In 1967 he directed 'Joiuchi Hairyo tsuma shimatsu' (Samurai Rebellion), his first film for Mifune Productions, which received a Venice International Film Festival FIPRESCI prize and was chosen as the best film in the top 10 of Kinema Junpo (academic film magazine).
42年三船プロ第一作となる「上意討ち拝領妻始末」を監督して、ヴェネチア国際映画祭批評家連盟賞を受賞、キネマ旬報ベストテンでも1位となった。