Tetsuro Tamba
Born July 17, 1922 (Age: 103)
•
Shinjuku, Tokyo, Japan
Biography
Tetsuro Tamba (July 17, 1922 – September 24, 2006) was a distinguished Japanese actor known for his versatile talent across five decades. Recognized globally for his portrayal of Tiger Tanaka in the iconic 1967 James Bond film "You Only Live Twice," Tamba's cinematic journey was a remarkable blend of cultural bridges. Before embarking on his acting career, Tamba worked as an interpreter for the Allied Powers' Supreme Commander. Graduating from Chuo University in 1948, he later joined Shintoho company, making his debut in the film Satsujin Yougishain in 1951. Tamba's impact on Western audiences extended beyond Bond, with standout performances in films like Bridge to the Sun and The 7th Dawn. He earned acclaim in Japan as well, most notably as the lead in police dramas like Key Hunter and G-Men '75. His talents weren't confined to the screen alone. Tamba lent his voice to characters like the Cat King in Studio Ghibli's The Cat Returns and graced historical roles in television dramas, leaving an indelible mark on period pieces. In 2005, Tamba faced health challenges but continued to contribute until the end. Sadly, he passed away in Tokyo at 84 due to pneumonia on September 24, 2006. His legacy lives on through his son, actor Yoshitaka Tamba, while his last appearances in the 2005 Taiga drama Yoshitsune and the 2006 film Sinking of Japan remain a testament to his enduring impact on Japanese cinema and beyond.
Tetsuro Tamba (July 17, 1922 – September 24, 2006) was a distinguished Japanese actor known for his versatile talent across five decades. Recognized globally for his portrayal of Tiger Tanaka in the iconic 1967 James Bond film "You Only Live Twice," Tamba's cinematic journey was a remarkable blend of cultural bridges.
Before embarking on his acting career, Tamba worked as an interpreter for the Allied Powers' Supreme Commander. Graduating from Chuo University in 1948, he later joined Shintoho company, making his debut in the film Satsujin Yougishain in 1951.
Tamba's impact on Western audiences extended beyond Bond, with standout performances in films like Bridge to the Sun and The 7th Dawn. He earned acclaim in Japan as well, most notably as the lead in police dramas like Key Hunter and G-Men '75.
His talents weren't confined to the screen alone. Tamba lent his voice to characters like the Cat King in Studio Ghibli's The Cat Returns and graced historical roles in television dramas, leaving an indelible mark on period pieces.
In 2005, Tamba faced health challenges but continued to contribute until the end. Sadly, he passed away in Tokyo at 84 due to pneumonia on September 24, 2006. His legacy lives on through his son, actor Yoshitaka Tamba, while his last appearances in the 2005 Taiga drama Yoshitsune and the 2006 film Sinking of Japan remain a testament to his enduring impact on Japanese cinema and beyond.
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Filmography
Teruo Ishii Fan Club
2006
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as
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Age: 84
The Thousand Year Fire
2004
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as
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Age: 82
Capone: Roppongi Renkin no Teio
2004
•
as
•
Age: 81
Shura Group Part 2
2002
•
as
•
Age: 80
The Twilight Samurai
2002
•
as Tozaemon Iguchi
•
Age: 80
Deadly Outlaw: Rekka
2002
•
as Sanada
•
Age: 80
The Cat Returns
2002
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as Cat King (voice)
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Age: 80
Graveyard of Honor
2002
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as Tetsuji Tokura
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Age: 79
The Happiness of the Katakuris
2002
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as Granpa Jinpei Katakuri
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Age: 79
Shura Group
2002
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as
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Age: 79
No Image
Shura Group Part 1
2002
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as
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Age: 79
Ino Tadataka: Meridian Dreams
2001
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as
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Age: 79
修羅のみち
2001
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as
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Age: 79
Sakuya: The Slayer of Demons
2000
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as Old Master
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Age: 78
A Class to Remember IV: Fifteen
2000
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as Tetsuo Hatake
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Age: 78
The Stupid Teacher
2000
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as Utaemon Baba
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Age: 78
Screwed
1998
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as Landlord
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Age: 75
The Peking Man
1997
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as Osone
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Age: 75
Tetsuro Tamba’s Great Spiritual World 3: Amazing Reincarnation Story That Ran Around the Whole
1994
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as
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Age: 71
Emperor of Upheaval
1993
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as
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Age: 70
The Supernormal II
1993
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as
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Age: 70
Taira no Kiyomori
1992
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as
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Age: 70
No Image
Minamoto Yoshitsune
1991
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as
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Age: 69
The Great Shogunate Battle
1991
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as
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Age: 69
Yakuza Warfare
1991
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as
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Age: 69
源氏九郎颯爽記 秘剣揚羽の蝶
1991
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as
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Age: 69
Riki-Oh: The Story of Ricky
1991
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as Master Zhang
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Age: 69
The Hitman: Blood Smells Like Roses
1991
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as
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Age: 68
Kim's War
1991
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as
•
Age: 68
Female Neo-Ninjas
1991
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as Time Patrol leader
•
Age: 68
Heat Wave
1991
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as Denkichi Tsuzaki
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Age: 68
1750 Days of Turbulence
1990
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as
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Age: 68
Be-In Bully High School
1990
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as Ryotaro Sakurazawa
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Age: 68
Aurora Borealis
1990
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as Tsuneiro Kamisaka
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Age: 68
13 Assassins
1990
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as
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Age: 67
Tetsuro Tamba's Great Spirit World 2: I was surprised when I died!!
1990
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as Ryo Okamoto
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Age: 67
Tokyo: The Last War
1989
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as Kanaami Kohou
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Age: 67
Four Days of Snow and Blood
1989
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as Jinzaburi Shinzaki
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Age: 66
The Political Game
1989
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as
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Age: 66
Yakuza Ladies 3
1989
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as Takeo Sakanishi
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Age: 66
長七郎江戸日記スペシャル 長七郎 大奥まかり通る
1989
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as
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Age: 66
Shogun's Shadow
1989
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as Hotta Masamori
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Age: 66
Tetsuro Tamba's Great Spirit World: What Happens When You Die
1989
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as 吉野博士
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Age: 66
Tokugawa Ieyasu – TBS Warlord Special
1988
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as
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Age: 65
Tokyo Pop
1988
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as Mr. Dota
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Age: 65
A Taxing Woman's Return
1988
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as Sadohara
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Age: 65
There Goes Benio, the Smart Girl
1987
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as
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Age: 65
Twilight of the Cockroaches
1987
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as Grandpa (voice)
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Age: 65
You're My Destiny
1987
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as
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Age: 65
Ronin on a Mission
1987
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as Ōishi Kuranosuke
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Age: 65
Shinran: Path to Purity
1987
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as
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Age: 64
Night Train
1987
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as Isaburo Tamura
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Age: 64
Tokyo Blackout
1987
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as Nakata
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Age: 64
The White Tiger Battalion
1986
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as
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Age: 64
Vendetta of Obligation
1985
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as
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Age: 63
The Last True Yakuza
1985
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as Kazumasa Tashiro
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Age: 63
The Sound of the Waves
1985
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as
•
Age: 63
Love: Starting on a Journey
1985
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as
•
Age: 62
Kōgen ni ressha ga hashitta
1984
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as
•
Age: 62
Zero
1984
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as Admiral Isoroku Yamamoto
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Age: 62
Lady Vengeance and the 47 Ronin
1983
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as
•
Age: 61
The Duel in the Forbidden Territory
1983
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as
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Age: 61
The Villain from Edo Kochiyama Soshun
1982
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as
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Age: 60
Call from Darkness
1981
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as Sugibayashi
•
Age: 59
The Wild Daisy
1981
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as Gozaburo Saito
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Age: 59
The Imperial Navy
1981
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as Jisaburo Ozawa
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Age: 59
The Bushido Blade
1981
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as Lord Yamato
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Age: 58
Samurai Reincarnation
1981
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as Muramasa
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Age: 58
Flames of Blood
1981
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as
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Age: 58
The Last Days of Planet Earth
1981
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as Dr. Nishiyama
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Age: 58
Shogun's Ninja
1980
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as Tozawa Hakuunsai
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Age: 58
Drive for the Future
1980
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as Akiji Nishikawa
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Age: 58
Port Arthur
1980
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as Gentaro Kodama
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Age: 58
The Sand Boat
1980
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as
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Age: 57
Battles Without Honor and Humanity: The Complete Saga
1980
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as Tatsuo Akashi
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Age: 57
The Way to The Gold Medals
1980
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as President Sakakibara
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Age: 57
The Fall of Ako Castle
1978
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as Yanagisawa
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Age: 56
Never Give Up
1978
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as General Wada
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Age: 56
August Without Emperor
1978
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as Army General Mikami
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Age: 56
Monument to Holy Service
1978
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as
•
Age: 56
Bandits vs. Samurai Squadron
1978
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as Kichibei
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Age: 55
The Incident
1978
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as Lawyer Kikuchi
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Age: 55
Message from Space
1978
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as Ernest Noguchi
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Age: 55
Shogun's Samurai
1978
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as Ogasawara Gensinsai
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Age: 55
No Image
Sugata Sanshiro
1977
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as Iinuma
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Age: 55
Tidal Wave
1975
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as Prime Minister Yamato
•
Age: 52
A Picture of Madame Yuki
1975
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as
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Age: 52
The Executioner II: Karate Inferno
1974
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as Kimitake Shugi / Moroki
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Age: 52
The Castle of Sand
1974
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as Detective Eitaro Imanishi
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Age: 52
Karafuto 1945 Summer
1974
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as
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Age: 52
Prophecies of Nostradamus
1974
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as Dr. Nishiyama
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Age: 52
No Image
Secret Prophecies of Nostradamus
1974
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as Himself
•
Age: 52
Zero Woman: Red Handcuffs
1974
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as Nagumo
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Age: 51
Violent Streets
1974
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as Shimamura Kansai
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Age: 51
Submersion of Japan
1973
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as Prime Minister Yamamoto
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Age: 51
The Ando Gang Documentary Film
1973
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as
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Age: 51
Wild Cop 2
1973
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as
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Age: 51
Battles Without Honor and Humanity: Proxy War
1973
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as Tatsuo Akashi
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Age: 51
The Human Revolution
1973
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as
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Age: 51
Japan's Top Gangster
1973
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as Noboru Yamaguchi
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Age: 51
The School Deviate Waru
1973
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as
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Age: 50
Quarreling with Yakuza
1973
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as
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Age: 50
Bohachi Bushido: Code of the Forgotten Eight
1973
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as Shino
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Age: 50
Battles Without Honor and Humanity
1973
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as
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Age: 50
Informal Dress
1972
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as
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Age: 50
Shadow Hunters 2: Echo of Destiny
1972
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as Kagemetsuke
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Age: 50
Yakuza Skirmishes
1972
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as
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Age: 50
New Abashiri Prison Story: Honor and Humanity, Ammunition That Attracts the Storm
1972
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as
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Age: 50
Shōwa Gokudōshi
1972
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as
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Age: 49
Shadow Hunters
1972
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as
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Age: 49
Organized Crime: Killer's Glory
1972
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as
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Age: 49
The Water Margin
1972
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as Jade Unicorn, Lu Chun I
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Age: 49
Under the Flag of the Rising Sun
1972
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as Sergeant Katsuo Togashi
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Age: 49
Troops of Darkness
1971
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as
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Age: 49
The Gambler's Counterattack
1971
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as Chief Inspector
•
Age: 49
King of Pornography
1971
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as
•
Age: 48
Postwar Secrets
1970
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as Kuroki
•
Age: 47
Cherry Blossoms in the Air - The Suicide Raiders - Oh, Buddies!
1970
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as
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Age: 47
やくざ番外地 抹殺
1969
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as
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Age: 47
Japan's Violent Gangs: The Boss and the Killers
1969
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as
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Age: 47
The 5-Man Army
1969
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as Samurai
•
Age: 47
Red Peony Gambler: Biographies of a Gambling Room
1969
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as
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Age: 47
Lone Rebel
1969
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as
•
Age: 47
The Private Police
1969
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as
•
Age: 47
Penitentiary Brothers
1969
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as
•
Age: 47
Sky Scraper!
1969
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as
•
Age: 46
Goyokin
1969
•
as Rokugo Tatewaki
•
Age: 46
The Young Eagles of the Kamikaze
1968
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as
•
Age: 45
The Bad Boss
1968
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as
•
Age: 45
Diamonds of the Andes
1968
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as
•
Age: 45
The Code of Man
1968
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as
•
Age: 45
Gambler's Farewell
1968
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as Tetsuji Kasai
•
Age: 45
Army Intelligence
1968
•
as Lieutenant Colonel Akiyama
•
Age: 45
High-Ranking Yakuza
1965
•
as
•
Age: 43
Blood of Revenge
1965
•
as Yutaro Nomura
•
Age: 43
Blood and Law
1965
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as
•
Age: 43
The Domain: Kanto Legends of Chivalry
1965
•
as
•
Age: 43
The Gambler
1965
•
as
•
Age: 42
Samurai Spy
1965
•
as Sakon Takatani
•
Age: 42
Ankoku gai jingi
1965
•
as
•
Age: 42
Abashiri Prison
1965
•
as Tsumaki
•
Age: 42
Tokyo Untouchable
1965
•
as Goro Kawamoto
•
Age: 42
Tale of Ninja Duty
1965
•
as Mumyo Tsunataro
•
Age: 42
Kwaidan
1965
•
as Warrior (segment "Hoichi the Earless")
•
Age: 42
Gamblers and Racketeers
1964
•
as
•
Age: 42
Samurai from Somewhere
1964
•
as Masagi Shohei
•
Age: 42
Detective
1964
•
as
•
Age: 42
Revenge
1964
•
as Shume Okuno
•
Age: 42
Giant Rumble
1964
•
as
•
Age: 42
The 7th Dawn
1964
•
as Ng
•
Age: 42
The Shogun's Vault
1964
•
as
•
Age: 42
Assassination
1964
•
as Hachiro Kiyokawa
•
Age: 41
Homicide
1964
•
as Lieutenant Aikawa
•
Age: 41
Three Outlaw Samurai
1964
•
as Sakon Shiba
•
Age: 41
Tokyo Untouchables
1964
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as
•
Age: 41
An Outlaw
1964
•
as
•
Age: 41
Destroyer Yukikaze
1964
•
as
•
Age: 41
Jakoman and Tetsu
1964
•
as Jakoman
•
Age: 41
The Kingdom of Jirocho 3
1964
•
as
•
Age: 41
Samurai from Nowhere
1964
•
as Gunjuro Ohba
•
Age: 41
Tokyo Gang vs. Hong Kong Gang
1964
•
as
•
Age: 41
13 Assassins
1963
•
as Doi Ōkō Toshi
•
Age: 41
Tange Sazen
1963
•
as
•
Age: 41
Gang Loyalty and Vengeance
1963
•
as Gu Shimizu
•
Age: 41
Element of Surprise
1963
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as
•
Age: 41
Futari dake no toride
1963
•
as
•
Age: 40
Ano hito wa ima
1963
•
as
•
Age: 40
Tokyo Untouchable: Escape
1963
•
as Goro Kawamoto
•
Age: 40
Kizu-darake no futeki-sha
1963
•
as
•
Age: 40
Gang and G-Men Part 2
1963
•
as 手塚徹
•
Age: 40
Eleven Gangsters
1963
•
as
•
Age: 40
Uragirimono wa jigoku daze
1962
•
as
•
Age: 40
Operation Diamond
1962
•
as Kazuo Kasami
•
Age: 40
Umineko ga tonde
1962
•
as
•
Age: 40
Gang vs. G-Men
1962
•
as Toru Tezuka
•
Age: 40
Hell's Kitchen
1962
•
as
•
Age: 40
A Flame at the Pier
1962
•
as
•
Age: 40
Harakiri
1962
•
as Hikokuro Omodaka
•
Age: 40
Gang vs. Gang
1962
•
as
•
Age: 39
Four Sisters
1962
•
as Masao Igarashi
•
Age: 39
Zankokuna tsuki
1962
•
as
•
Age: 39
G-Men in the Pacific
1962
•
as Mizuhara
•
Age: 39
The Challenge
1962
•
as Takayama
•
Age: 39
All Rascals
1962
•
as
•
Age: 39
Tales of Young Genji Kuro 3
1962
•
as
•
Age: 39
No Image
Kuro to aka no hanabira
1962
•
as
•
Age: 39
South Pacific Waves Are High
1962
•
as
•
Age: 39
Structure of Hate
1961
•
as
•
Age: 39
Greed in Broad Daylight
1961
•
as Miyahara
•
Age: 39
Bridge to the Sun
1961
•
as Jiro
•
Age: 39
Standing Towards the Great Forest
1961
•
as
•
Age: 39
The Yellow Climate
1961
•
as
•
Age: 39
Mist and Shadows
1961
•
as Yusuke Komiya
•
Age: 39
Kill the Killer!
1961
•
as Narumi
•
Age: 38
Red Flowers of Hell
1961
•
as
•
Age: 38
機動捜査班
1961
•
as
•
Age: 38
No Image
Kaachan
1961
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as
•
Age: 38
Pigs and Battleships
1961
•
as Slasher Tetsuji
•
Age: 38
Daredevil in the Castle
1961
•
as Sadamasa Ishikawa
•
Age: 38
Get 'em All
1960
•
as Tanabe
•
Age: 38
Showdown on Pier No.3
1960
•
as Kirishima
•
Age: 37
The Gambling Samurai
1960
•
as Fumizo Mitsuki
•
Age: 37
Zero sen no jorō gun
1960
•
as
•
Age: 37
Female Slave Ship
1960
•
as
•
Age: 37
Kingorō no kaigun taishô
1959
•
as
•
Age: 37
No Image
No Police
1959
•
as
•
Age: 36
No Image
Nude Woman and Murder Maze
1959
•
as Senba
•
Age: 36
The Pacific War and the International Military Tribunal
1959
•
as
•
Age: 36
No Image
Kyōen Kobanzame
1958
•
as
•
Age: 36
Bloody History of Soldiers
1958
•
as Shumei Okawa
•
Age: 36
No Image
Underwater Murder
1958
•
as
•
Age: 36
Quick on the Trigger
1958
•
as
•
Age: 35
Emperor & Empress Meiji and the Sino-Japanese War
1958
•
as Keisuke Otori
•
Age: 35
A Wicked Woman
1958
•
as Ihei Ôsawa
•
Age: 35
Devil Princess’ Beauty Competition
1956
•
as
•
Age: 34
The Ceiling at Utsunomiya
1956
•
as Kurozumi Tenzen
•
Age: 34
No Image
President Rai of Kingoro
1956
•
as
•
Age: 34
Admiral Yamamoto and the Allied Fleets
1956
•
as
•
Age: 34
The Prosecutor and His Sister
1956
•
as
•
Age: 33
No Image
Kingoro's Soldier
1956
•
as
•
Age: 33
No Image
Speed King
1956
•
as
•
Age: 33
No Image
The Fencing Collegian
1956
•
as
•
Age: 33
Kuronekokan ni Kieta Otoko
1956
•
as
•
Age: 33
花眞珠
1955
•
as
•
Age: 33
Twilight Saloon
1955
•
as Morimoto
•
Age: 32
Mysterious Dwarf
1955
•
as
•
Age: 32
The Sacrifice of the Human Torpedoes
1955
•
as
•
Age: 32
日本敗れず
1954
•
as
•
Age: 32
Submarine Ro Hasn't Surfaced
1954
•
as
•
Age: 31
Hanran
1954
•
as Captain Koda
•
Age: 31