Ohara Joji was a Japanese cameraman and cinematographer born in Tokyo. He is the father of bassist and composer Ohara Ray.

After graduating from Aoyama Gakuin Middle School, he joined Matsutake Kamata Photo Studio in 1924, when he was 19 years old. In 1927, he was promoted to a cameraman and made his debut in collaboration with his senior, Nomura Hiroshi, in "Mado."

Known as an engineer who sets the contrast of bright soft tones, he is said to have created a modern "Kamata tone" painting style with Kamata engineers at the time, such as Mizutani Bunjiro and Miura Mitsuo. From 1930 to 1931, he worked with director Toyoda Shiro and transferred to Teikoku Kinema Edo, but eventually returned to Kamata. His masterpieces during the Kamata era are works with director Gosho Heinosuke, such as "Koi no Hanasaku: Izu no Odoriko" (1933) and "Jinsei no Onimotsu" (1935). In 1936. he was transferred to the Shochiku Ofuna studio due to the relocation of the studio.

In 1947 after World War II, he participated in the establishment of Shintoho.

In 1954, he served as a cameraman for both the director Gosho Heinosuke's "Ai to Shi no Tanima" at Nikkatsu and the director's "Niwatori was Futabi Naku" at Shintoho. He won the Best Cinematography Award at the 9th Mainichi Film Awards.

In 1958, he transferred to the Daiei Tokyo studio, and in 1968, he finally retired after "Kaidan Otoshi Ana." Edit Biography