is a Japanese film actor. He was featured in 11 films directed by

Masaki Kobayashi was a Japanese film director and screenwriter, best known for the epic trilogy ''The Human Condition'' (1959–1961), the samurai films '' Harakiri'' (1962) and '' Samurai Rebellion'' (1967), and the horror anthology ''Kwaidan'' (1964). ''Sens ...

, including ''

The Human Condition ''The Human Condition'', first published in 1958, is Hannah Arendt's account of how "human activities" should be and have been understood throughout Western history. Arendt is interested in the ''vita activa'' (active life) as contrasted with ...

'' trilogy, wherein he starred as the lead character Kaji, plus ''

Harakiri , sometimes referred to as hara-kiri (, , a native Japanese kun reading), is a form of Japanese ritual suicide by disembowelment. It was originally reserved for samurai in their code of honour but was also practised by other Japanese people ...

'', ''

Samurai Rebellion is a 1967 Japanese jidaigeki film directed by Masaki Kobayashi. The film is based on ''Hairyozuma shimatsu'', a short story by Yasuhiko Takiguchi. Film historian Donald Richie suggests an approximate translation for its original Japanese title, ...

'' and ''

Kwaidan is a Japanese word consisting of two kanji: 怪 (''kai'') meaning "strange, mysterious, rare, or bewitching apparition" and 談 (''dan'') meaning "talk" or "recited narrative". Overall meaning and usage In its broadest sense, ''kaidan'' refe ...

''. Nakadai worked with some of Japan's best-known filmmakers—starring or co-starring in five films directed by

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 ...

, as well as being cast in significant films directed by

Hiroshi Teshigahara was a Japanese avant-garde filmmaker and artist from the Japanese New Wave era. He is best known for the 1964 film '' Woman in the Dunes''. He is also known for directing other titles such as '' The Face of Another'' (1966), ''Natsu No Heitai'' ( ...

('' The Face of Another''),

Mikio Naruse was a Japanese filmmaker who directed 89 films spanning the period 1930 to 1967. Naruse is known for imbuing his films with a bleak and pessimistic outlook. He made primarily shomin-geki ("common people drama") films with female protagonists, ...

('' When a Woman Ascends the Stairs''),

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 l ...

('' Kill!'' and ''

The Sword of Doom ''The Sword of Doom'', known in Japan as , is a 1966 Japanese ''jidaigeki'' film directed by Kihachi Okamoto and starring Tatsuya Nakadai. It is based on the serial novel of the same title by Kaizan Nakazato. Plot The story follows the life of Ry ...

''),

Hideo Gosha was a Japanese film director. Born in Arasaka, Tokyo Prefecture, Gosha graduated from high school and served in the Imperial Navy during the Second World War. After earning a business degree at Meiji University, he joined Nippon television as a ...

('' Goyokin''),

Shirō Toyoda was a Japanese film director and screenwriter who directed over 60 films during his career spanning 50 years. Career Born in Kyoto, Toyoda moved to Tokyo after finishing high school and studied scriptwriting under the pioneering film director ...

('' Portrait of Hell'') and

Kon Ichikawa was a Japanese film director and screenwriter. His work displays a vast range in genre and style, from the anti-war films '' The Burmese Harp'' (1956) and '' Fires on the Plain'' (1959), to the documentary '' Tokyo Olympiad'' (1965), which won ...

('' Enjō'' and '' Odd Obsession'').

Biography

Nakadai grew up in a very poor family and was unable to afford a university education, prompting him to take up acting. He picked up a liking of Broadway musicals, and travels once a year to

New York City New York, often called New York City or NYC, is the most populous city in the United States. With a 2020 population of 8,804,190 distributed over , New York City is also the most densely populated major city in the Un ...

to watch them. Nakadai was working as a shop clerk in Tokyo before a chance encounter with director

led to him being cast in the film ''

The Thick Walled Room is a 1953 Japanese war drama film directed by Masaki Kobayashi. The film was completed in 1953, but not released before 1956. Plot A group of former Japanese World War II soldiers, interned in Sugamo Prison as Class B and C war criminals, memo ...

''. The following year, he made a brief and uncredited cameo in

's '' Seven Samurai'' where he is seen for a few seconds as a samurai walking through town. Nakadai's role in Seven Samurai is technically his debut as '' The Thick-Walled Rooms release was delayed for three years due to controversial subject matter. His major breakthrough as an actor came when he was given the part of Jo, a young yakuza in ''Black River'', another film directed by Kobayashi. Nakadai continued to work with Kobayashi into the 1960s and won his first Blue Ribbon Award for his role in ''

'' (his personal favorite among his own films) as the aging ''

rōnin A ''rōnin'' ( ; ja, 浪人, , meaning 'drifter' or 'wanderer') was a samurai without a lord or master during the feudal period of Japan (1185–1868). A samurai became masterless upon the death of his master or after the loss of his master ...

'' Hanshiro Tsugumo. Nakadai appeared in two more Kurosawa films from the 1980s. In ''

Kagemusha is a 1980 jidaigeki film directed by Akira Kurosawa. It is set in the Sengoku period of Japanese history and tells the story of a lower-class criminal who is taught to impersonate the dying ''daimyō'' Takeda Shingen to dissuade opposing lords fr ...

'' Nakadai plays both the titular thief turned body-double and the famous ''

daimyō were powerful Japanese magnates, feudal lords who, from the 10th century to the early Meiji period in the middle 19th century, ruled most of Japan from their vast, hereditary land holdings. They were subordinate to the shogun and nominal ...

Takeda Shingen , of Kai Province, was a pre-eminent ''daimyō'' in feudal Japan. Known as the "Tiger of Kai", he was one of the most powerful daimyō with exceptional military prestige in the late stage of the Sengoku period. Shingen was a warlord of great ...

whom the thief is tasked with impersonating. This dual role helped him win his second Blue Ribbon Award for Best Actor. In '' Ran'' Nakadai plays another daimyo, Hidetora Ichimonji (loosely based on King Lear from Shakespeare's play ''

King Lear ''King Lear'' is a tragedy written by William Shakespeare. It is based on the mythological Leir of Britain. King Lear, in preparation for his old age, divides his power and land between two of his daughters. He becomes destitute and insane ...

'' and inspired by the historical daimyo Mōri Motonari). He taught and trained promising young actors including

Kōji Yakusho , known professionally as , is a Japanese actor. He is well known for his starring roles in ''Shall We Dance?'' (1996), ''Cure'' (1997), ''Memoirs of a Geisha'' (2005), '' 13 Assassins'' (2010), ''The Third Murder'' (2017), '' The Blood of Wolv ...

Mayumi Wakamura Mayumi Wakamura (若村麻由美 ''Wakamura Mayumi'', born on January 3, 1967, in Nerima, Tokyo) is a Japanese actress. She decided to be an actress at age sixteen when she saw a stage production by Tatsuya Nakadai's troupe. Later she joined his ...

, Tōru Masuoka,

Azusa Watanabe is a Japanese actress who is affiliated with both Toei Management and Mumeijuku. She starred in the 43rd NHK Asadora , colloquially known as , is a serialized, 15 minutes per episode, Japanese television drama program series broadcast in th ...

, Kenichi Takitō and others. In 2015, he received the

Order of Culture The is a Japanese order, established on February 11, 1937. The order has one class only, and may be awarded to men and women for contributions to Japan's art, literature, science, technology, or anything related to culture in general; recipient ...

Filmography

Film

Animated film

Theater

Television

Honours

* Chevalier De L’Ordre des Arts et des Lettres (1992) * Medal with Purple Ribbon (1996) * Order of the Rising Sun, 4th Class, Gold Rays with Rosette (2003) * Person of Cultural Merit (2007) *

Asahi Prize The , established in 1929, is an award presented by the Japanese newspaper ''Asahi Shimbun'' and Asahi Shimbun Foundation to honor individuals and groups that have made outstanding accomplishments in the fields of arts and academics and have greatl ...

(2013) *Kawakita Award (2013) *Toshiro Mifune Award (2015) *

(2015)

References

External links

* by Chuck Stephens * * * http://www.criterion.com/explore/195-tatsuya-nakadai * http://www.tohokingdom.com/people/tatsuya_nakadai.htm * https://www.amc.com/talk/2008/06/an-evening-with {{DEFAULTSORT:Nakadai, Tatsuya 1932 births Living people People from Tokyo Japanese male actors Taiga drama lead actors Recipients of the Medal with Purple Ribbon Recipients of the Order of the Rising Sun, 4th class Persons of Cultural Merit Recipients of the Order of Culture