Tatsuya Nakadai
Acting
1932-12-13 · Meguro, Tokyo, Japan
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. Nakadai rose to prominence starring in Masaki 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.
Filmography
The Limit
2025 · Movie
Life Work of Akira Kurosawa
2022 · Movie
The Pass: Last Days of the Samurai
2022 · Movie
The Return
2019 · Movie
A Town and a Tall Chimney
2019 · Movie
Sleeping Village
2019 · Movie
Henkan kōshōjin: Itsuka, Okinawa o torimodosu
2018 · Movie
Lear on the Shore
2017 · Movie
Tatsuya Nakadai on Five Japanese Masters
2017 · Movie
Mifune: The Last Samurai
2016 · Movie
Cold Case: Door of Truth
2016 · Series
Great evil does not go to sleep: The counterattack of the special investigation unit prosecutor
2016 · Movie
A Duel Tale
2015 · Movie
NORIN TEN inadzukagonjirō monogatari
2015 · Movie
Futari no shikeishû - saishin imada hirakarezu
2015 · Movie
Before The Leaves Fall
2015 · Movie
Nakadai Tatsuya: to Live for Acting
2015 · Movie
Isao Takahata and His Tale of The Princess Kaguya
2014 · Movie
A Sinner's Lie
2014 · Series
Gun Woman
2014 · Movie
Giovanni's Island
2014 · Movie
The Tale of The Princess Kaguya
2013 · Movie
The Human Trust
2013 · Movie
Promise: The Nabari Poisoned Wine Case, The Life of a Death-row Inmate
2013 · Movie
Until the Break of Dawn
2012 · Movie
Japan's Tragedy
2012 · Movie
Gaku
2012 · Movie
Zatoichi: The Last
2010 · Movie
Haru's Journey
2010 · Movie
Listen to My Heart
2009 · Movie
Tatsuya Nakadai on 'The Human Condition'
2009 · Movie
Through the Mist
2009 · Movie
Samurai Banners
2007 · Series
Murder of the Inugami Clan
2006 · Movie
Yamato
2005 · Movie
Wish Upon a Star
2005 · Movie
The Taika Reforms
2005 · Movie
Crying Out Love, in the Center of the World
2004 · Series
Like Asura
2003 · Movie
Akira Kurosawa: It Is Wonderful to Create: 'High and Low'
2002 · Movie
Akira Kurosawa: It Is Wonderful to Create: 'Yojimbo'
2002 · Movie
Akira Kurosawa: It Is Wonderful to Create: 'Kagemusha'
2002 · Movie
Akira Kurosawa: It Is Wonderful to Create: 'Ran'
2002 · Movie
Akira Kurosawa: It Is Wonderful to Create: 'Sanjuro'
2002 · Movie
Dawn of a New Day: The Man Behind VHS
2002 · Movie
To Dance with the White Dog
2002 · Movie
Vengeance for Sale
2002 · Movie
嘱託刑事･小山田昭平 旅路の果て
2001 · Series
Kurosawa
2000 · Movie
After the Rain
2000 · Movie
Jubaku: Spellbound
1999 · Movie
Kurosawa: The Last Emperor
1999 · Movie
The Life and Love of Kenji Miyazawa
1996 · Movie
A Son of the Good Earth
1995 · Series
East Meets West
1995 · Movie
Summer of the Moonlight Sonata
1993 · Movie
Kin chan no Cinema Jack
1993 · Movie
Lone Wolf and Cub: The Final Conflict
1993 · Movie
Wicked City
1992 · Movie
Faraway Sunset
1992 · Movie
Pinwheel Hamakichi's Spell
1992 · Series
Basara: The Princess Goh
1992 · Movie
Pinwheel Hamakichi's Spell
1992 · Movie
Heat Wave
1991 · Movie
Florence My Love
1991 · Movie
Battleship Yamato
1990 · Movie
13 Assassins
1990 · Movie
Let Him Rest in Peace
1989 · Movie
Four Days of Snow and Blood
1989 · Movie
Return from the River Kwai
1989 · Movie
Another Way: D-Kikan-Joho
1988 · Movie
Oración
1988 · Movie
Trinacria: Porsche 959
1987 · Movie
Hachiko
1987 · Movie
Taikoki
1987 · Movie
Michi
1986 · Movie
Atami Murder Case
1986 · Movie
The Empty Table
1985 · Movie
Ran
1985 · Movie
A. K.
1985 · Movie
Making of Ran
1985 · Movie
Fireflies in the North
1984 · Movie
The Fox Dancing in the Dusk
1984 · Movie
Momi no Ki wa Nokotta: Ranshin
1983 · Series
The Fir Trees Remain
1983 · Movie
Shadow Hunters
1983 · Movie
Battle Anthem
1983 · Movie
Final Yamato
1983 · Movie
The Legend of Sayo
1982 · Movie
Tange Sazen: The Million Ryo Pot
1982 · Movie
The Law of Hell
1982 · Movie
Onimasa: A Japanese Godfather
1982 · Movie
Willful Murder
1981 · Movie
Kinagashi Bugyō
1981 · Series
Magistrate of the Floating World
1981 · Movie
Aoki Ookami Narukichiomoase no Shougai
1980 · Series
Port Arthur
1980 · Movie
Kagemusha
1980 · Movie
Hunter in the Dark
1979 · Movie
Blood Type: Blue
1978 · Movie
The Phoenix
1978 · Movie
Bandits vs. Samurai Squadron
1978 · Movie
Queen Bee
1978 · Movie
Sugata Sanshiro
1977 · Movie
Suna no Utsuwa
1977 · Series
The Corporation
1976 · Movie
Human Revolution II
1976 · Movie
Elegy
1976 · Movie
Solar Eclipse
1975 · Movie
I Am a Cat
1975 · Movie
Battle Cry
1975 · Movie
The Gate of Youth
1975 · Movie
The Family
1974 · Movie
Rise, Fair Sun
1973 · Movie
The Human Revolution
1973 · Movie
Belladonna of Sadness
1973 · Movie
The King
1973 · Movie
Shin Heike Monogatari
1972 · Series
The Wolves
1971 · Movie
Inn of Evil
1971 · Movie
The Battle of Okinawa
1971 · Movie
Challenge at Dawn
1971 · Movie
Will to Conquer
1970 · Movie
Zatoichi Goes to the Fire Festival
1970 · Movie
The Scandalous Adventures of Buraikan
1970 · Movie
The Ambitious
1970 · Movie
Duel at Fort Ezo
1970 · Movie
Blood End
1969 · Movie
Portrait of Hell
1969 · Movie
Tenchu!
1969 · Movie
Battle of the Japan Sea
1969 · Movie
Safari 5000
1969 · Movie
Goyokin
1969 · Movie
The Human Bullet
1968 · Movie
Admiral Yamamoto
1968 · Movie
Kill!
1968 · Movie
Today We Kill, Tomorrow We Die!
1968 · Movie
The Journey
1967 · Movie
Japan's Longest Day
1967 · Movie
Samurai Rebellion
1967 · Movie
Who Is Gomez?
1967 · Movie
ゴメスの名はゴメス
1967 · Series
Kojiro
1967 · Movie
The Age of Assassins
1967 · Movie
The Daphne
1966 · Movie
The Face of Another
1966 · Movie
The Sword of Doom
1966 · Movie
Cash Calls Hell
1966 · Movie
Fort Graveyard
1965 · Movie
Illusion of Blood
1965 · Movie
Three Yakuza
1965 · Movie
The Last Judgment
1965 · Movie
Kwaidan
1965 · Movie
Ant Hell War
1964 · Movie
Mr. Giant's Victory Flag
1964 · Movie
A Woman's Life
1963 · Movie
Miren
1963 · Movie
Legacy of the 500,000
1963 · Movie
High and Low
1963 · Movie
Pressure of Guilt
1963 · Movie
Madame Aki
1963 · Movie
Farm Girls
1962 · Movie
Harakiri
1962 · Movie
Love Under the Crucifix
1962 · Movie
The Inheritance
1962 · Movie
Sanjuro
1962 · Movie
Immortal Love
1961 · Movie
As the Clouds Scatter
1961 · Movie
The Other Woman
1961 · Movie
Yojimbo
1961 · Movie
The Human Condition III: A Soldier's Prayer
1961 · Movie
Get 'em All
1960 · Movie
The Blue Beast
1960 · Movie
Daughters, Wives and a Mother
1960 · Movie
When a Woman Ascends the Stairs
1960 · Movie
The Human Condition II: Road to Eternity
1959 · Movie
Pilgrimage at Night
1959 · Movie
Three Dolls in Ginza
1959 · Movie
Odd Obsession
1959 · Movie
The Beast Shall Die
1959 · Movie
The Human Condition I: No Greater Love
1959 · Movie
The Naked Sun
1958 · Movie
Conflagration
1958 · Movie
Diary of an Elegant Hot Spring
1958 · Movie
Oban kanketsu hen
1958 · Movie
Go and Get It
1958 · Movie
All About Marriage
1958 · Movie
The Gion Tempest
1958 · Movie
A Boy and Three Mothers
1958 · Movie
Kampai! Miai Kekkon
1958 · Movie
Teenage Sazae
1957 · Movie
Zokuzoku Ôban: Dotô hen
1957 · Movie
Black River
1957 · Movie
Skin-Colored Moon
1957 · Movie
A Dangerous Hero
1957 · Movie
Zoku Ôban: Fûun hen
1957 · Movie
The Shadow Daughter
1957 · Movie
Untamed Woman
1957 · Movie
Ôban
1957 · Movie
The Mandarin Room
1956 · Movie
Sazae-san
1956 · Movie
The Thick-Walled Room
1956 · Movie
Love on Rainbow Island
1956 · Movie
Phoenix
1956 · Movie
Floating Weeds Diary
1955 · Movie
How the Bell of Liberty Rings
1954 · Movie
Seven Samurai
1954 · Movie