12 Trademarks of Akira Kurosawa

1. Frequently uses the "wipe effect" to fade from one scene to another. This effect later became famous due to its usage in the Star Wars trilogy.
2. Likes to do Shakespearan plays in Feudal Japanese settings
3. Often casts Toshirô Mifune , Takashi Shimura, & Tatsuya Nakadai
4. Painterly compositions
5. Use of weather to heighten mood, most obviously rain
6. Female characters that are usually either sweet but weak and submissive or are deceitful, evil and conniving
7. Driven characters who frequently end up failing in the goals but ultimately learn hard won life lessons
8. His signature look on set: dark clothes, floppy hat and sunglasses
9. Revolutionary action sequences
10. Reoccurring cynical distrust of memories and nostalgia.
11. In his color films, use of bold, painterly visuals
12. The (often demented) elderly or deceased are frequently misrepresented or unfairly maligned by those remembering them.

References:

http://www.imdb.com/name/nm0000041/bio?ref_=nm_dyk_trv_sm#trivia