Juzo Itami (Yoshihiro Ikeuchi) Biography

Juzo Itami (Yoshihiro Ikeuchi)

The critically acclaimed Japanese filmmaker is best known for his quirky sense of humor, wit and offbeat subjects. One of his most famous films, Tampopo, tells the story of a young woman's quest to create the perfect noodle soup. In 1992, after the release of Minbo — or the Gentle Art of Japanese Extortion, he was slowly tortured by Japanese gangsters who were offended by the way Itami portrayed them in the film. He lept from a building to his death days before the publication of an article suggesting he had an affair with a 26-year-old woman.