Kazuhiro Sano

Kazuhiro Sano
Born	1956 (age 59–60)
Occupation	Film director Screenwriter Actor
Years active	1980 – present

Kazuhiro Sano (佐野和宏 Sano Kazuhiro, born in 1956) is a Japanese film director, screenwriter and actor best known for his pink films of the 1990s. Along with fellow directors, Takahisa Zeze, Toshiki Satō and Hisayasu Sato, he is known as one of the "Four Heavenly Kings of Pink" (ピンク四天王 pinku shitenno).^[1] Sano's films differ from those of other Pink film directors of the time in that, while not necessarily optimistic or upbeat, they are more concerned with relationships and romance than violence and sadism.^[2] He has the distinction of winning the Best Director prize three consecutive years at the Pink Grand Prix. He has also been given two Best Actor awards, two Best Actor second place awards, and a Best Screenplay award at this ceremony.

Life and career

Kazuhiro Sano was born in 1956 and studied at Meiji University. It was while at university that he first became involved in film, acting in director Sogo Ishii's student film Crazy Thunder Road (1980). Toei Studios later released this film theatrically. Noticing Sano in the film, veteran pink film director Mamoru Watanabe gave him a role in his Dark Hair Velvet Soul (1982). Sano acted in films of Kazuo "Gaira" Komizu and Hisayasu Sato before he began directing. In 1989 Sano was awarded the Best Actor prize at the Pink Grand Prix, an award he won again in 1993.^[3][4] Sano's directorial debut was Capturing: Dirty Foreplay (1989), which, like most of his films, he also wrote and starred in.^[2] His 1990 film Young Wife: Modest Indecency was chosen as the second Best Film of the year at the 1990 Pink Grand Prix and Sano was given the award for Best Director.^[5] In 1991 he won the Best Director and Screenplay awards.^[6] In 1992 Sano's Molester: Peeping on Masturbation was awarded Best Film, and Sano was given the Best Director award for the third consecutive year.^[7]

Partial filmography (as director)

Release title[8]	Sano's title	Release date	Studio
Capturing: Dirty Foreplay 監禁　ワイセツな前戯 Kankin: Waisetsuna Zengi	Last Bullet	1989-11-11	Kokuei/Shintōhō Eiga
Wife's Masturbation: Sweet Tingle 人妻ＯＮＡＮＩＥ　甘い痺れ Hitozuma Onanie: Amai Shibire	Destroy the Evil	March 1990	Kokuei/Shintōhō Eiga
Young Wife: Modest Indecency 若妻　しとやかな卑猥 Wakazuma Shitoyakana Hiwai	Jealousy	October 1990	Kokuei/Shintōhō Eiga
Perverted Sex Play: "Tease Me Dirty!" 変態性戯　みだらに苛めて！ Hentai Seigi: Midarani Ijimete	Yokohama's Long Good-bye	1991-02-02	Kokuei/Shintōhō Eiga
Ripe Sex Play: Tingle 爛熟性戯うずく Kanjuku Seigi: Uzuku	Run! Keep Running!	1991-06-29	Kokuei/Shintōhō Eiga
Promiscuous Wife in Heat 発情不倫妻 Hatsujo Furinzuma	Tokyo Dada: No More Nevermore	1991-08-31	Kokuei/Shintōhō Eiga
Group Molesters: Peeping on the Housewife 集団痴漢　人妻覗き Shudan Chikan: Hitozuma Nozoki	You Can Hold Her for as Long as Waves Roll in the Ocean... Bullshit!	1991-11-23	Kokuei/Shintōhō Eiga
Molester: Indecent Peeping 痴漢わいせつ覗き Chikan Waisetsu Nozoki	Under the Carp Banner	1992-04-04	Kokuei/Shintōhō Eiga
Molester: Peeping on Masturbation 痴漢ＯＮＡＮＩＥ覗き Chikan Onanie Nozoki	Woman Who Clings	1992-07-11	Kokuei/Shintōhō Eiga
Pervert: Telephone Masturbation 変態テレフォンＯＮＡＮＩＥ Hentai: Telephone Onanie	Don't Let It Bring You Down	1992-07-11	Kokuei/Shintōhō Eiga
Adultery, Mother & Daughter 不倫・母・娘 Furin, Haha, Musume	Japanese Tragi-Comedy	1993-05-28	Kokuei/Shintōhō Eiga
Secret Spot: Horny Massage 性感極秘マッサージ　全身愛撫 Seikan Gokuhi Massage: Zenshin Aibu	Taste of Pumpkin	1993-10-01	Kokuei/Shintōhō Eiga
Mad Affair: Promiscuous Wife 狂乱不倫妻　熱いうめき Kyoran Furin-zuma: Atsui Umeki	Sea Roar: or We Can't Walk Backwards	1994-09-30	Kokuei/Shintōhō Eiga
Bliss of Young Sex: Good Afternoon, Clitoris 青春の悶絶　こんにちはクリスチャン Seishun no Monzetsu: Konnichiwa Cli-chan	Break on Through	1995-07-28	Kokuei/Shintōhō Eiga
Entrails of a Ripe Woman: Scarlet Crevice 熟女のはらわた　真紅の裂け目 Jukujo no Harawata: Shinku no Sakeme		1997-09-26	Kokuei/Shintōhō Eiga

Notes

1. Domenig, Roland (2002). "Vital flesh: the mysterious world of Pink Eiga". Archived from the original on 2004-11-18. Retrieved 2007-10-05.
2. Weisser, Thomas; Yuko Mihara Weisser (1998). "Spotlight: Four Kings of Pink (Kazuhiro Sano)". Japanese Cinema Encyclopedia: The Sex Films. Miami: Vital Books : Asian Cult Cinema Publications. p. 457. ISBN 1-889288-52-7.
3. "Best Ten of 1989, 2nd Ceremony 1989年度ベストテン　＜第2回ピンク大賞＞" (in Japanese). P*G Website. Retrieved 2010-04-16. External link in |publisher= (help)
4. "Best Ten of 1993, 6th Ceremony 1993年度ベストテン　＜第6回ピンク大賞＞" (in Japanese). P*G Website. Retrieved 2010-04-16. External link in |publisher= (help)
5. "Best Ten of 1990, 3rd Ceremony 1990年度ベストテン　＜第3回ピンク大賞＞" (in Japanese). P*G Website. Retrieved 2010-04-16. External link in |publisher= (help)
6. "Best Ten of 1991, 4th Ceremony 1991年度ベストテン　＜第4回ピンク大賞＞" (in Japanese). P*G Website. Retrieved 2010-04-16. External link in |publisher= (help)
7. "Best Ten of 1992, 5th Ceremony 1992年度ベストテン　＜第5回ピンク大賞＞" (in Japanese). P*G Website. Retrieved 2010-04-16. External link in |publisher= (help)
8. Filmography from Weisser, Thomas; Yuko Mihara Weisser (1998). "Spotlight: Four Kings of Pink (Kazuhiro Sano)". Japanese Cinema Encyclopedia: The Sex Films. Miami: Vital Books : Asian Cult Cinema Publications. pp. 457–462. ISBN 1-889288-52-7.; * Kazuhiro Sano at the Internet Movie Database and Weisser, Thomas; Yuko Mihara Weisser (1998). "Spotlight: Four Kings of Pink (Kazuhiro Sano)". Japanese Cinema Encyclopedia: The Sex Films. Miami: Vital Books : Asian Cult Cinema Publications. pp. 457–462. ISBN 1-889288-52-7.

Sources

• "Kazuhiro Sano". Allmovie. Retrieved 2007-10-05.
• "KAZUHIRO SANO". at The Complete Index to World Film. Retrieved 2007-10-05. External link in |work= (help)
• Kazuhiro Sano at the Internet Movie Database
• "佐野和宏 (Sano Kazuhiro)" (in Japanese). Japanese Movie Database. Retrieved 2007-10-05.
• Weisser, Thomas; Yuko Mihara Weisser (1998). "Spotlight: Four Kings of Pink (Kazuhiro Sano)". Japanese Cinema Encyclopedia: The Sex Films. Miami: Vital Books : Asian Cult Cinema Publications. pp. 457–462. ISBN 1-889288-52-7.