TN
Tatsuya Nakadai
Actor
Born December 13, 1932Died November 8, 2025 (92 years)
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.
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.
Known For
Tatsuya Nakadai Filmography
| 2020 | The Pass: Last Days of the Samurai · as Makino Tadayuki |
| 2019 | |
| 2017 | Lear on the Shore · as Kuwahata Chokichi |
| 2016 | Cold Case (JP) (TV Series) · as Kiyoshi Suzaki (older) |
| 2015 | Haretsu (TV Series) · as Rentarou Kuraki |
| 2014 | A Sinner's Lie (TV Series) · as Kenzo Haneda |
| 2014 | |
| 2014 | Giovanni's Island · as Older Junpei Senou (voice) |
| 2013 | The Tale of The Princess Kaguya · as Charcoal-Maker Old Man (voice) |
| 2013 | The Human Trust · as Nobuhiro Sasakura |
| 2012 | Until the Break of Dawn · as Sadayuki Akiyama |
| 2012 | Japan's Tragedy · as Fujio Murai |
| 2010 | Zatoichi: The Last · as Tendo |
| 2010 | Haru's Journey · as Tadao Nakai |
| 2009 | Listen to My Heart · as Kyozo Hayami |
| 2009 | Through the Mist · as (archive Footage) |
| 2007 | The Trusted Confidant (TV Series) |
| 2006 | Murder of the Inugami Clan · as Sahei Inugami |
| 2005 | |
| 2004 | Crying out Love, in the Center of the World (TV Series) · as Matsumoto Kentaro |
| 2003 | Like Asura · as Kotaro Takezawa |
| 2002 | Dawn of a New Day: The Man Behind VHS · as Matsushita (matsushita Denki Co.) |
| 2001 | Vengeance for Sale · as Umetaro Katakura |
| 1999 | After the Rain · as Tsuji Gettan |
| 1999 | Jubaku: Spellbound · as Hideaki Sasaki |
| 1996 | Hideyoshi (TV Series) · as Rikyu |
| 1995 | East Meets West · as Kaishu Katsu |
| 1993 | Lone Wolf and Cub: Final Conflict · as Yagyu Retsudo |
| 1992 | The Wicked City · as Daishu |
| 1992 | Toki rakujitsu · as Kobayashi |
| 1992 | Pinwheel Hamakichi's Spell (TV Series) |
| 1992 | Gô-hime · as Oribe Furuta |
| 1991 | Heat Wave · as Tsunejiro Murai |
| 1989 | Four Days of Snow and Blood · as Sugiyama |
| 1989 | Return from the River Kwai · as Major Harada |
| 1987 | Hachi-ko · as Shujiro Ueno |
| 1986 | Atami satsujin jiken · as Denbei Nikaido |
| 1985 | Family Without a Dinner Table · as Nobuyuki Kidoji |
| 1985 | Ran · as Lord Hidetora Ichimonji |
| 1984 | Kita no hotaru · as Takeshi Tsukigata |
| 1983 | The Fir Trees Remain · as Cast |
| 1983 | |
| 1983 | |
| 1983 | Final Yamato · as Narrator |
| 1982 | |
| 1982 | Tange Sazen Kenfû! Hyakuman ryô no tsubo · as Tange Sazen |
| 1982 | Onimasa · as Masagoro Kiryuin - Onimasa |
| 1981 | Willful Murder · as Yashiro |
| 1981 | |
| 1980 | The Battle of Port Arthur · as Maresuke Nogi |
| 1980 | Kagemusha: The Shadow Warrior · as Shingen Takeda / Kagemusha |
| 1979 | Hunter in the Dark · as Gomyo Kiyoemon |
| 1978 | Blue Christmas · as Minami |
| 1978 | Firebird: Daybreak Chapter · as Jingi The Conqueror, Leader Of The Takamagahara |
| 1978 | Bandits vs. Samurai Squadron · as Kumokiri Nizaemon |
| 1978 | Queen Bee · as Ginzo Daidoji |
| 1977 | Suna no Utsuwa (TV Series) · as 今西栄太郎 |
| 1976 | |
| 1976 | |
| 1975 | Kinkanshoku · as Yasuo Hoshino, The Chief Cabinet Secretary |
| 1975 | I Am a Cat · as Kushami |
| 1975 | Tokkan · as Hijikata Toshizo |
| 1975 | |
| 1974 | The Family · as Teppei Manpyo |
| 1973 | |
| 1973 | Belladonna of Sadness · as The Devil (voice) |
| 1971 | The Wolves · as Seji Iwahashi |
| 1971 | Inn of Evil · as Sadashichi |
| 1971 | Battle of Okinawa · as Colonel Hiromichi Yahara |
| 1970 | Zatoichi Goes to the Fire Festival · as Ronin |
| 1970 | The Scandalous Adventures of Buraikan · as Naojiro Kataoka |
| 1970 | The Ambitious · as Shintaro Nakaoka |
| 1970 | Ezo yakata no ketto · as Daizennokami Honjo |
| 1969 | Portrait of Hell · as Yoshihide |
| 1969 | Tengu-tô · as Sentaro |
| 1969 | Battle of the Japan Sea · as Major Genjiro Akashi |
| 1969 | Hitokiri · as Hanpeita Takechi |
| 1969 | |
| 1969 | The Steel Edge of Revenge · as Magobei Wakizaka |
| 1968 | The Human Bullet · as Narrator |
| 1968 | Admiral Yamamoto · as Narrator (voice) |
| 1968 | Kill! · as Genta |
| 1968 | Today We Kill, Tomorrow We Die! · as James Elfego |
| 1967 | Japan's Longest Day · as Narrator (voice) |
| 1967 | Samurai Rebellion · as Tatewaki Asano |
| 1967 | Sasaki Kojiro · as Musashi Miyamoto |
| 1967 | The Age of Assassins · as Shinji Kikyo |
| 1966 | The Face of Another · as Mr. Okuyama |
| 1966 | The Sword of Doom · as Ryunosuke Tsukue |
| 1966 | Cash Calls Hell · as Oida |
| 1965 | Fort Graveyard · as Sakuma |
| 1965 | Illusion of Blood · as Iyemon Tamiya |
| 1964 | Kwaidan · as Minokichi (segment "the Woman Of The Snow") |
| 1964 | |
| 1963 | |
| 1963 | 500,000 · as Mitsura Gunji |
| 1963 | |
| 1963 | High and Low · as Chief Detective Tokura |
| 1962 | Harakiri · as Hanshiro Tsugumo |
| 1962 | Love Under the Crucifix · as Ukon Takayama |
| 1962 | The Inheritance · as Kikuo Furukawa |
| 1962 | Sanjuro · as Hanbei Muroto |
| 1961 | Immortal Love · as Heibei |
| 1961 | Poignant Story · as Minami |
| 1961 | Yojimbo · as Unosuke, Gunfighter |
| 1961 | |
| 1960 | Daughters, Wives and a Mother · as Kuroki Shingo |
| 1960 | When a Woman Ascends the Stairs · as Kenichi Komatsu |
| 1959 | The Human Condition II: Road to Eternity · as Kaji |
| 1959 | Odd Obsession · as Kimura |
| 1959 | The Beast Shall Die · as Kunihiko Date |
| 1959 | The Human Condition I: No Greater Love · as Kaji |
| 1958 | Conflagration · as Tokari |
| 1958 | All About Marriage · as Akira Nakayama |
| 1957 | |
| 1957 | Black River · as Jo |
| 1957 | Untamed Woman · as Kimura |
| 1956 | Sazae-san · as Norisuke |
| 1956 | The Thick-Walled Room · as (uncredited) |
| 1954 | Seven Samurai · as Samurai Wandering Through Town (uncredited) |
| 2023 | Life Work of Akira Kurosawa · as Self |
| 2013 | |
| 2007 | Bokura no jidai (TV Series) · as Self |
| 1999 | Kurosawa: The Last Emperor · as Self |
| 1985 | A.K. · as Self |
| 1971 | Great Performances (TV Series) · as Self |
| 1952 | Reflets de Cannes (TV Series) · as Self |