Birthday: 1932-12-13
Deathday: 2025-11-08
Birthplace: Meguro, Tokyo, Japan
Gender: Male
Owned By: Unowned
Tatsuya Nakadai (仲代 達矢, Nakadai Tatsuya; born Motohisa Nakadai; December 13, 1932 – November 8, 2025) was a Japanese actor. Widely regarded as one of the greatest actors in the history of Japanese cinema, he collaborated extensively with many of Japan's best-known and acclaimed directors. In his over seven decade career, he appeared in more than 160 films, and received numerous accolades. He was honored with a Medal with Purple Ribbon in 1996 and Japan's Order of Culture in 2015.
Discovered on the streets of Tokyo by director Masaki Kobayashi, Nakadai rose to prominence starring in Kobayashi's films, with his breakthrough being the protagonist of the epic anti-war trilogy The Human Condition (1959–1961). He won the Blue Ribbon Award for Best Actor for his performance as the vengeful ronin in Harakiri (1962), a role he considered his finest. Nakadai collaborated on eleven films with Kobayashi—including Kwaidan (1964) and Samurai Rebellion (1967)—and five with Akira Kurosawa, most notably as the tragic warlord in Ran (1985), a performance that earned global acclaim. His other notable credits included Seven Samurai (1954), Yojimbo (1961), The Sword of Doom (1966), The Face of Another (1966), Goyokin (1969), Kagemusha (1980), and The Tale of the Princess Kaguya (2013).
A lifelong stage actor, he founded the Gendai Nohgaku-kai troupe in 1975 and continued performing on stage into his nineties.
Description above from the Wikipedia article Tatsuya Nakadai, licensed under CC-BY-SA, full list of contributors on Wikipedia.
| Year | Title | Character | |
|---|---|---|---|
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The Gion Tempest | Masaki | |
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2022-06-17 | The Pass: Last Days of the Samurai | Makino Tadayuki |
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2019-11-04 | The Return | |
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2019-06-22 | A Town and a Tall Chimney | |
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2019-02-02 | Sleeping Village | (narration) |
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2017-06-03 | Lear on the Shore | Kuwahata Chokichi |
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2016-10-05 | Great evil does not go to sleep: The counterattack of the special investigation unit prosecutor | Yohei Tachibana |
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2015-10-31 | A Duel Tale | |
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2015-09-19 | NORINTEN 稲塚権次郎物語 | |
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2015-05-23 | Before The Leaves Fall | Kenichiro Miya |
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2014-02-28 | Gun Woman | Hamazaki |
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2014-02-22 | Giovanni's Island | Older Junpei Senou (voice) |
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2013-11-23 | The Tale of The Princess Kaguya | Charcoal-maker Old Man (voice) |
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2013-10-19 | The Human Trust | Nobuhiro Sasakura |
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2013-02-16 | Promise: The Nabari Poisoned Wine Case, The Life of a Death-row Inmate | |
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2012-11-10 | Until the Break of Dawn | Sadayuki Akiyama |
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2012-10-05 | Japan's Tragedy | Fujio Murai |
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2012-01-01 | Gaku | Kazama Shin-ichi |
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2010-05-29 | Zatoichi: The Last | Tendo |
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2010-05-22 | Haru's Journey | Tadao Nakai |
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2009-11-10 | Listen to My Heart | Kyozo Hayami |
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2006-12-16 | Murder of the Inugami Clan | Sahei Inugami |
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2005-12-17 | Yamato | |
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2005-08-26 | Wish Upon a Star | Takanori Wakamiya |
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2005-01-01 | The Taika Reforms | Minabuchi no Syôan |
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2003-11-08 | Like Asura | Kotaro Takezawa |
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2002-06-16 | Dawn of a New Day: The Man Behind VHS | Matsushita (Matsushita Denki Co.) |
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2002-04-13 | To Dance with the White Dog | Eisuke Nakamoto |
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2002-02-16 | Vengeance for Sale | Umetaro Katakura |
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2000-01-22 | After the Rain | Tsuji Gettan |
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1999-09-18 | Jubaku: Spellbound | Hideaki Sasaki |
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1996-09-14 | The Life and Love of Kenji Miyazawa | Seijiro Miyazawa |
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1995-08-12 | East Meets West | Kaishu Katsu |
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1993-06-12 | Summer of the Moonlight Sonata | |
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1993-05-22 | Kin chan no Cinema Jack | |
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1993-02-06 | Lone Wolf and Cub: The Final Conflict | Yagyu Retsudo |
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1992-11-20 | Wicked City | Daishu |
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1992-07-04 | Faraway Sunset | Kobayashi |
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1992-04-11 | Basara: The Princess Goh | Oribe Furuta |
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1992-01-01 | Pinwheel Hamakichi's Spell | |
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1991-02-09 | Heat Wave | Tsunejiro Murai |
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1991-02-02 | Florence My Love | |
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1990-03-28 | 13 Assassins | |
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1989-11-03 | Let Him Rest in Peace | |
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1989-06-17 | Four Days of Snow and Blood | Sugiyama |
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1989-04-07 | Return from the River Kwai | Major Harada |
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1988-09-17 | Another Way: D-Kikan-Joho | |
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1988-07-23 | Oración | Heihachiro Wagu |
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1987-11-01 | Trinacria: Porsche 959 | |
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1987-08-01 | Hachiko | Shujiro Ueno |
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1986-09-06 | Michi | Seiji Tajima |
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1986-06-07 | Atami Murder Case | Denbei Nikaido |
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1985-11-01 | The Empty Table | Nobuyuki Kidoji |
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1985-06-01 | Ran | Lord Hidetora Ichimonji |
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1984-09-01 | Fireflies in the North | Takeshi Tsukigata |
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1983-12-01 | The Fir Trees Remain | |
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1983-10-06 | Shadow Hunters | |
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1983-06-04 | Battle Anthem | |
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1982-12-17 | The Legend of Sayo | |
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1982-10-22 | Tange Sazen: The Million Ryo Pot | Sazen Tange |
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1982-08-30 | The Law of Hell | |
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1982-06-05 | Onimasa: A Japanese Godfather | Masagoro Kiryuin - Onimasa |
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1981-11-07 | Willful Murder | Yashiro |
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1981-05-01 | Magistrate of the Floating World | |
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1980-08-02 | Port Arthur | Maresuke Nogi |
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1980-04-26 | Kagemusha | Shingen Takeda / Kagemusha |
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1979-06-17 | Hunter in the Dark | Gomyo Kiyoemon |
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1978-11-23 | Blood Type: Blue | Minami |
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1978-08-12 | The Phoenix | Jingi the Conqueror, leader of the Takamagahara |
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1978-07-01 | Bandits vs. Samurai Squadron | Kumokiri Nizaemon |
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1978-02-11 | Queen Bee | Ginzo Daidoji |
| 1977-10-29 | Sugata Sanshiro | Yano | |
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1976-08-14 | The Corporation | |
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1976-06-19 | Human Revolution II | |
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1976-02-11 | Elegy | Setsuo Katsuragi |
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1975-09-06 | Solar Eclipse | Yasuo Hoshino, the Chief Cabinet Secretary |
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1975-05-31 | I Am a Cat | Kushami |
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1975-03-14 | Battle Cry | Hijikata Toshizo |
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1975-02-15 | The Gate of Youth | |
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1974-01-26 | The Family | Teppei Manpyo |
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1973-10-27 | Rise, Fair Sun | |
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1973-09-08 | The Human Revolution | |
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1973-06-30 | Belladonna of Sadness | The Devil (voice) |
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1973-05-19 | The King | Kinjiro Sekine |
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1971-10-30 | The Wolves | Seji Iwahashi |
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1971-09-11 | Inn of Evil | Sadashichi |
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1971-08-14 | The Battle of Okinawa | Colonel Hiromichi Yahara |
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1971-05-22 | Challenge at Dawn | Tsukagoshi |
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1970-10-17 | Will to Conquer | |
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1970-08-12 | Zatoichi Goes to the Fire Festival | Ronin |
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1970-04-18 | The Scandalous Adventures of Buraikan | Naojiro Kataoka |
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1970-02-14 | The Ambitious | Shintaro Nakaoka |
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1970-02-09 | Duel at Fort Ezo | Daizennokami Honjo |
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1969-11-18 | Portrait of Hell | Yoshihide |
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1969-11-15 | Blood End | Sentaro |
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1969-08-09 | Tenchu! | Hanpeita Takechi |
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1969-08-01 | Battle of the Japan Sea | Major Genjiro Akashi |
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1969-07-19 | Safari 5000 | |
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1969-05-01 | Goyokin | Magobei Wakizaka |
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1968-06-22 | Kill! | Genta |
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1968-03-28 | Today We Kill, Tomorrow We Die! | James Elfego |
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1967-11-12 | Journey | |
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1967-05-27 | Samurai Rebellion | Tatewaki Asano |
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1967-05-27 | Gomez's Name is Gomez | Sakamoto |
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1967-04-01 | Kojiro | Musashi Miyamoto |
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1967-02-04 | The Age of Assassins | Shinji Kikyo |
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1966-10-01 | The Daphne | |
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1966-07-15 | The Face of Another | Mr. Okuyama |
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1966-02-25 | The Sword of Doom | Ryunosuke Tsukue |
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1966-01-15 | Cash Calls Hell | Oida |
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1965-09-18 | Fort Graveyard | Sakuma |
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1965-07-25 | Illusion of Blood | Iyemon Tamiya |
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1965-05-22 | Three Yakuza | |
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1965-05-16 | The Last Judgment | |
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1965-01-06 | Kwaidan | Minokichi (segment "The Woman of the Snow") |
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1964-04-29 | Ant Hell War | |
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1964-02-12 | Mr. Giant's Victory Flag | |
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1963-11-16 | A Woman's Life | |
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1963-10-12 | Miren | Ryôta Kinoshita |
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1963-04-18 | Legacy of the 500,000 | Mitsura Gunji |
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1963-03-01 | High and Low | Chief Detective Tokura |
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1963-02-17 | Pressure of Guilt | |
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1963-01-15 | Madame Aki | Tatsumi |
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1962-10-07 | Chibusa o daku musume tachi | |
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1962-09-15 | Harakiri | Hanshiro Tsugumo |
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1962-06-03 | Love Under the Crucifix | Ukon Takayama |
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1962-02-16 | The Inheritance | Kikuo Furukawa |
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1962-01-01 | Sanjuro | Hanbei Muroto |
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1961-09-16 | Immortal Love | Heibei |
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1961-07-09 | As the Clouds Scatter | |
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1961-05-30 | The Other Woman | Minami |
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1961-04-25 | Yojimbo | Unosuke, gunfighter |
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1961-01-28 | The Human Condition III: A Soldier's Prayer | Kaji |
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1960-11-29 | Get 'em All | Tsubota |
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1960-06-26 | The Blue Beast | |
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1960-05-21 | Daughters, Wives and a Mother | Kuroki Shingo |
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1960-01-15 | When a Woman Ascends the Stairs | Kenichi Komatsu |
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1959-11-20 | The Human Condition II: Road to Eternity | Kaji |
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1959-09-20 | Pilgrimage at Night | |
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1959-07-14 | Three Dolls in Ginza | |
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1959-06-23 | Odd Obsession | Kimura |
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1959-06-09 | The Beast Shall Die | Kunihiko Date |
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1959-01-15 | The Human Condition I: No Greater Love | Kaji |
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1958-10-01 | The Naked Sun | |
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1958-09-22 | Conflagration | Tokari |
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1958-08-19 | Diary of an Elegant Hot Spring | Kazuo Shimada |
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1958-07-01 | Oban kanketsu hen | Shin Don |
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1958-06-08 | Go and Get It | His assistant |
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1958-05-26 | All About Marriage | Akira Nakayama |
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1958-02-18 | A Boy and Three Mothers | The Engineer |
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1958-01-09 | Kampai! Miai Kekkon | Kunihiko Sasada |
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1957-12-28 | Teenage Sazae | |
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1957-12-17 | Zokuzoku Ôban: Dotô hen | Shindon |
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1957-10-23 | Black River | Jo |
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1957-10-08 | Skin-Colored Moon | Jirô Taki |
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1957-07-30 | A Dangerous Hero | |
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1957-07-19 | Zoku Ôban: Fûun hen | Shin don |
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1957-06-05 | The Shadow Daughter | |
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1957-05-28 | Untamed Woman | Kimura |
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1957-03-05 | Ôban | Shin Don |
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1956-12-19 | The Mandarin Room | |
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1956-12-12 | Sazae-san | Norisuke |
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1956-10-31 | The Thick-Walled Room | (Uncredited) |
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1956-10-16 | Love on Rainbow Island | Yûji Wada |
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1956-06-14 | Phoenix | |
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1955-11-15 | Floating Weeds Diary | |
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1954-06-01 | How the Bell of Liberty Rings | (uncredited) |
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1954-04-26 | Seven Samurai | Samurai Wandering through Town (uncredited) |