Grave of Akira Kurosawa

For someone considered to be one the greatest filmmakers of all time, the grave of Akira Kurosawa is a surprisingly modest one, nestled away in a quiet, unremarkable corner of a small temple in the seaside city of Kamakura, Japan.

Having produced, written, directed and edited such legendary films as Seven Samurai (1954), Rashomon (1950), High and Low (1963), Ran (1985), and twenty-six others over a career spanning over five decades, Kurosawa’s influence on the film industry cannot be overstated.

His innovative camera techniques, mastery of “blocking” (the planning and controlled movement of actors and sight-lines, with regards to the camera), and unique, compelling storylines and characters have been emulated, and in some cases practically plagiarized, countless times.

Directors such as Steven Spielberg, George Lucas, Stanley Kubrick, Martin Scorsese and Quentin Tarantino all credit Kurosawa as a primary influence, and films from myriad genres, from sci-fi epics such as “Star Wars: A New Hope”, to westerns like “A Fistful of Dollars” and “The Magnificent Seven”, are either loving, inspired homages, or downright rip-offs, of some of Kurosawa’s most notable works.

Sadly, the world lost one of its most authoritative storytellers on September 6th, 1998. But for those who would pay their respects to Japan’s greatest auteur can do so by visiting his family tomb at Anyo-in Temple in Kamakura, approximately 31 miles (50 km) south of Tokyo. If you do, bring a bottle of Suntory Whisky, or a copy of Dostoyevsky’s “The Idiot”, as an offering or tribute, and say a few words of thanks to the creator, or at the very least inspiration, behind some of the world’s most influential films.