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Shôichi Atô

Cinematographer · Japan

In 1998, Masakazu Ato marked his debut as a cinematographer with Tetsuya Nakajima's Happy Go Lucky Ever since, he has remained a constant presence in Nakajima's cinematic works. He achieved the honor of winning the Japan Academy Award for Best Cinematography three times. Notably, Paco and the Magical Book and Confessions were jointly recognized, sharing the award with Atsushi Ozawa.

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Biography from TMDB.

From
Japan
Works as
Cinematographer
Titles
9 on Motif · 17 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 39 days to Oct 28Up 22% in 30 days

What are Shôichi Atô's films like?

Across their 9 Motif titles with a thematic analysis, their films lean Survival and Self.

Genres

Comedy3 titlesTypical Motif score: 90th percentile, at or above their average across these genres
: browse their Comedy movies
Action2 titlesTypical Motif score: 69th percentile
: browse their Action movies

Their Motif films by primary genre. The badge is the typical Motif 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
28%
Self
23%
Bonds
17%
Morality
15%
Ideas
8%
Power
4%
Society
4%
Identity4 titles, browse their movies with this themeSurvival3 titles, browse their movies with this themeFriendship2 titles, browse their movies with this themeGrief2 titles, browse their movies with this theme

What they feel like to watch

their average across 8 films
ToneFeelDemandtheir average · filled zone: the category
Dark: How heavy the subject matter and outlook get. Browse their dark movies.
Tone · Weight
lightdark

Light 1 · Serious 1 · Dark 6

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

Grounded 0 · Stylized 5 · Heightened 3

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

Gentle 1 · Charged 2 · Intense 5

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

Steady 1 · Shifting 4 · Whiplash 3

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

Straight-faced 5 · Some laughs 2 · Funny 1

Even-paced: How fast it moves from scene to scene. Browse their even-paced movies.
Demand · Pace
slowrelentless

Slow burn 2 · Even-paced 6 · 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 4 · Full focus 3

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

Easy watch 1 · Affecting 2 · Heavy 5

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

A split, not a type: Resolved 4 · Open-ended 3 · Ambiguous 1

Moods and endings

endings are an aggregate; no title is named

Dominant moods · mentions across their titles

Tense
6
Dread
3
Melancholic
3
Contemplative
3
Warm
2
Other
7

How their films linger

Unsettling5 titles, browse their movies with this aftertasteThought-provoking4 titles, browse their movies with this aftertasteHaunting4 titles, browse their movies with this aftertasteBittersweet3 titles, browse their movies with this aftertasteFeel-good2 titles, browse their movies with this aftertasteHopeful2 titles, browse their movies with this aftertaste

How their films end · 3 with a twist

  • Happy1
  • Bittersweet5
  • Ambiguous3

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 Shôichi Atô's films?

As of October 24, 2026, 3 of their 9 Motif titles stream on a subscription or free service.

Also on these channels

Subscription and free streaming for Shôichi Atô's titles on Motif; rent and buy are not counted. Titles are listed by Motif 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

17 credits, 9 with a Motif page.

  • Tokyo Swindlers(2024)

    Show 7 episodes · Cinematographer

    Motif score: 69th percentile of all shows

  • AI Amok(2020)

    Cinematographer

    Motif score: 27th percentile of all films

  • Sunny: Our Hearts Beat Together(2018)

    Cinematographer

    Motif score: 66th percentile of all films

  • If Cats Disappeared from the World (not in the Motif catalog yet)(2016)

    Cinematographer

  • Parasyte: Part 2(2015)

    Cinematographer

    Motif score: 63rd percentile of all films

  • Parasyte: Part 1(2014)

    Cinematographer

    Motif score: 75th percentile of all films

  • The World of Kanako(2014)

    Cinematographer

    Motif score: 61st percentile of all films

  • Confessions(2010)

    Cinematographer

    Motif score: 95th percentile of all films

  • The Wonderful World of Captain Kuhio (not in the Motif catalog yet)(2009)

    Cinematographer

  • Dumbeast (not in the Motif catalog yet)(2009)

    Cinematographer

  • Paco and the Magical Book (not in the Motif catalog yet)(2008)

    Cinematographer

  • Funuke: Show Some Love, You Losers! (not in the Motif catalog yet)(2007)

    Cinematographer

  • Memories of Matsuko(2006)

    Cinematographer

    Motif score: 96th percentile of all films

  • Kamikaze Girls(2004)

    Cinematographer

    Motif score: 90th percentile of all films

  • tokyo.sora (not in the Motif catalog yet)(2002)

    Cinematographer

  • Beautiful Sunday (not in the Motif catalog yet)(1998)

    Cinematographer

  • Happy-Go-Lucky (not in the Motif catalog yet)(1997)

    Cinematographer

Career shape

A full career of 17 titles from 1997 to 2024.

Biggest box office

Confessions (2010)

$45M worldwide

Highest rated

Memories of Matsuko (2006)

Motif 96th

Most popular right now

Tokyo Swindlers (2024)

By role

only this rolewith another role
Cinematography17 of 17: 17 only cinematography, 0 with another role · typical Motif score69th

By decade

1990s2 · crew2000s7 · crew2010s6 · crew2020s2 · 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 Motif score (the median percentile) of the role's titles that are on Motif, shown from 5 scored.

How do Shôichi Atô's films land?

Their typical Motif film has a Motif score in the 71st percentile, the median of all 8; across their 8 films with reception data, the typical film sits in the 75th percentile for acclaim.

Acclaim · how much people like their films

75thpercentile
Typical film, the median of 8

Approval · how many liked their films

67thpercentile
Typical film, the median of 8

Reach · how many have seen their films

87thpercentile
Typical film, the median of 8

Motif score across 9 titles, by percentile

  • 75th and up4
  • 50th to 74th4
  • 25th to 49th1

Shape of the crowd

5 of their 9 titles are Crowd Pleasers.

  • Universally Loved2
  • Crowd Pleaser5
  • Broadly Agreed1
  • Mixed1

Most divisive · cinematographer

Sunny: Our Hearts Beat Together (2018)

52nd percentile spread · 21% rated it 4 or lower

Most loved · cinematographer

Memories of Matsuko (2006)

Motif 96th · 81% liked

Reviewers score the cinematography 76/100 in their films, across 6 reviewed titles; fans 81, detractors 58. The element that speaks to their work as a cinematographer.

Percentiles are each film's standing among all films on Motif; 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 Motif score bands, the shape of the crowd and the two cards count their Motif 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.

Is Shôichi Atô's work okay for kids?

Across a limited sample of up to 4 Motif titles with content scores.

Their medianMedian of all films
Violence & Gore3 titlesmedian 91 · severeMedian of all films: 44
Sex & Nudity4 titlesmedian 40 · moderateMedian of all films: 31
Profanity3 titlesmedian 76 · intenseMedian of all films: 35
Alcohol & Drugs3 titlesmedian 81 · severeMedian of all films: 33
Frightening / Intense3 titlesmedian 90 · severeMedian of all films: 39

Severity 0–100 from the Content Guide. Categories with under 10 votes on a title are not counted.

Who does Shôichi Atô work with?

People who share at least 2 of Shôichi Atô's Motif titles, grouped by what they did on them; Tetsuya Nakashima shares the most, 4.

Directors

Writers

Actors

Composers and editors

Producers