was a Japanese actor, writer and director, who starred in films of

Keisuke Kinoshita was a Japanese film director and screenwriter. Ronald Berganbr>"A satirical eye on Japan: Keisuke Kinoshita" ''The Guardian'', 5 January 1999. While lesser-known internationally than contemporaries such as Akira Kurosawa, Kenji Mizoguchi and ...

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 Shoshimin-eiga, shōshimin-eiga ("common people drama") films with f ...

Tadashi Imai was a Japanese film director known for social realist filmmaking informed by a left-wing perspective. His most noted films include '' An Inlet of Muddy Water'' (1953) and '' Bushido, Samurai Saga'' (1963). Life Although leaning towards left-win ...

Shōhei Imamura was a Japanese film director. His main interest as a filmmaker lay in the depiction of the lower strata of Japanese society. A key figure in the Japanese New Wave, who continued working into the 21st century, Imamura is the only director from J ...

Tomu Uchida , born Tsunejirō Uchida, was a Japanese film director and screenwriter. Uchida chose the stage name Tomu, a transliteration of the English Tom, written in Kanji characters meaning "to spit out dreams". Biography Early career After leaving junio ...

and many others. He received numerous prizes for his performances and was awarded the Jury Prize at the 1987 Cannes Film Festival for his film '' Shinran: Path to Purity'', which he wrote and directed.

Early years

Mikuni's parents met in October 1922 at the port of Numazu. His mother had been a

maid A maid, housemaid, or maidservant is a female domestic worker. In the Victorian era, domestic service was the second-largest category of employment in England and Wales, after agricultural work. In developed Western nations, full-time maids a ...

in Kure, but had been laid off and was on her way home. His father was working in

Ōta, Gunma is a city located in Gunma Prefecture, Japan. , the city had an estimated population of 224,358 in 109,541 households, and a population density of 1300 persons per km2. The total area of the city is . Geography Ōta is located in the extreme so ...

, and was on his way home. They hit it off so well that they did not return to their parents' home, but got married and began to live at Mikuni's father's residence. Mikuni was born there in January 1923. His real name was . Although Mikuni was his father's biological son on the family register, he said he was probably the child of another man and that his father was adoptive father. The reason for this was that the time between the meeting of the parents and the birth was too short.Mikuni himself never explicitly questioned his parents about this. When he was seven months old, the family moved to his father's hometown, Nishiizu,

Shizuoka Prefecture is a Prefectures of Japan, prefecture of Japan located in the Chūbu region of Honshu. Shizuoka Prefecture has a population of 3,555,818 and has a geographic area of . Shizuoka Prefecture borders Kanagawa Prefecture to the east, Yamanashi Pref ...

, where he grew up. Mikuni's father was an

electrician An electrician is a tradesman, tradesperson specializing in electrical wiring of buildings, transmission lines, stationary machines, and related equipment. Electricians may be employed in the installation of new electrical components or the ...

, only graduated from

primary school A primary school (in Ireland, India, the United Kingdom, Australia, New Zealand, Trinidad and Tobago, Jamaica, South Africa, and Singapore), elementary school, or grade school (in North America and the Philippines) is a school for primary ...

, so he wanted his son to have an education, so he sent Mikuni to former Touyou Middle School (later Shimoda High School in

). But Mikuni lost interest in education of middle school because he was disgusted by teachers discriminating against students based on their parents' occupations and the

military education Military education and training is a process which intends to establish and improve the capabilities of military personnel in their respective roles. Military training may be voluntary or compulsory duty. It begins with recruit training, proceed ...

that took place in schools. His father was furious and beat him because he skipped school and spent every day wandering around aimlessly. One day when he was 14 years old, his father found him sleeping under the porch of the house and severely beat him with a clothes pole, so he ran away from home. He left middle school in the second grade. After running away from home, Mikuni hid in the hold of a ship docked in

Shimoda, Shizuoka 270px, Shimoda City Hall is a city and port located in Shizuoka Prefecture, Japan. , the city had an estimated population of 19,670 in 10,436 households, and a population density of . The total area of the city is . In the 1850s, Japan was in p ...

and crossed over to

Qingdao Qingdao, Mandarin: , (Qingdao Mandarin: t͡ɕʰiŋ˧˩ tɒ˥) is a prefecture-level city in the eastern Shandong Province of China. Located on China's Yellow Sea coast, Qingdao was long an important fortress. In 1897, the city was ceded to G ...

, China (then under Japanese control). He was found on the way, but he could not turn back, so he continued to work as a temporary

cabin boy A cabin boy or ship's boy is a boy or young man who waits on the officers and passengers of a ship, especially running errands for the captain. The modern merchant navy successor to the cabin boy is the steward's assistant. Duties Cabin boys ...

on the ship. After landing in Qingdao, he wandered around, working in lunchbox shops and

dance halls Dance hall in its general meaning is a hall for Dance, dancing, but usually refers to a specific type of twentieth-century venue, with dance clubs (nightclubs) becoming more popular towards the end of the century. The palais de danse was a term ap ...

under false pretenses of age, and then wandered through

Manchuria Manchuria is a historical region in northeast Asia encompassing the entirety of present-day northeast China and parts of the modern-day Russian Far East south of the Uda (Khabarovsk Krai), Uda River and the Tukuringra-Dzhagdy Ranges. The exact ...

and the

Korean peninsula Korea is a peninsular region in East Asia consisting of the Korean Peninsula, Jeju Island, and smaller islands. Since the end of World War II in 1945, it has been politically divided at or near the 38th parallel between North Korea (Dem ...

(then under Japanese control). Later, at the age of 16, he returned to Japan on the ferry from

Busan Busan (), officially Busan Metropolitan City, is South Korea's second list of cities in South Korea by population, most populous city after Seoul, with a population of over 3.3 million as of 2024. Formerly romanized as Pusan, it is the economi ...

Draft evasion and the Chinese front

In 1941, the

Pacific War The Pacific War, sometimes called the Asia–Pacific War or the Pacific Theatre, was the Theater (warfare), theatre of World War II fought between the Empire of Japan and the Allies of World War II, Allies in East Asia, East and Southeast As ...

began, and he eventually received a draft card when he was 20. However, he refused to be drafted because he did not want to kill anyone or die in the war. He fled with his girlfriend to

Karatsu, Saga is a Cities of Japan, city located in Saga Prefecture on the island of Kyushu, Japan. Its name, formed from the Japanese language, Japanese word roots 唐 ''kara'' (China, or continental East Asia in general), and 津 ''tsu'' (port), signifies i ...

, and was thinking of crossing the ocean to the continent when he was arrested by Special Higher Police. This was because his mother, fearing that her village would be

ostracized Ostracism (, ''ostrakismos'') was an Athenian democratic procedure in which any citizen could be expelled from the city-state of Athens for ten years. While some instances clearly expressed popular anger at the citizen, ostracism was often us ...

, reported him to police. He was sent to the front in

China China, officially the People's Republic of China (PRC), is a country in East Asia. With population of China, a population exceeding 1.4 billion, it is the list of countries by population (United Nations), second-most populous country after ...

in December 1943. In combat, he witnessed the death of many of his comrades and was himself wounded by a bullet piercing his armpit. However, he finally did not fire a single shot because he did not want to be part of the killing spree. Regarding his lethargic attitude, his superiors tried to correct him by beating, but he wouldn't listen no matter how much they beat him. Eventually, he pretended to be sick and worked as a medic or tended to horses in the rear, where he remained until the end of the war. The 34th Infantry Regiment in Shizuoka, where he belonged, had more than 1,000 men at the time of his deployment, but only thirty-odd survived after the war. The war ended in August 1945 when he was in

Hankou Hankou, alternately romanized as Hankow (), was one of the three towns (the other two were Wuchang and Hanyang) merged to become modern-day Wuhan city, the capital of the Hubei province, China. It stands north of the Han and Yangtze Rivers w ...

, and returned Japan in June 1946.

Return to Japan and debut as an actor

After returning to Japan, he wandered around Japan, working as a bus driver and peddler of

laundry soap Laundry detergent is a type of detergent (cleaning agent) used for cleaning dirty laundry (clothes). Laundry detergent is manufactured in powder (washing powder) and liquid form. While powdered and liquid detergents hold roughly equal share of ...

miso is a traditional Japanese seasoning. It is a thick paste produced by fermenting soybeans with salt and kōji (the fungus ''Aspergillus oryzae''), and sometimes rice, barley, seaweed, or other ingredients. It is used for sauces and spreads; p ...

, and other products. There are several stories as to how he made his debut, but it is generally believed to be as follows. While living in Tottori, Mikuni had taken a picture at a photo studio in Kurayoshi, Tottori. The owner of the studio had taken the liberty of submitting it to

Shochiku is a Japanese entertainment company. Founded in 1895, it initially managed '' kabuki'' theaters in Kyoto; in 1914, it also acquired ownership of the Kabuki-za theater in Tokyo. In 1920, Shochiku entered the film production industry and establis ...

's advertisement for new actors. Then in December 1950, a Shochiku producer, who had seen Mikuni's picture, happened to find Mikuni in Higashi-Ginza and scouted him. When he was scouted as an actor, he thought he would do any job as long as he could eat.

Career

1951 debut

He made his debut as the lead role of a newspaper reporter in the film '' The Good Fairy'', directed by

. Originally, Eiji Okada was scheduled to play the lead role, but his appearance was cancelled due to the Red Purge, and Mikuni was selected because he had a similar facial appearance. The stage name Rentaro Mikuni was taken from his role in this film. At the time of his debut, Mikuni's career was falsified and he was advertised as an intellectual and single male with a degree in engineering from

Osaka University The , abbreviated as UOsaka or , is a List of national universities in Japan, national research university in Osaka, Japan. The university traces its roots back to Edo period, Edo-era institutions Tekijuku (1838) and Kaitokudō, Kaitokudo (1724), ...

.In reality, he was a middle school dropout and had a wife and children at that time. This degree of falsehood was common in the movie industry at the time. Mikuni soon became popular as a beautiful features, handsome actor, mainly among young women. For his performance in this film, he won the 2nd Blue Ribbon Award for Best Newcomer. Mikuni was favored by director Kinoshita and lived in his house for a while as a houseboy. He then became a research student at Haiyuza Theatre Company for some time in order to acquire acting skills. The following year, he continued to appear in Kinoshita's films '' Boyhood'' and '' Fireworks over the Sea''.

Do not enter the dog, cat, or Mikuni

Mikuni was free-spirited and disliked being bound by contracts. At that time, it was common for star actors to sign exclusive contracts with movie companies and not appear in other companies' films in Japan. In 1952,

Toho is a Japanese entertainment company that primarily engages in producing and distributing films and exhibiting stage plays. It is headquartered in Chiyoda, Tokyo, and is one of the core companies of the Osaka-based Hankyu Hanshin Toho Group. ...

made a formal request to

to cast Mikuni as

Toshiro Mifune was a Japanese actor and producer. The recipient of numerous awards and accolades over a lengthy career, he is widely considered one of the greatest actors of all time. He often played hypermasculine characters and was noted for his commandin ...

's co-star in '' Sword for Hire'', but Shochiku refused, in part because Mikuni was their employee. However, Mikuni, attracted by the high fee, appeared the film. Shochiku and Mikuni got into trouble over this issue, and Mikuni was fired from Shochiku. In 1954, he appeared in the

Nikkatsu is a Japanese film studio located in Bunkyō. The name ''Nikkatsu'' amalgamates the words Nippon Katsudō Shashin, literally "Japan Motion Pictures". Shareholders are Nippon Television Holdings (35%) and SKY Perfect JSAT Corporation (28.4%). ...

film ''Muddy Youth'' over Toho's objections. This incident led to Mikuni being designated as the first actor to violate

Five-Company Agreement The was an agreement signed 10 September 1953 between five major Japanese entertainment companies: Shochiku, Toho, Daiei, Shin-Toho, and Toei. Although nominally it prohibited hiring away a cosignatory company's actors and directors, in reali ...

, which prohibits the drawing of actors between the five major film companies. It is said that a sign saying "Do not enter the dog, cat, or Mikuni" was attached to the gate of the Shochiku Ōfuna Studio in

Kamakura , officially , is a city of Kanagawa Prefecture in Japan. It is located in the Kanto region on the island of Honshu. The city has an estimated population of 172,929 (1 September 2020) and a population density of 4,359 people per km2 over the tota ...

. After that, Mikuni worked mainly in independent films and Nikkatsu, which did not participate in the five-company agreement. The 1956 Nikkatsu film '' The Burmese Harp'', directed by

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 t ...

, and the 1957 independent film '' Stepbrothers,'' both of which he appeared in during this period, later became among his best-known works. In October 1956, his contract with Nikkatsu expired and he became a

freelancer ''Freelance'' (sometimes spelled ''free-lance'' or ''free lance''), ''freelancer'', or ''freelance worker'', are terms commonly used for a person who is self-employed and not necessarily committed to a particular employer long-term. Freelance w ...

. In 1959, he signed an exclusive contract with Toei while maintaining his freedom to perform for other companies, which was unusual at the time.

Became one of Japan's leading film stars

After that, Mikuni appeared in a number of films in both leading and supporting roles, and won numerous awards and honors. In 1960, he won the Blue Ribbon Award for Best Actor for his role in , which chronicled the life of a

Japanese National Railways The , abbreviated JNR or , was the business entity that operated Japan's national railway network from 1949 to 1987. Network Railways As of June 1, 1949, the date of establishment of JNR, it operated of narrow gauge () railways in all 46 pre ...

engineer and his family over a thirty-year period. In 1965, he won Mainichi Film Awards for Best Actor for '' A Fugitive from the Past'', in which he played a man who commits a series of murders amidst extreme poverty. In 1979, he won the Blue Ribbon Award for Best Supporting Actor for his portrayal of a devout

Christian A Christian () is a person who follows or adheres to Christianity, a Monotheism, monotheistic Abrahamic religion based on the life and teachings of Jesus in Christianity, Jesus Christ. Christians form the largest religious community in the wo ...

man who is the father of a

serial killer A serial killer (also called a serial murderer) is a person who murders three or more people,An offender can be anyone: * * * * * (This source only requires two people) with the killings taking place over a significant period of time in separat ...

in '' Vengeance is Mine''. He became the first individual actor to win three Blue Ribbon Awards, and was called one of the most talented movie stars of the

Shōwa era The was a historical period of History of Japan, Japanese history corresponding to the reign of Emperor Shōwa (Hirohito) from December 25, 1926, until Death and state funeral of Hirohito, his death on January 7, 1989. It was preceded by the T ...

. The '' Tsuribaka nisshi'' series began in 1988, The humorous interaction between Su-san, the company president played by Mikuni, and Hama-chan, a useless employee played by Toshiyuki Nishida, gained national popularity, and the series continued until the 22nd film, ''Tsuribaka Nisshi 20: Final'', released in 2009. He and his son, Koichi Sato, first co-starred in the 1986 film '' A Promise'', and played father and son in the 1996 film adaptation of '' Oishinbo'', and also co-starred in the 2011 film '' Someday''. His last film was '' Chronicle of My Mother'', released in 2012, and he appeared in 183 films during his lifetime. He also worked as a film director. In 1963, he established Nippon Productions and shot as his first independent film, but it was not released due to opposition from Toei, with whom he had an exclusive contract at the time. In 1969, he founded the production company A.P.C. and in 1972 he produced, wrote, directed, and starred in , which was shot in the deserts of

Pakistan Pakistan, officially the Islamic Republic of Pakistan, is a country in South Asia. It is the List of countries and dependencies by population, fifth-most populous country, with a population of over 241.5 million, having the Islam by country# ...

and

Afghanistan Afghanistan, officially the Islamic Emirate of Afghanistan, is a landlocked country located at the crossroads of Central Asia and South Asia. It is bordered by Pakistan to the Durand Line, east and south, Iran to the Afghanistan–Iran borde ...

, but was not completed. Finally, in 1987, he directed his own film adaptation of '' Shinran: Path to Purity,'' the novel he wrote and won Jury Prize of the 40th Cannes Film Festival. He was also a talented

calligrapher Calligraphy () is a visual art related to writing. It is the design and execution of lettering with a pen, ink brush, or other writing instruments. Contemporary calligraphic practice can be defined as "the art of giving form to signs in an exp ...

and painter. Mikuni had a deep knowledge of

Buddhism Buddhism, also known as Buddhadharma and Dharmavinaya, is an Indian religion and List of philosophies, philosophical tradition based on Pre-sectarian Buddhism, teachings attributed to the Buddha, a wandering teacher who lived in the 6th or ...

and published several books, especially on

Shinran ''Popular Buddhism in Japan: Shin Buddhist Religion & Culture'' by Esben Andreasen, pp. 13, 14, 15, 17. University of Hawaiʻi Press 1998, . was a Japanese Buddhist monk, who was born in Hino (now a part of Fushimi, Kyoto) at the turbulent clos ...

. He received Medal with Purple Ribbon in recognition of his outstanding achievements in the field of art and culture in 1984,

Order of the Rising Sun The is a Japanese honors system, Japanese order, established in 1875 by Emperor Meiji. The Order was the first national decoration awarded by the Japanese government, created on 10 April 1875 by decree of the Council of State. The badge feat ...

, Gold Rays with Rosette (4th class) in 1993.

Preparing for a role

Mikuni was known for his serious preparation for his roles. In '' Stepbrothers'', he pulled out his upper and lower 10 teeth in order to play the role of an old man. This was done in order to play the role of a married couple with an much elder

Kinuyo Tanaka was a Japanese actress and film director. She had a career lasting over 50 years with more than 250 acting credits, but was best known for her 15 films with director Kenji Mizoguchi, such as ''The Life of Oharu'' (1952) and ''Ugetsu'' (1953). W ...

in a naturalistic manner. In the scene where he beats Ineko Arima, the actress who plays a wife who had committed adultery in '' Night Drum'', he seriously beat her from the test and hit her more than 20 times until the director gives his permission in the production, causing Arima's face to swell up. Yoshio Shirai, a film critic and former editor-in-chief of

Kinema Junpo , commonly called , is Japan's oldest film magazine and began publication in July 1919. It was first published three times a month, using the Japanese ''Jun'' (旬) system of dividing months into three parts, but the postwar ''Kinema Junpō'' ha ...

, cited that Mikuni had prepared in his roles so thoroughly that he sometimes tended to overact, and needed a director who could control this well. Shirai said that the combination with director

was the best, and that Uchida's '' A Fugitive from the Past'' was his best work. In

's '' The Burmese Harp,'' Mikuni's overacting was truncated in order to make the most of his natural acting. In

Miyoji Ieki was a Japanese film director and screenwriter. He often made adolescents the protagonists of his films, which addressed political themes through personal drama. His most noted works include '' Stepbrothers'' (1957) and '' Naked Sun'' (1958). Li ...

's '' Stepbrothers,'' Mikuni's preparation in his role was tremendous, but he analyzes that the director is a man with a strong policy, so he made excellent use of his unusual emotions as an actor. On the other hand, he says that the range of Mikuni's acting ability is overwhelming when looking at his droll performance seen in the '' Tsuribaka Nisshi'' series.

Personal Life

He was uninhibited in his relationships with women throughout his life. He was married four times. He disliked being tied down to one woman and left her as soon as he lost his passion for her, because it would narrow his horizons and interfere with his work as an actor. His first marriage was a

sham marriage A sham marriage or fake marriage is a marriage of convenience entered into without intending to create a real marital relationship. This is usually for the purpose of gaining an advantage from the marriage. Definitions of sham marriage vary b ...

in April 1946 in China because he had heard a rumor that married people could return to Japan earlier. After returning to Japan, he lived in

Miyazaki Prefecture is a Prefectures of Japan, prefecture of Japan located on the island of Kyūshū. Miyazaki Prefecture has a population of 1,028,215 as of 1 January 2025 and has a geographic area of 7,735 Square kilometre, km2 (2,986 sq mi). Miyazaki Prefectur ...

with this woman and had a child, but they divorced in 1948. His second marriage was to a woman he met while living in Kurayoshi, Tottori, while working as a

peddler A peddler (American English) or pedlar (British English) is a door-to-door and/or travelling vendor of good (economics), goods. In 19th-century United States the word "drummer" was often used to refer to a peddler or traveling salesman; as exem ...

, but divorced at the end of 1952. His third marriage was to a woman who was a

geisha {{Culture of Japan, Traditions, Geisha {{nihongo, Geisha{{efn, {{IPAc-en, lang, ˈ, ɡ, eɪ, ., ʃ, ə, {{IPA, ja, ɡei.ɕa, ɡeː-, lang{{cite book, script-title=ja:NHK日本語発音アクセント新辞典, publisher=NHK Publishing, editor= ...

in Kagurazaka,

Tokyo Tokyo, officially the Tokyo Metropolis, is the capital of Japan, capital and List of cities in Japan, most populous city in Japan. With a population of over 14 million in the city proper in 2023, it is List of largest cities, one of the most ...

in 1953. During this marriage, in 1963, he had an affair with Kiwako Taichi, an actress 20 years younger than him. He lived with Taichi at her parents' house for a time. After months, he began to feel burdened by Taichi's passion and left her giving her a letter to say he was tired. He and his wife officially divorced in 1972. He gave most of his property to his wife and set off on a wandering journey to the

Middle East The Middle East (term originally coined in English language) is a geopolitical region encompassing the Arabian Peninsula, the Levant, Turkey, Egypt, Iran, and Iraq. The term came into widespread usage by the United Kingdom and western Eur ...

. His fourth marriage was to a noncelebrity, 27 years younger than him in 1976. He was older than her parents, and her grandmother, who knew of his history of his love affairs, was vehemently opposed to the marriage, but he lived with her until the end of his life. During his third marriage he had a son, Koichi Sato, who later became an actor. Sato's son and Mikuni's grandson, Kanichiro, also made his acting debut in 2017 after Mikuni's passing. Mikuni, who lived a free-spirited life, was said to have been feuding with his son Sato for many years. However, after the birth of his grandson Kanichiro, Mikuni doted on him so much that his relationship with his son was said to have improved. Mikuni once said of his grandson Kanichiro that he was not suited to be an actor because he grew up being loved. In his later years, he lived in Numazu, traveling back and forth from Tokyo. He loved this place where he could see Suruga Bay and

Mount Fuji is an active stratovolcano located on the Japanese island of Honshu, with a summit elevation of . It is the highest mountain in Japan, the second-highest volcano on any Asian island (after Mount Kerinci on the Indonesian island of Sumatra), a ...

, and spent his later years walking and tending to his garden.

Death

In his final years, his health failed and he was hospitalized. Mikuni died in Tokyo on 14 April 2013 of acute heart failure at the age of 90. As per Mikuni's wishes, the funeral was held in secret with only relatives and related persons. Mikuni wished to have his ashes scattered after his death, but his son, Koichi Sato, placed them in the Sato family grave, which had existed for a long time at a temple in Matsuzaki, Shizuoka. This was Sato's wish, as he had not been able to live with his father for a long time before his death.

Filmography (selected)

Film

* '' The Good Fairy'' (1951) * '' Husband and Wife'' (1953) * '' Samurai I : Musashi Miyamoto'' (1954) * '' Keisatsu Nikki'' (1955) * '' A Hole of My Own Making'' (1955) * '' The Burmese Harp'' (1956) * '' Ryūri no Kishi'' (1956) * '' Stepbrothers'' (1957) * '' Night Drum'' (1958) * '' Ballad of the Cart'' (1959) * '' Kiku to Isamu'' (1959) * '' The Catch'' (1961) * '' Harakiri'' (1962) as Saitō Kageyu * '' Wolves, Pigs and Men'' (1964) * '' Kwaidan'' (1965) * '' A Fugitive from the Past'' (1965) * '' The Threat'' (1966) as Misawa * '' Zatoichi the Outlaw'' (1967) * '' The Profound Desire of the Gods'' (1968) * '' Tabi no Omosa'' (1972) * '' Coup d'État'' (1973) as Ikki Kita * '' Himiko'' (1974) * '' Two in the Amsterdam Rain'' (1975) * ''Kiri-no-Hata'' (1977) * '' Mount Hakkoda'' (1977) * '' Never Give Up'' (1978) * '' Vengeance is Mine'' (1979) * ''

Ah! Nomugi Toge is a 1979 Japanese film directed by Satsuo Yamamoto. Premise An indictment of the treatment of Meiji period silkworkers by their employers and the Empire of Japan. Cast * Shinobu Otake as Mine Masai * Mieko Harada as Yuki Shinoda * Chikako Yū ...

'' (1979) * '' Sailor Suit and Machine Gun'' (1981) * '' The Go Masters'' (1983) * '' A Promise'' (1986) * '' Shinran: Path to Purity'' (director, 1987) * '' A Taxing Woman's Return'' (1988) * '' Tsuribaka Nisshi'' (1988) * ''

Wuthering Heights ''Wuthering Heights'' is the only novel by the English author Emily Brontë, initially published in 1847 under her pen name "Ellis Bell". It concerns two families of the landed gentry living on the West Yorkshire moors, the Earnshaws and the ...

'' (1988) * '' Rikyu'' (1989) as

Sen no Rikyū , also known simply as Rikyū, was a Japanese tea master considered the most important influence on the ''chanoyu'', the Japanese "Way of Tea", particularly the tradition of '' wabi-cha''. He was also the first to emphasize several key aspect ...

* '' Tsuribaka Nisshi 2'' (1989) * ''Tsuribaka Nisshi 3'' (1990) * '' Tsuribaka Nisshi 4'' (1991) * '' Musuko'' (1991) * '' Luminous Moss'' (1992) * '' Tsuribaka Nisshi 6'' (1993) * '' Daibyonin'' (1993) * ''Tsuribaka Nisshi 7'' (1994) * ''Mitabi no Kaikyō'' (1995) * '' Oishinbo'' (1996) as Yūzan Kaibara * ''

Will to Live The will to live ( German: ''der Wille zum Leben'') is a concept developed by the German philosopher Arthur Schopenhauer, representing an irrational "blind incessant ''impulse'' without knowledge" that drives instinctive behaviors, causing an end ...

'' (1999) * ''Taiga no Itteki'' (2001) * '' The Wind Carpet'' (2003) * '' Chronicle of My Mother'' (2012)

Television

* '' Hissatsu Shikakenin'' (1972) – episode 6 * ''Akai Unmei'' (1976) * ''Sekigahara'' (1981) –

Honda Masanobu was a commander and ''daimyō'' in the service of Tokugawa Ieyasu in Japan during the Azuchi-Momoyama and Edo periods. In 1563, when an uprising against Ieyasu occurred in Mikawa Province, Masanobu took the side of the peasants against Ieyasu ...

Books

*''The White Path:

Hōnen , also known as Genkū, was the founding figure of the , the first independent branch of Japanese Pure Land Buddhism. Hōnen became a Tendai initiate at an early age, but grew disaffected and sought an approach to Buddhism that all people of all ...

and Their Times'' (

Mainichi Shimbun The is one of the major newspapers in Japan, published by In addition to the ''Mainichi Shimbun'', which is printed twice a day in several local editions, Mainichi also operates an English-language news website called , and publishes a bilin ...

, 1982 / paperback:

Kodansha is a Japanese privately held publishing company headquartered in Bunkyō, Tokyo. Kodansha publishes manga magazines which include ''Nakayoshi'', ''Morning (magazine), Morning'', ''Afternoon (magazine), Afternoon'', ''Evening (magazine), Eveni ...

, 1986, ) *''

'' (Hozokan, 1987, ) *''Waga Bonnō no Hi wa Moete: Shinran e Itaru Michi'' (

Kobunsha is a Japanese publishing company. It publishes literature, manga novels, and women's magazines. Company history Kobunsha was established on October 1, 1945, and belongs to the Kodansha group. The company has published Japanese authors such a ...

, 1984, ) *''Shinran ni Itaru Michi'' (Kobunsha, 1987, ) *''A Letter to Actor X-kun'' (Akashi Shoten, 1985, ) *''How to Live and How to Die'' (KK Long Sellers, 2006, ) *''Shinran to Shinran: A Gaze into Modern Civilization'' (Fujiwara Shoten, 1990, ) Conversation and Dialogue with Hiroshi Noma *''The Depths of "Entertainment and Discrimination"'' (Kaihou Shuppansha, 1997 / Chikuma Shobō, 2005, ) Conversation and dialogue with sociologist Kazumitsu Okiura *''Living in the Wind Craze'' ( Iwanami Shoten, 1999, ). Co-author with Yang Sok-il

Critical biography

*Shinichi Sano, (Kodansha, 2011, ) *Naoko Utsunomiya, ( Chuokoron-Shinsha, 2013, ) *Naoko Utsunomiya, (

Bungeishunjū is a Japanese publishing company known for its leading monthly magazine '' Bungeishunjū''. The company was founded by Kan Kikuchi in 1923. It grants the annual Akutagawa Prize, one of the most prestigious literary awards in Japan, as well a ...

, 2020, ).

Honours and awards

;

Blue Ribbon Awards The are film-specific prizes awarded solely by movie critics and writers in Tokyo, Japan, established in 1950 by , established under the name of the "Association of Tokyo Film Journalists Award", which was formed mainly by film reporters from th ...

*1951: Best Newcomer for '' The Good Fairy'' *1960: Best Actor for ''The Great Journey'' *1979: Best Supporting Actor for '' Vengeance Is Mine'' *1989: Best Actor for Rikyu *2013: Special Award ; Mainichi Film Awards *1961: Best Supporting Actor for ''Hadakako'', '' The Catch'' *1965: Best Actor for '' A Fugitive from the Past'', ''Nippon Thief Story'' *1974: Best Actor for ''Ragged Flag'' *1989: Best Actor for '' Rikyu'', '' Tsuribaka Nisshi'' ; Kinema Junpo Award *1965: Best Actor for ''Nippon Thief Story'' *1979: Best Supporting Actor for '' Vengeance Is Mine'' *1989: Best Actor for '' Rikyu'' *1991: Best Actor for '' My Sons'' ; Hochi Film Awards *1979: Best Supporting Actor for '' Vengeance Is Mine'' *1989: Best Actor for '' Rikyu'', '' Tsuribaka Nisshi 2'' ;

Japan Academy Film Prize The , often called the Japan Academy Prize, the Japan Academy Awards, and the Japanese Academy Awards, is a series of awards given annually since 1978 by the Japan Academy Film Prize Association (日本アカデミー賞協会, ''Nippon Akademii- ...

*1989: Outstanding Performance by an Actor in a Leading Role - '' Rikyu'', '' Tsuribaka Nisshi 2'' *1991: Outstanding Performance by an Actor in a Leading Role - '' Tsuribaka Nisshi 4'' and '' My Sons'' *1995: Outstanding Performance by an Actor in a Leading Role - ''Mitabi no Kaikyō'' *2013: Special Award from the Chairman ; Japanese Movie Critics Awards *1991: Best Actor for '' My Sons'' *2003: Diamond Grand Prize ;Other Awards and Honours *1965: White Bronze Award for Best Actor, '' A Fugitive from the Past'' *1984: Medal with Purple Ribbon *1987:

Jury Prize (Cannes Film Festival) The Jury Prize () is an award of the Cannes Film Festival bestowed by the jury of the festival on one of the competing feature films. According to American film critic Dave Kehr, the award is "intended to recognize an original work that embodies t ...

, '' Shinran: Path to Purity'' *1989: Kinokuniya Theatre Award, Individual Prize, ''Dresser'' *1991: Nikkan Sports Film Award for Best Actor, '' My Sons'' *1992:

Monte-Carlo Television Festival The Monte-Carlo Television Festival is held every year in June in the Monaco, Principality of Monaco at the Grimaldi Forum, under the Honorary Presidency of H.S.H. Albert II, Prince of Monaco, Prince Albert II of Monaco. The opening ceremony ...

, Best Actor - ''Winter Journey'' *1993:

, Gold Rays with Rosette *2007: Mainichi Art Award, Special Prize for his performances in '' Tsuribaka Nisshi'' series and ''Hokushin Nanameni Sasu Tokoro'' *2010: 27th Yamaji Fumiko Film Award, Yamaji Fumiko Cultural Foundation Special Prize

Notes

References

External links

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100th anniversary of Rentaro Mikuni's birth and 10th anniversary of his passing
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(in Japanese) {{DEFAULTSORT:Mikuni, Rentaro 1923 births Japanese male actors Actors from Gunma Prefecture 2013 deaths Recipients of the Medal with Purple Ribbon Recipients of the Order of the Rising Sun, 4th class