The Asahi reports this morning that the film critic Togawa Naoki passed away on Feb. 5th, 2010, from a burst aneurism. He was 92 years old. Togawa was one of the few critics active from the 1930s who was still alive. He began writing in Eiga hyoron when he was still a student at Tokyo University. He was particularly active on the international level, serving on juries at film festivals such as Cannes and Berlin and writing the Japan entry in the International Film Guide for many years. He also was head of the selection committee for the Mainichi Film Concours for a long time. He began teaching in the Department of Film at the Faculty of Arts at Nihon University in the 1950s, eventually rising to becoming dean of the faculty. He also taught at other universities such as Waseda, served on many government panels, and received the Kawakita Award in 1995. He received an Order of the Sacred Treasure (Gold Rays with Neck Ribbon) in 1988.
I met him many times, especially since we were both on the board of directors at the Japan Society of Image Arts and Sciences, and he was always the gentleman. Gomeifuku o oinori shimasu.