jigoku Akira Kurosawa Credited alongside Hideo Oguni and Ryūzō Kikushima. Based on the novel King's Ransom by Ed McBain. 1964 Jakoman and Tetsu Jakoman to Tetsu Kinji Fukasaku A remake of Jakoman and Tetsu (1949), which was written by Kurosawa and Senkichi Taniguchi. Originally based on "Herring Fishery" by Keizo Kajino. 1965 Red Beard Akahige Akira Kurosawa Credited alongside Ryūzō Kikushima, Hideo Oguni, and Masato Ide. Based on the novel by Shūgorō Yamamoto. Sanshiro Sugata Sugata Sanshirō Seiichirō Uchikawa Second remake of Sanshiro Sugata (1943) based on Kurosawa's script. Kurosawa served as editor. 1970 Tora! Tora! Tora! Tora! Tora! Tora! Richard Fleischer, Toshio Masuda, Kinji Fukasaku, Akira Kurosawa (portions removed) Credit received by Larry Forrester, Hideo Oguni, Ryūzō Kikushima; Kurosawa's credit for directing and writing was removed after his firing in December 1969. Based on the books Tora! Tora! Tora by Gordon W. Prange and The Broken Seal by Ladislas Farago. Dodes'ka-den Dodesukaden Akira Kurosawa Credited alongside Hideo Ogumi and Shinobu Hashimoto. Based on the novel The Town Without Seasons by Shūgorō Yamamoto. 1975 Dersu Uzala Derusu Uzāra Japanese-Soviet co-production. Credited alongside Yuri Nagibin. Based on the novel Dersu Uzala by Vladimir Arsenyev. 1980 Kagemusha Kagemusha Credited alongside Masato Ide. 1985 Ran Ran French-Japanese co-production. Credited alongside Hideo Oguni and Masato Ide. Loosely based on the play King Lear by William Shakespeare. Runaway Train Andrei Konchalovsky American production. Originally set to be directed by Kurosawa. Contributions by Ryūzō Kikushima and Hideo Oguni are uncredited. 1990 Dreams Yume Akira Kurosawa Sole writer. 1991 Rhapsody in August Hachigatsu no rapusodī Credited alongside Ishirō Honda. Based on the novel Nabe no naka by Kiyoko Murata. 1993 Madadayo Mādadayo Credited alongside Ishirō Honda. Based on works by Hyakken Uchida. 2000 After the Rain Ame agaru Takashi Koizumi Posthumous script and final screenplay by Kurosawa. Based on a short story by Shūgorō Yamamoto. Dora-heita Doraheita Kon Ichikawa Credited alongside Kon Ichikawa, Keisuke Kinoshita, and Masaki Kobayashi. Based on the novel Diary of a Town Magistrate by Shūgorō Yamamoto. 2002 The Sea Is Watching Umi wa miteta Kei Kumai Sole writer. Posthumous credit.

In addition, Kurosawa wrote the following unproduced scripts, composed during the pre-war period in the 1930s and also the wartime period in the 1940s, either when he was still an assistant director or had just graduated to full director. Some of these won prizes in screenwriting contests, establishing his reputation as a promising talent even though they were never filmed.

Deruma-dera no doitsujin – A German at Daruma Temple Shizukanari – All Is Quiet Yuki – Snow Mori no senichia – A Thousand and One Nights in the Forest Jajauma monogatari – The Story of a Bad Horse Dokkoi kono yari – The Lifted Spear San Paguita no hana – The San Pajuito Flower Utsukishiki koyomi – Beautiful Calendar Daisan hatoba – The Third Harbor

As assistant director