Shigehiko Hasumi

Shigehiko Hasumi (蓮實重彥, aka Hasumi Shiguéhiko; born April 29, 1936 in Tokyo) is a Japanese literary critic, film critic, French literature scholar, and novelist. He was a professor at the University of Tokyo (Cultural Studies, or the "Study of Culture and Representation"), dean of the College of Arts and Sciences, and the 26th President (1997-2001).

Hasumi started his academic career as a Gustave Flaubert scholar, but also played a central role in the early introduction of the contemporary French philosophy, such as Gilles Deleuze and Michele Foucault, into Japan in the 1970s. He is also known as one of the most prolific Japanese reviewers of modern literature and film.

Since the 1980s, Hasumi has been active in introducing the French New Wave filmmakers' thought and Hollywood B-films. His method of viewing and writing about film, inspired by the 1950s French film criticism appearing in ''Cahiers du Cinéma'', played a major role in Japanese film culture in the late 20th century. His influential work includes ''Directed by Yasujiro Ozu'' (1986).

He is married to Chantal Van Melkebeke, the daughter of the Belgian painter, journalist, and writer Jacques Van Melkebeke, who is known for having been the first chief editor of Tintin magazine. They had one son, Shigeomi Hasumi. Provided by Wikipedia