NHK has learned that a group studying the work of the internationally acclaimed Japanese filmmaker Ozu Yasujiro will open a center in Kyoto City's Sakyo district to store scripts, films and other materials for research.
The Ozu Yasujiro Institute says this will be the first research facility in Japan that is dedicated to a single filmmaker.
Ozu, known for such masterpieces as Tokyo Story, was active before and after World War Two. He established unique filming and direction methods known as "Ozu-cho."
The institute says visitors will be able to view scripts, films and other materials when the center opens next spring.
The single-story facility will be designed by architect Nakamura Hiroshi. He is known for remodeling traditional Japanese architecture, including Ueno Toshogu Shrine's Juyosho building.
The center will have a room with tatami mats that can be viewed from a low angle to experience the technique that Ozu frequently used in his movies.
The institute is headed by Miyamoto Akiko, Associate Professor at Doshisha Women's College of Liberal Arts. She says she hopes Ozu fans from other countries will visit the center for exchanges.
She says the exhibits are also intended for those who are discovering Ozu's work for the first time.