His films like 'Kwaidan' and 'Harakiri' deeply explore traditional Japanese aesthetics and the collision between kabuki-influenced theatrical tradition and modernism.

Master of adapting kabuki plays and traditional stories to cinema, using theatrical compositions and the visual language of kabuki in films like 'Ugetsu' and 'Sansho the Bailiff'.

His works blend kabuki theatrical conventions with cinematic technique, particularly in films exploring traditional Japanese culture and performance arts throughout his prolific career.