Masaru Satō

Masaru Satō (佐藤 勝) was a Japanese composer of film scores. The youngest of six brothers, all of them music lovers, Masaru Sato decided early in life that he wanted to be a composer. His models were two other composers born, as he was, on the northernmost Japanese island of Hokkaido: Akira Ifukube and Fumio Hayasaka. After hearing Hayasaka's score for Rashomon (1950), Sato decided Hayasaka was the only one he wanted for his teacher. He absorbed much of Hayasaka's modernist leanings, and grew to know Hayasaka's best friend Akira Kurosawa during this period. The year 1955 was a vast turning point for Sato: after scoring numerous insignificant pictures for various studios in Tokyo, Sato won the assignment for Gojira no Gyakushu (1955). Then his teacher Fumio Hayasaka died tragically young, while finishing the score for Kurosawa's Ikimono no Kiroku (1955). Sato stepped in to complete the score, uncredited. Kurosawa was sufficiently pleased with Sato to use him for all his pictures for the following ten years. Though the two had a falling-out after Akahige (1965), Sato remained one of Japan's most in-demand film composers, returning to the Gojira series several times and remaining a favorite of many other directors such as Kihachi Okamoto and June Fukuda. After scoring Dun-Huang in 1987, Sato had to call a brief halt to his career in order to tend to family interests in real estate in his native Hokkaido; but within a few years, the problems were wrapped up, and Sato was able to go back to film composing full time, at last reaching and surpassing his 300th movie score. Sato is almost unique among Japan's prolific film composers in that he has written extensively for his chosen field, but has never written for the concert stage.

Known For

Yojimbo
High and Low
Throne of Blood
The Hidden Fortress
Sanjuro
Red Beard
Birth Location Rumoi, Hokkaido, Japan
Born 1928-05-29
Died 1999-12-05
Masaru Satō hasn't appeared in any movies or TV shows

Movies

After the Rain Original Music Composer
2000
Gendai ninkyoden Original Music Composer
1997
Mitabi no kaikyô Original Music Composer
1995
East Meets West Original Music Composer
1995
Himeyuri no To Original Music Composer
1995
In Blazing Love Original Music Composer
1994
The Oil-Hell Murder Original Music Composer
1992
Free and Easy 4 Original Music Composer
1991
1991
Heat Wave Original Music Composer
1991
Rainbow Kids Original Music Composer
1991
13 Assassins Original Music Composer
1990
She-Shogun Original Music Composer
1990
Fancy Dance Songs
1989
Dream Street Original Music Composer
1989
The Demon Comes in Spring Original Music Composer
1989
Shogun's Shadow Original Music Composer
1989
The Silk Road Original Music Composer
1988
The Forest of the Little Bear Original Music Composer
1987
Guys Who Never Learn Original Music Composer
1987
Tokyo Bordello Original Music Composer
1987
Taikoki Music
1987
Yakuza Ladies Original Music Composer
1986
Kāsan no ki Music
1986
Death Shadows Original Music Composer
1986
Tracked Original Music Composer
1985
Oar Original Music Composer
1985
Fireflies in the North Original Music Composer
1984
1984
Adrift at Sea Original Music Composer
1983
The Geisha Original Music Composer
1983
Our Teacher Original Music Composer
1983
Lowly Ronin 6: Betrayal at Yatate Pass Original Music Composer
1983
Lowly Ronin 5: The Teenage Orphan Girl Original Music Composer
1983
Irezumi Original Music Composer
1982
The Highest Honour Original Music Composer
1982
The Lowly Ronin 3: Duel at Dawn Original Music Composer
1982
Ah! Nomugi toge - Shinryokuhen Original Music Composer
1982
At This Late Date, the Charleston Original Music Composer
1981
1981
Lowly Ronin Original Music Composer
1981
Toward the Terra Original Music Composer
1980
A Distant Cry from Spring Original Music Composer
1980
The Shogun Assassins Original Music Composer
1979
Nomugi Pass Original Music Composer
1979
Hunter in the Dark Original Music Composer
1979
Blood Type: Blue Original Music Composer
1978
1978
August without Emperor Original Music Composer
1978
The Glacier Fox Original Music Composer
1978
Sweet Revenge Original Music Composer
1977
1977
The Yellow Handkerchief Original Music Composer
1977
The Love and Adventures of Kuroki Taro Original Music Composer
1977
Kyojin-gun monogatari: Susume eikô e Original Music Composer
1977
The Alaska Story Original Music Composer
1977
A Portrait of Shunkin Original Music Composer
1976
1976
Tsuma to onna no aida Original Music Composer
1976
Solar Eclipse Original Music Composer
1975
Without Complaint Original Music Composer
1975
Aoba shigereru Original Music Composer
1974
Machi no Hi Music
1974
1974
Godzilla vs. Mechagodzilla Original Music Composer
1974
Demon Spies Original Music Composer
1974
The Family Original Music Composer
1974
1973
Stray Dog Original Music Composer
1973
Men and War III: The Final Chapter Original Music Composer
1973
Long Journey into Love Original Music Composer
1973
Deeper Than Blue Original Music Composer
1973
1973
Home from the Sea Original Music Composer
1972
1971
The Wolves Original Music Composer
1971
Song of the Horse Original Music Composer
1971
The Battle of Okinawa Original Music Composer
1971
Men and War II: Land of Love and Sorrow Original Music Composer
1971
幻の殺意 Original Music Composer
1971
1970
Where Spring Comes Late Original Music Composer
1970
Men and War I: Prelude to Destiny Original Music Composer
1970
1970
The Scandalous Adventures of Buraikan Original Music Composer
1970
Shinsengumi: Assassins of Honor Original Music Composer
1969
Red Lion Music
1969
The Magoichi Saga Original Music Composer
1969
Tenchu! Original Music Composer
1969
Battle of the Japan Sea Music Producer
1969
Goyokin Original Music Composer
1969
1969
Vagabond Schemer Original Music Composer
1969
Samurai Banners Original Music Composer
1969
Young People Music
1968
1968
The Human Bullet Original Music Composer
1968
My Brother, My Love Original Music Composer
1968
Admiral Yamamoto Original Music Composer
1968
Kill! Original Music Composer
1968
Judge and Jeopardy Original Music Composer
1968
Golden Eyes Original Music Composer
1968
Son of Godzilla Original Music Composer
1967
1967
Japan's Longest Day Original Music Composer
1967
Organized Violence Original Music Composer
1967
The Age of Assassins Original Music Composer
1967
1967
Ebirah, Horror of the Deep Original Music Composer
1966
Koto—The Lake of Tears Original Music Composer
1966
1966
Zero Fighter Music
1966
Moment of Terror Original Music Composer
1966
Thirst for Love Original Music Composer
1966
The Sword of Doom Original Music Composer
1966
Cash Calls Hell Original Music Composer
1966
Ironfinger Original Music Composer
1965
Fort Graveyard Original Music Composer
1965
Sanshiro Sugata Original Music Composer
1965
Three Yakuza Original Music Composer
1965
Cold Rice, Osan, Chan Original Music Composer
1965
Red Beard Original Music Composer
1965
1965
Samurai Assassin Original Music Composer
1965
Raised in a Palace Original Music Composer
1964
Samurai from Nowhere Original Music Composer
1964
The Desperate Original Music Composer
1964
Oh, Bomb! Original Music Composer
1964
1964
Jakoman and Tetsu Original Music Composer
1964
Zoku ôsho Original Music Composer
1963
The Elegant Life of Mr. Everyman Original Music Composer
1963
1963
A House in the Quarter Original Music Composer
1963
Samurai Pirate Original Music Composer
1963
Tale of Army Brutality Original Music Composer
1963
Life of Hishakaku 2 Original Music Composer
1963
Legacy of the 500,000 Original Music Composer
1963
1963
Life of Hishakaku Original Music Composer
1963
High and Low Original Music Composer
1963
1963
1962
1962
Operation Enemy Fort Original Music Composer
1962
Our Failures Music
1962
1962
The Ambitious Youth Original Music Composer
1962
1962
Otoko no Uta Music
1962
Sanjuro Original Music Composer
1962
Run, Genta, Run! Original Music Composer
1961
Procurer of Hell Original Music Composer
1961
Blood on the Sea Original Music Composer
1961
Lord Mito: Struggle of Suke and Kaku Original Music Composer
1961
Challenge to Live Original Music Composer
1961
Yojimbo Original Music Composer
1961
Blueprint of Murder Original Music Composer
1961
Chikûho no kodomotachi Original Music Composer
1960
Westward Desperado Original Music Composer
1960
1960
The Bad Sleep Well Original Music Composer
1960
Man Against Man Original Music Composer
1960
1960
Intimidation Original Music Composer
1960
The Last Gunfight Original Music Composer
1960
1959
Desperado Outpost Original Music Composer
1959
Someday I'll Know Original Music Composer
1959
Gigantis, the Fire Monster Original Music Composer
1959
1959
1959
The Praying Man Original Music Composer
1959
1959
1958
The Hidden Fortress Original Music Composer
1958
Oban kanketsu hen Original Music Composer
1958
The H-Man Original Music Composer
1958
A Slope in the Sun Original Music Composer
1958
Rusty Knife Original Music Composer
1958
Akutoku Music
1958
1958
Zokuzoku Ôban: Dotô hen Original Music Composer
1957
I Am Waiting Original Music Composer
1957
The Lower Depths Original Music Composer
1957
The Living Koheiji Original Music Composer
1957
Zoku Ôban: Fûun hen Original Music Composer
1957
Ôban Original Music Composer
1957
Streetlights Music
1957
Throne of Blood Original Music Composer
1957
Crazed Fruit Original Music Composer
1956
Season of the Sun Original Music Composer
1956
The Vampire Moth Original Music Composer
1956
Crossroad Original Music Composer
1956
1956
Cell No. 8 Music
1956
I Live in Fear Original Music Composer
1955
Taira Clan Saga Original Music Composer
1955
Half Human Original Music Composer
1955
1955
Godzilla Raids Again Original Music Composer
1955
1955