Midori Sawato

is a Japanese benshi or katsuben (silent film narrator).

Life Originally from Tokyo, Midori Sawato graduated from the Department of Philosophy, Hosei University. She first decided she wanted to become a benshi in 1972, when she saw the silent film The Water Magician by Kenji Mizoguchi. She was particularly impressed with the performance as benshi of the man who would become her teacher, Shunsui Matsuda. After studying under Matsuda, Sawato made her debut in 1973. She is an active benshi who has garnered high praise through her wide variety of activities and performances in Japan and overseas. Of the ten benshi working in Japan , Sawato is considered the most famous. April 2004 - Performs The Water Magician at the 6th Women's Film Festival in Seoul, South Korea April 2004 - Performs at four venues in Boston and Portsmouth including Boston University, Tufts University, and Harvard Film Archive July 2004 - Performs at the San Francisco Silent Film Festival November 2004 - Performs with the Honolulu Symphony Orchestra in Hawaii

Other activities Performs in Kaizo Hayashi's Yume miru yoni nemuritai (To Sleep so as to Dream) and Nijusseiki shonen dokuhon (Circus Boy) Many works being shown with Sawato's katsuben on the NHK BS2 channel Made regular appearances as an interviewer on the "Movies I Grew Up With" corner of the NHK show "Seikatsu Hot Morning" until March 2005

Awards 2002 Received the Award for Excellence in the field of Dramatic Performance at the Agency for Cultural Affairs Arts Festival 2000 Received the 21st Special Award of Yamaji Fumiko Culture Institute 1995 Received the Japan Film Critics Golden Glory Award 1990 Received the Japan Film Pen Club Award