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Masao Tamai

Cinematographer · Died May 26, 1997, aged 88 · Matsuyama, Ehime, Japan

Masao Tamai was a Japanese cinematographer know for his work on the films of Mikio Naruse and the original Godzilla.

Biography from TMDB.

Born
October 3, 1908
Died
May 26, 1997 (aged 88)
From
Matsuyama, Ehime, Japan
Works as
Cinematographer
Titles
8 on MovieCove · 57 credits in all
Links
IMDb (opens in a new tab)TMDB (opens in a new tab)Wikidata (opens in a new tab)

Known for

TMDB popularity, last 155 days to Oct 26

What are Masao Tamai's films like?

Across their 7 MovieCove titles with a thematic analysis, their films lean Survival and Self.

Genres

Drama5 titlesTypical Midcredits score: 94th percentile, at or above their average across these genres
: browse their Drama movies
Action2 titlesTypical Midcredits score: 57th percentile
: browse their Action movies

Their MovieCove films by primary genre. The badge is the typical Midcredits score of the genre's films, the median percentile; an up arrow marks a genre at or above their average across these genres.

Themes

share of theme weight
Survival
22%
Self
21%
Bonds
20%
Morality
15%
Society
11%
Ideas
11%
Survival3 titles, browse their movies with this themeMarriage2 titles, browse their movies with this themeIsolation3 titles, browse their movies with this themeSacrifice2 titles, browse their movies with this theme

What they feel like to watch

their average across 7 films
ToneFeelDemandtheir average · filled zone: the category
Dark: How heavy the subject matter and outlook get. Browse their dark movies.
Tone · Weight
lightdark

Light 0 · Serious 2 · Dark 5

Stylized: How far its world departs from everyday reality. Browse their stylized movies.
Tone · Style
naturalisticheightened

A split, not a type: Grounded 4 · Stylized 3 · Heightened 0

Charged: How hard the emotional peaks hit while you watch. Browse their charged movies.
Feel · Intensity
gentleintense

A split, not a type: Gentle 1 · Charged 2 · Intense 4

Steady: How much it swings between very different feelings. Browse their steady movies.
Feel · Swings
steadyswings

Steady 5 · Shifting 2 · Whiplash 0

Straight-faced: How much of the runtime is played for laughs. Browse their straight-faced movies.
Feel · Humor
noneconstant

Straight-faced 6 · Some laughs 1 · Funny 0

Slow burn: How fast it moves from scene to scene. Browse their slow burn movies.
Demand · Pace
slowrelentless

Slow burn 4 · Even-paced 3 · Relentless 0

Engaged: How much focus it asks of you — look away and lose the thread? Browse their engaged movies.
Demand · Attention
casualfull focus

Casual 1 · Engaged 6 · Full focus 0

Heavy: How much it costs you emotionally; whether you need recovery time. Browse their heavy movies.
Demand · Emotional cost
easyheavy

Easy watch 0 · Affecting 3 · Heavy 4

Open-ended: How much is left for you to interpret. Browse their open-ended movies.
Demand · Resolution
resolvedambiguous

A split, not a type: Resolved 3 · Open-ended 2 · Ambiguous 2

Moods and endings

endings are an aggregate; no title is named

Dominant moods · mentions across their titles

Tense
5
Melancholic
4
Dread
3
Thrilling
2
Warm
2
Other
3

How their films linger

Thought-provoking5 titles, browse their movies with this aftertasteHaunting4 titles, browse their movies with this aftertasteBittersweet3 titles, browse their movies with this aftertasteDevastating2 titles, browse their movies with this aftertaste

How their films end

  • Bittersweet5
  • Tragic1
  • Cyclical1

AI-generated from each title's plot synopsis and cast list, with extra plot summaries, reviews and Parents Guide notes for titles the model may not know, and the model's own knowledge of the ones it recognizes. Only analyzed titles count, so this covers part of the filmography; the feel axes count films only for now.

Where can I watch Masao Tamai's films?

As of October 24, 2026, 7 of their 8 MovieCove titles stream on a subscription or free service, most on The Criterion Channel (5).

Also on these channels

Subscription and free streaming for Masao Tamai's titles on MovieCove; rent and buy are not counted. Titles are listed by Midcredits score, highest first, at most 12 per service; a dashed chip is a producer credit or a minor one, such as a thanks. A service opens the browse page, which counts movies only, so its number can differ.

Filmography

57 credits, 8 with a MovieCove page.

  • Godzilla(1977)

    Cinematographer · Still Photographer

    Midcredits score: 37th percentile of all films

  • We Are Salarymen (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(1963)

    Cinematographer

  • Local Reporter (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(1962)

    Cinematographer

  • Different Sons (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(1961)

    Cinematographer

  • Toilet Manager (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(1961)

    Cinematographer

  • Happiness of Us Alone (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(1961)

    Cinematographer

  • The Twilight Story (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(1960)

    Cinematographer

  • The Curio Master (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(1960)

    Cinematographer

  • When a Woman Ascends the Stairs(1960)

    Cinematographer

    Midcredits score: 98th percentile of all films

  • Leader of the Bomb Girls (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(1959)

    Cinematographer

  • Work Hard, Happy Girls! (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(1959)

    Cinematographer

  • A Whistle in My Heart (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(1959)

    Cinematographer

  • Diary of a Company President: Peaceful Period (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(1959)

    Cinematographer

  • Summer Clouds (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(1958)

    Cinematographer

  • Little Peach (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(1958)

    Cinematographer

  • Tokyo 1960 (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(1957)

    Cinematographer

  • The Decoy (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(1957)

    Cinematographer

  • Hadaka no Machi (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(1957)

    Cinematographer

  • Untamed Woman (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(1957)

    Cinematographer

  • Godzilla(1957)

    Cinematographer · Still Photographer

    Midcredits score: 76th percentile of all films

  • The Luckiest Dai (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(1957)

    Cinematographer

  • Flowing (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(1956)

    Cinematographer

  • In Case of One Woman (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(1956)

    Cinematographer

  • Newlywed of the First Section (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(1956)

    Cinematographer

  • A Wife's Heart (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(1956)

    Cinematographer

  • Godzilla: King of the Monsters!(1956)

    Cinematographer · Still Photographer

    Midcredits score: 54th percentile of all films

  • Housewives Are Suing (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(1956)

    Cinematographer

  • Sudden Rain (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(1956)

    Cinematographer

  • To Love and Forgive (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(1955)

    Cinematographer

  • Stray Sheep (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(1955)

    Cinematographer

  • House of Many Pleasures (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(1955)

    Cinematographer

  • No Time for Tears (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(1955)

    Cinematographer

  • Floating Clouds(1955)

    Cinematographer

    Midcredits score: 94th percentile of all films

  • Godzilla(1954)

    Cinematographer · Still Photographer

    Midcredits score: 95th percentile of all films

  • Forever Be Mine (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(1954)

    Cinematographer

  • Love Express (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(1954)

    Cinematographer

  • Late Chrysanthemums (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(1954)

    Cinematographer

  • Geisha Konatsu (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(1954)

    Cinematographer

  • Sound of the Mountain (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(1954)

    Cinematographer

  • The Lovers (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(1953)

    Cinematographer

  • The Blue Revolution (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(1953)

    Cinematographer

  • Wife(1953)

    Cinematographer

    Midcredits score: 85th percentile of all films

  • Town of Seven Colors (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(1952)

    Cinematographer

  • Shanghai Rose (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(1952)

    Cinematographer

  • Third Class Executives (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(1952)

    Cinematographer

  • Repast(1951)

    Cinematographer

    Midcredits score: 94th percentile of all films

  • The Lady of Musashino (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(1951)

    Cinematographer

  • Swords and Brocade (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(1951)

    Cinematographer

  • Beyond Love and Hate (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(1951)

    Cinematographer

  • White Beast (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(1950)

    Cinematographer

  • The Angry Street (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(1950)

    Cinematographer

  • Delinquent Girl (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(1949)

    Cinematographer

  • Numazu Officer School (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(1939)

    Cinematographer

  • Nangoku taiheiki (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(1937)

    Cinematographer

  • Yoru no hato (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(1937)

    Cinematographer

  • Bored Hatamoto Judges 100,000-koku (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(1935)

    Cinematographer

  • Bored Hatamoto on the Nakasendo (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(1935)

    Cinematographer

Career shape

A full career of 57 titles from 1935 to 1977.

Biggest box office

Godzilla (1954)

$591K worldwide

Highest rated

When a Woman Ascends the Stairs (1960)

Midcredits 98th

Most popular right now

Godzilla (1954)

By role

only this rolewith another role
Cinematography57 of 57: 53 only cinematography, 4 with another role · typical Midcredits score90thOther crew4 of 57: 0 only other crew, 4 with another role

57 titles, 4 with more than one role — cinematography and other crew overlap on 4 of them.

By decade

1930s5 · crew1940s1 · crew1950s42 · crew1960s8 · crew1970s1 · crew

Counts from TMDB across their full career, self appearances out; a title counts in every role they held on it. The ring is the typical Midcredits score (the median percentile) of the role's titles that are on MovieCove, shown from 5 scored.

How do Masao Tamai's films land?

Their typical MovieCove film has a Midcredits score in the 90th percentile, the median of all 8; across their 7 films with reception data, the typical film sits in the 92nd percentile for acclaim.

Acclaim · how much people like their films

92ndpercentile
Typical film, the median of 7

Approval · how many liked their films

91stpercentile
Typical film, the median of 7

Reach · how many have seen their films

74thpercentile
Typical film, the median of 7

Midcredits score across 8 titles, by percentile

  • 75th and up6
  • 50th to 74th1
  • 25th to 49th1

Shape of the crowd

4 of their 8 titles are Universally Loved.

  • Universally Loved4
  • Cult Classic1
  • Crowd Pleaser3

Most divisive · cinematographer

Godzilla (1977)

74th percentile spread · 30% rated it 4 or lower

Most loved · cinematographer

When a Woman Ascends the Stairs (1960)

Midcredits 98th · 89% liked

Reviewers score the cinematography 70/100 in their films, across 5 reviewed titles; fans 73, detractors 60. The element that speaks to their work as a cinematographer.

Percentiles are each film's standing among all films on MovieCove; the typical film is the median, so one outlier cannot drag it. Percentiles and reviewer scores count the films IMDb credits them on, for now; the Midcredits score bands, the shape of the crowd and the two cards count their MovieCove titles, shows included (a show ranked among shows), appearances as themselves left out. A descriptor is the shape of a title's IMDb rating distribution against the catalog; "most divisive" needs a spread wider than half of all titles, and a card names only a principal credit: a craft role, and on a show a crew role or a run of episodes, never a courtesy credit or a one-off guest spot.

Who does Masao Tamai work with?

People who share at least 2 of Masao Tamai's MovieCove titles, grouped by what they did on them; Mikio Naruse shares the most, 4.

Directors

Writers

Actors

Composers, cinematographers and editors

Producers

Mixed roles