Beginning in 1955, he was recognized, along with Akira KUROSAWA, as being one of Toho's two great master directors of epics and period dramas; in 1959 he created 'Nihon tanjo' (The Birth of Japan), Toho's commemorative 1000th film, starring Mifune and featuring special effects by Eiji TSUBURAYA, as well as the 1962 commemorative film 'Chushingura' (sometimes credited as 'The Forty-Seven Ronin' in English) celebrating the 30th anniversary of Toho's founding in 1932, both of which achieved success as entertainment films.
昭和30年代以降は黒澤明とともに東宝の大作及び時代劇路線の代表的な監督とされ、34年三船出演・円谷英二特撮の東宝1000本記念映画「日本誕生」を、37年東宝30周年記念映画「忠臣蔵」を製作し、それぞれ興行的に成功を収めた。