Kobayashi Satoru was a Japanese film director most famous for directing the first pink film, the type of softcore pornographic films that became the most prolific film genre in Japan during the 1960s and 1970s. Japanese sources claim that Kobayashi directed over 400 pink films between 1960 and 1990, making him possibly the most prolific Japanese film director.

Kobayashi was born in Nagano Prefecture on August 1, 1930. His family owned a hot-spring resort hotel. As a teenager during World War II, Kobayashi was involved in anti-war activities, resulting in his torture by the Japanese military police. In an interview with the Director's Guild, Kobayashi claimed that it was this first-hand experience with torture that gave him his interest and adeptness with the sadomasochistic genre of pink film in which he often worked.

Kobayashi left Nagano for Tokyo, where he studied theater. He became involved with butoh, worked as a set designer, and wrote theatrical criticism while in university. In 1954 he joined Shintoho studios as an assistant director. Here he worked under ero guro masters Ishii Teruo and Shimizu Hiroshi, as well as Tanaka Kinuyo, Japan's first female director. Kobayashi's directorial debut was with the independently produced Crazy Desire (1959).

When Shintoho declared bankruptcy in 1961, Kobayashi was forced to seek work elsewhere. After a year out of the director's chair, Kobayashi wrote and directed the independent sex-film Flesh Market (1962). Flesh Market was the first Japanese film to show breasts on screen. The film was released on February 27, 1962, and shut down by the Tokyo Metropolitan Police Department the next day. It became the first post-World War II movie to be accused of obscenity. When the film was cleared for release the next year, seven scenes had been cut. Flesh Market was an independent and underground film and played only in "Adult" theaters. Nevertheless, perhaps because of the controversy surrounding the release of the film, Flesh Market was a box-office success. Made for only 6-8 million yen, the film brought in over 100 million yen, a huge profit for an independent release. Today only 21 minutes of Flesh Market survive, preserved in the National Film Centre.

Flesh Market was only the beginning of Satoru Kobayashi's career in pink films. Between 1960 and 1990, he made over 400 such films. His interest in horror also expressed itself in such supernatural thrillers as Okinawa Ghost Story (1962) and Caucasian Ghost (1963).

Besides having a major impact on Japanese domestic cinema by introducing the pink film genre, the number of Kobayashi's feature films– over 400– makes him possibly the most prolific film director in Japan's cinematic history. The 2001 Pink Grand Prix– the leading award ceremony for the pink film– gave Kobayashi a posthumous Special Award for his career.

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