Masanori Hata
Encyclopedia
is a Japanese zoologist, essayist, and filmmaker. A popular essayist under the pen name Mutsugorō, he was awarded the Kikuchi Kan Prize
for his writing in 1977. He is perhaps best known in the West as the director and screenwriter of the 1989 film The Adventures of Milo and Otis
.
Hata was born in Fukuoka Prefecture
and graduated from Tokyo University. Trained as a zoologist, he worked as a documentary filmmaker producing nature films. He moved to the eastern coast of Hokkaidō
to establish the Mutsugorō Animal Kingdom nature preserve, where he and his family live with over 300 wild and domestic animals. He is the author of over 100 books, including collections of his Mutsugorō essays on nature such as Warera dōbutsu mina kyōdai (All of Us Animals Are Brothers and Sisters, 1967) and Mutsogorō no hakubutsushi (Mutsugoro's Natural History, 1975).
Over four years, Hata and associate director Kon Ichikawa
shot 400,000 feet of film at the Mutsugorō Animal Kingdom. The resulting film, about the adventures of a orange tabby cat and a fawn pug, was released by Toho
in 1986 as Koneko Monogatari (子猫物語, A Kitten's Story) and was the highest grossing film of the year in Japan, taking in about $36 million. It was shown that year at the Cannes Film Festival
as The Adventures of Chatran. For US distribution by Columbia Pictures
, it was cut down from 90 to 76 minutes and narration in English by Dudley Moore
was added. It was released in 1989 as The Adventures of Milo and Otis.
Kikuchi Kan Prize
The honors achievement in all aspects of Japanese culture. It was named in honor of Kikuchi Kan.The Prize is presented annually by Bungei Shunju literary magazine and the Society for the Advancement of Japanese Culture.-Select list of prizewinners:...
for his writing in 1977. He is perhaps best known in the West as the director and screenwriter of the 1989 film The Adventures of Milo and Otis
The Adventures of Milo and Otis
The Adventures of Milo and Otis is a live action Japanese film about an orange tabby cat named Milo and a fawn pug named Otis.The original Japanese version was released on June 27, 1986, and the reworked English language version was released on August 25, 1989.Initially filmed as Koneko Monogatari...
.
Hata was born in Fukuoka Prefecture
Fukuoka Prefecture
is a prefecture of Japan located on Kyūshū Island. The capital is the city of Fukuoka.- History :Fukuoka Prefecture includes the former provinces of Chikugo, Chikuzen, and Buzen....
and graduated from Tokyo University. Trained as a zoologist, he worked as a documentary filmmaker producing nature films. He moved to the eastern coast of Hokkaidō
Hokkaido
, formerly known as Ezo, Yezo, Yeso, or Yesso, is Japan's second largest island; it is also the largest and northernmost of Japan's 47 prefectural-level subdivisions. The Tsugaru Strait separates Hokkaido from Honshu, although the two islands are connected by the underwater railway Seikan Tunnel...
to establish the Mutsugorō Animal Kingdom nature preserve, where he and his family live with over 300 wild and domestic animals. He is the author of over 100 books, including collections of his Mutsugorō essays on nature such as Warera dōbutsu mina kyōdai (All of Us Animals Are Brothers and Sisters, 1967) and Mutsogorō no hakubutsushi (Mutsugoro's Natural History, 1975).
Over four years, Hata and associate director Kon Ichikawa
Kon Ichikawa
was a Japanese film director.-Early life and career:Ichikawa was born in Ise, Mie Prefecture. In the 1930s Ichikawa attended a technical school in Osaka. Upon graduation, in 1933, he found a job with a local rental film studio, J.O. Studio, in their animation department...
shot 400,000 feet of film at the Mutsugorō Animal Kingdom. The resulting film, about the adventures of a orange tabby cat and a fawn pug, was released by Toho
Toho
is a Japanese film, theater production, and distribution company. It is headquartered in Yūrakuchō, Chiyoda, Tokyo, and is one of the core companies of the Hankyu Hanshin Toho Group...
in 1986 as Koneko Monogatari (子猫物語, A Kitten's Story) and was the highest grossing film of the year in Japan, taking in about $36 million. It was shown that year at the Cannes Film Festival
Cannes Film Festival
The Cannes International Film Festival , is an annual film festival held in Cannes, France, which previews new films of all genres including documentaries from around the world. Founded in 1946, it is among the world's most prestigious and publicized film festivals...
as The Adventures of Chatran. For US distribution by Columbia Pictures
Columbia Pictures
Columbia Pictures Industries, Inc. is an American film production and distribution company. Columbia Pictures now forms part of the Columbia TriStar Motion Picture Group, owned by Sony Pictures Entertainment, a subsidiary of the Japanese conglomerate Sony. It is one of the leading film companies...
, it was cut down from 90 to 76 minutes and narration in English by Dudley Moore
Dudley Moore
Dudley Stuart John Moore, CBE was an English actor, comedian, composer and musician.Moore first came to prominence as one of the four writer-performers in the ground-breaking comedy revue Beyond the Fringe in the early 1960s, and then became famous as half of the highly popular television...
was added. It was released in 1989 as The Adventures of Milo and Otis.