Masaki Kobayashi
Japanese cinema gained international recognition in 1950 with the release of "Rashomon", which remains one of the most well known Japanese films. The film's director, Akira Kurosawa is one of the world's most acclaimed and influential film directors. Several of his subsequent films, such as "Seven Samurai" (1954) and "Ran" (1985), are considered among the greatest films ever made. Other noteworthy directors in this era of Japanese cinema include Yasujirō Ozu, Masaki Kobayashi, Kenji Mizoguchi, Kon Ichikawa, Keisuke Kinoshita and Ishirō Honda.