"Ikitoshi Ikeru Mono" (lit. "All Living things"), originally written by Yuzo YAMAMOTO, focused strongly on social aspects, and "Shinsetsu" (lit. "New Snow"), filmed during the war, was a box office hit.
また、山本有三原作の『生きとし生けるもの』においては社会派的側面を強く打ち出し、戦時中に撮った『新雪』は興行的にも大ヒットとなった。