, born , was a Japanese actor. In 1947, he made his film debut with

Akira Kurosawa was a Japanese filmmaker and painter who directed thirty films in a career spanning over five decades. He is widely regarded as one of the most important and influential filmmakers in the history of cinema. Kurosawa displayed a bold, dyna ...

's ''

One Wonderful Sunday is a 1947 Cinema of Japan, Japanese film co-written and directed by Akira Kurosawa. It was made during the allied occupation of Japan and shows some of the challenges of life in early post-war Tokyo. The film is notable in the Kurosawa canon as ...

''. He often worked with Akira Kurosawa and

Kihachi Okamoto was a Japanese film director who worked in several different genres. Career Born in Yonago, Okamoto attended Meiji University, but was drafted into the Air Force 1943 and entered World War II, an experience that had a profound effect on his late ...

Filmography

Films

* ''

'' (1947) as Ticket seller * ''

Drunken Angel is a 1948 Japanese ''yakuza'' film directed by Akira Kurosawa. It is notable for being the first of sixteen film collaborations between director Kurosawa and actor Toshiro Mifune. Plot Sanada (Takashi Shimura) is an alcoholic doctor (the titu ...

'' (1948) as Guitarist * ''

Stray Dog A free-ranging dog is a dog that is not confined to a yard or house. Free-ranging dogs include street dogs, village dogs, stray dogs, feral dogs, etc., and may be owned or unowned. The global dog population is estimated to be 900 million, of w ...

'' (1949) as Spectator of theater * ''

Aoi sanmyaku is a 1949 black-and-white Japanese film directed by Tadashi Imai. It is based on Yōjirō Ishizaka was an influential and popular novelist of post-World War II Japan. Education, early career, and family Born at Daikancho 82, Hirosaki, Aomori ...

'' (1949) * '' Bōryoku no Machi'' (1950) * '' Aoi Shinju'' (1951) as Yanagiya * ''

Vendetta for a Samurai is a 1952 black-and-white Japanese film directed by Kazuo Mori made for Toho and starring Toshiro Mifune and Takashi Shimura. The script was written by Akira Kurosawa. Plot Araki Mataemon ( Toshiro Mifune), a renowned swordsman, helps a young ma ...

'' (1952) * '' Nangoku no hada'' (1952) * '' The Man Who Came to Port'' (1952) * ''

Ikiru is a 1952 Japanese drama film directed and co-written (with Shinobu Hashimoto and Hideo Oguni) by Akira Kurosawa. The film examines the struggles of a terminally ill Tokyo bureaucrat (played by Takashi Shimura) and his final quest for meaning. Th ...

'' (1952) as Gang * ''

Eagle of the Pacific , also known as ''Operation Kamikaze'', is a 1953 Japanese epic film, epic war film directed by Ishirō Honda, with special effects by Eiji Tsuburaya. The film dramatizes the start of Japan's military action in World War II, with an emphasis on th ...

'' (1953) * ''

Seven Samurai is a 1954 Japanese epic samurai drama film co-written, edited, and directed by Akira Kurosawa. The story takes place in 1586 during the Sengoku period of Japanese history. It follows the story of a village of desperate farmers who hire seven ...

'' (1954) as a coolie * ''

Godzilla is a fictional monster, or '' kaiju'', originating from a series of Japanese films. The character first appeared in the 1954 film ''Godzilla'' and became a worldwide pop culture icon, appearing in various media, including 32 films produc ...

'' (1954) as Hagiwara * ''

Half Human is a 1955 Japanese science fiction horror film directed by Ishirō Honda, with special effects by Eiji Tsuburaya. The film stars Akira Takarada, Momoko Kōchi, Akemi Negishi, Sachio Sakai, and Nobuo Nakamura, with Sanshiro Sagara as the Abomi ...

'' (1955) as Nakata * '' Samurai II: Duel at Ichijoji Temple'' (1955) as Matahachi Honiden * ''

Throne of Blood is a 1957 Japanese ''jidaigeki'' film co-written, produced, edited, and directed by Akira Kurosawa, with special effects by Eiji Tsuburaya. The film transposes the plot of William Shakespeare's play ''Macbeth'' from Medieval Scotland to feudal Ja ...

'' (1957) as Washizu's vassal * ''

Song for a Bride is a 1958 black-and-white Japanese film directed by Ishirō Honda. Cast Release ''Song for a Bride'' was released on February 11, 1958. Reception In a retrospective review, Steve Ryfle and Ed Godziszewski declared the film "one of Honda's m ...

'' (1958) as Kurokawa * ''

The Hidden Fortress is a 1958 Japanese ''jidaigeki'' adventure film directed by Akira Kurosawa. It tells the story of two peasants who agree to escort a man and a woman across enemy lines in return for gold without knowing that he is a general and the woman is a pri ...

'' (1958) as Ashigaru * ''

Life of an Expert Swordsman is a 1959 samurai film directed by Hiroshi Inagaki and starring Toshiro Mifune. Its story is an adaptation of the 1897 Edmond Rostand play ''Cyrano de Bergerac'', and its basic plot faithfully follows that of the play. The film was released in t ...

'' (1959) * ''

The Secret of the Telegian () is a 1960 tokusatsu science fiction- horror and mystery film. Produced by Toho Company, Ltd., the film was directed by Jun Fukuda, with special effects by Eiji Tsuburaya. Herts-Lion International Corp. acquired the western hemisphere rig ...

'' (1960) as Taki * ''

Storm Over the Pacific (literally, ''Hawaii-Midway Battle of the Sea and Sky: Storm in the Pacific Ocean'') is a 1960 Eastmancolor Japanese war film directed by Shūe Matsubayashi. The story is an account of a young Japanese bombardier, Lt. Koji Kitami (Yosuke Natsuki) ...

'' (1960) * ''

The Story of Osaka Castle is a 1961 Japanese drama film directed by Hiroshi Inagaki, with special effects by Eiji Tsuburaya. The film is based on historical events taking place in Japan during the beginning of the 17th century. Plot The plot is set about a decade aft ...

'' (1961) as Kai Hayami * ''

Yojimbo is a 1961 Japanese samurai film co-written, produced, edited, and directed by Akira Kurosawa. The film stars Toshiro Mifune, Tatsuya Nakadai, Yoko Tsukasa, Isuzu Yamada, Daisuke Katō, Takashi Shimura, Kamatari Fujiwara, and Atsushi Watanabe. ...

'' (1961) as

Ashigaru were infantry employed by the samurai class of feudal Japan. The first known reference to ''ashigaru'' was in the 14th century, but it was during the Ashikaga shogunate (Muromachi period) that the use of ''ashigaru'' became prevalent by various ...

* ''

Sanjuro is a 1962 black-and-white Japanese ''jidaigeki'' film directed by Akira Kurosawa and starring Toshiro Mifune. It is a sequel to Kurosawa's 1961 ''Yojimbo''. Originally an adaptation of the Shūgorō Yamamoto novel ''Hibi Heian'', the script w ...

'' (1961) as Ashigaru * ''

Gorath is a 1962 Japanese epic science fiction disaster film directed by Ishirō Honda, with special effects by Eiji Tsuburaya. Based on an idea by Jojiro Okami, the film is about mankind's efforts to move Earth out of its orbit to prevent it from ...

'' (1962) as Physician * ''

King Kong vs. Godzilla is a 1962 Japanese ''kaiju'' film directed by Ishirō Honda, with special effects by Eiji Tsuburaya. Produced and distributed by Toho Co., Ltd, it is the third film in both the ''Godzilla'' and ''King Kong'' franchises, as well as the first T ...

'' (1962) as Obayashi, Mr. Tako's Assistant * ''

King Kong Escapes is a 1967 ''kaiju'' film directed by Ishirō Honda, with special effects by Eiji Tsuburaya. The film was a Japanese– American co-production between Toho and Rankin/Bass, and stars Rhodes Reason, Linda Miller, Akira Takarada, Mie Hama, Eise ...

'' (1967) as Kazuo Suzuki (Dr. Who's Henchmen) * ''

Japan's Longest Day is a 1967 Japanese war film directed by Kihachi Okamoto. The subject of the majority of the movie is the period between noon on August 14, 1945 and noon on August 15, 1945, when Emperor Hirohito's decision to surrender to the Allies in World W ...

'' (1967) * ''

All Monsters Attack is a 1969 Japanese ''kaiju'' film directed by Ishirō Honda, written by Shinichi Sekizawa, and produced by Tomoyuki Tanaka. The film, which was produced and distributed by Toho Co., Ltd, is the tenth film in the ''Godzilla'' series, and featur ...

'' (1969) as Kobayashi * ''

Samurai Banners is a Japanese samurai drama film released in 1969. It was directed by Hiroshi Inagaki and is based on the novel ''Furin kazan'' by Yasushi Inoue. Plot Yamamoto Kansuke (Toshiro Mifune) is a general of warlord Takeda Shingen ( Nakamura Kinno ...

'' (1969) as

Yamagata Masakage also known as Obu Masakage was a Japanese samurai warrior of the Sengoku period. He is known as one of the "Twenty-Four Generals of Takeda Shingen". He was famous for his red armour and skill in battlefield, and was a personal friend of Takeda ...

* '' Red Lion'' (1969) as Kesagi * ''

The Vampire Doll is a 1970 Japanese horror film directed by Michio Yamamoto. Plot Returning to Tokyo from a six month business trip overseas, Kazuhiko leaves to visit his girlfriend Yuko at her isolated country home. After a week when nothing is heard from him, ...

'' (1970) as Taxi driver * ''

Space Amoeba is a 1970 Japanese ''kaiju'' film directed by Ishirō Honda, written by Ei Ogawa, and produced by Tomoyuki Tanaka and Fumio Tanaka, with special effects by Sadamasa Arikawa. Produced and distributed by Toho Studios, the film stars Akira Kubo, A ...

'' (1970) as the magazine editor * ''

Battle of Okinawa The , codenamed Operation Iceberg, was a major battle of the Pacific War fought on the island of Okinawa by United States Army (USA) and United States Marine Corps (USMC) forces against the Imperial Japanese Army (IJA). The initial invasion of ...

'' (1971) * ''

The Human Revolution is a roman à clef written by Daisaku Ikeda, the third and honorary president of the Soka Gakkai, chronicling the efforts of Jōsei Toda, the second president of the Soka Gakkai, to construct this Buddhist organization upon his release from ...

'' (1973) * '' Lupin III: Strange Psychokinetic Strategy'' (1974) as Security chief * '' Blue Christmas'' (1978) as Taxi driver * ''

Zatoichi is a fictional character created by Japanese novelist Kan Shimozawa. He is an itinerant blind masseur and swordsman of Japan's late Edo period (1830s and 1840s). He first appeared in the 1948 essay , part of Shimozawa's ''Futokoro Techō'' serie ...

'' (1989) * ''

Dreams A dream is a succession of images, ideas, emotions, and sensations that usually occur involuntarily in the mind during certain stages of sleep. Humans spend about two hours dreaming per night, and each dream lasts around 5 to 20 minutes, alth ...

'' (1990) * ''

Rhapsody in August is a 1991 Japanese film by Akira Kurosawa based on the novel ''Nabe no naka'' by Kiyoko Murata. The story centers on an elderly hibakusha, who lost her husband in the 1945 atomic bombing of Nagasaki, caring for her four grandchildren over the s ...

'' (1991)

Television

* ''

Daichūshingura (Dai Chushingura) is a Japanese television dramatization of the events of the Forty-seven Ronin. The first episode aired on January 5, 1971, and the 52nd and final episode appeared on December 28 of the same year. The NET network broadcast it in th ...

'' (1971) as Wasuke * ''

Hissatsu Shikakenin is a Japanese television ''jidaigeki'' or period drama that was broadcast in 1972–1973. It was the first in the Hissatsu series and is based on Shōtarō Ikenami's novel ''Shiokinin Fujieda Baian''. Ken Ogata played Fujieda Baian. Episode 1, ...

'' (1972) (ep.24) as Shinbei Tajima * ''

Hissatsu Shiokinin is a Japanese television ''jidaigeki'' or period drama that was broadcast in 1973. It is the 2nd in the Hissatsu series. Hissatsu Shiokinin is one of the most popular ''jidaigeki'' dramas in Japan. Plot A group of common merchants in Edo city(Tok ...

'' (1973) (ep.15) as Yasuke * ''

Shinsho Taikōki is a Japanese ''jidaigeki'' or period drama that was broadcast in prime-time in 1973. It is based on Eiji Yoshikawa's novel of the same title. The lead star is Takashi Yamaguchi. Plot The drama depicts the story chronicles the life of Toyotomi H ...

'' (1973) as

Matsunaga Hisahide Matsunaga Danjo Hisahide (松永弾正久秀 1508 – November 19, 1577) was a ''daimyō'' and head of the Yamato Matsunaga clan in Japan during the Sengoku period of the 16th century. Biography He was a retainer of Miyoshi Nagayoshi fro ...

* ''

Taiyō ni Hoero! , literally ''Roar at the Sun!'', was a long-running prime-time television detective series in Japan, which ran from 1972 to 1986 for a total of 718 episodes. The lead star was Yujiro Ishihara. It also helped further the career of actors such a ...

'' (1974) (ep.126) as Urabayashi * ''

Tasukenin Hashiru is a Japanese television ''jidaigeki'' or period drama, that was broadcast in 1973–1974. It is the third in the Hissatsu series and is based on Saga Sen's ''Seibei-ryū Gokui''. Plot Seibie used to be a famous bandit. Now Seibie's official job ...

'' (1974) (ep.35) as Gunpei * ''

Kurayami Shitomenin is a Japanese television ''jidaigeki'' or period drama that was broadcast in 1974. It is the 4th in the Hissatsu series. The drama is a sequel to Hissatsu Shiokinin. Plot Itoi Mitsugu was a scholar of Rangaku but after Bansha no goku happened, h ...

'' (1975) (ep.26) as Matsugoro * ''

Hissatsu Shiokiya Kagyō is a Japanese television ''jidaigeki'' or period drama that was broadcast in 1975–1976. It is the 6th in the Hissatsu series. Kenji Misumi was hospitalized while directing episode 13 where he later died. Plot Nakamura Mondo retired from profess ...

'' (1975) (ep.6) as Kisuke * ''

Hissatsu Shiwazanin is a Japanese television ''jidaigeki'' or period drama that was broadcast in prime-time in 1976. It is 7th in the Hissatsu series. The drama is sequel to ''Hissatsu Shiokiya Kagyō'. Plot Cast *Atsuo Nakamura : Akai Kennosuke *Makoto Fujita : ...

'' (1975) (ep.28) as Sanji * ''

Daitsuiseki was a Japanese comedy-action police TV series. It starred regulars Yūzō Kayama, Masaya Oki, Tatsuya Fuji, Naomi Hase, and Kyohei Shibata, with Fumio Watanabe as a semi-regular. It ran for twenty-six episodes in 1978 and won popularity. It is not ...

'' (1978) (ep.8) * ''

Edo Professional Hissatsu Shōbainin is a Japanese television ''jidaigeki'' or period drama that was broadcast in 1978. It is the 11th in the ''Hissatsu'' series. The drama is a sequel to ''Shin Hissatsu Shiokinin''. Mitsuko Kusabue plays same role as she played in Hissatsu Hitch� ...

'' (1978) (ep.10) as Tenmanya * ''

The Fierce Battles of Edo is a Japanese jidaigeki or period drama that was broadcast in 1979. It aired on Nippon Golden Network as The Fierce Battles of Edo. This drama was inspired by Akira Kurosawa's 1954 film '' Seven Samurai'' and produced by the same film company. The ...

'' (1979) (ep.8) as Kamekichi * ''

Hissatsu Shigotonin is a Japanese television ''jidaigeki'' or period drama, that was broadcast from 1979 to 1981. It is the 15th in the ''Hissatsu'' series. The drama was set to end after episode 26 with Nakamura Mondo's death, but won great popularity so the broa ...

'' (1982) (ep.10) as Matsug * '' Hissatsu Shigotonin III'' (1980) (ep.45) as Rihei * ''

Onihei Hankachō is a series of historical novels written by Japanese author Shōtarō Ikenami. Following the character Heizo Hasegawa in the Edo period of Japan, Ikegami wrote the first story for the December 1967 issue of the light novel magazine ' published by ...

'' (1990) (ep.22) as Kaneya Iemon

References

Japanese male film actors 20th-century Japanese male actors 1925 births 1998 deaths {{Japan-film-actor-stub