Known For
Acting
Born
Dec 13, 1932
Died
Nov 08, 2025
Place of Birth
Meguro, Tokyo, Japan
Credits
205 titles
Tatsuya Nakadai
Biography
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.
Known For
Filmography
The Limit
Narrator
Life Work of Akira Kurosawa
Self
The Pass: Last Days of the Samurai
Makino Tadayuki
The Return
A Town and a Tall Chimney
Sleeping Village
(narration)
Henkan kōshōjin: Itsuka, Okinawa o torimodosu
Narrator
Lear on the Shore
Kuwahata Chokichi
Great evil does not go to sleep: The counterattack of the special investigation unit prosecutor
Yohei Tachibana
A Duel Tale
NORINTEN 稲塚権次郎物語
ふたりの死刑囚
Narrator
Before The Leaves Fall
Kenichiro Miya
Nakadai Tatsuya: to Live for Acting
Isao Takahata and His Tale of The Princess Kaguya
Self
A Sinner's Lie
Kenzo Haneda
Gun Woman
Hamazaki
Giovanni's Island
Older Junpei Senou (voice)
The Tale of The Princess Kaguya
Charcoal-maker Old Man (voice)
The Human Trust
Nobuhiro Sasakura
Promise: The Nabari Poisoned Wine Case, The Life of a Death-row Inmate
Until the Break of Dawn
Sadayuki Akiyama
Japan's Tragedy
Fujio Murai
Gaku
Kazama Shin-ichi
Zatoichi: The Last
Tendo
Haru's Journey
Tadao Nakai
Listen to My Heart
Kyozo Hayami
Tatsuya Nakadai on 'The Human Condition'
Self
Through the Mist
(archive footage)
Samurai Banners
Murder of the Inugami Clan
Sahei Inugami
Yamato
Wish Upon a Star
Takanori Wakamiya
The Taika Reforms
Minabuchi no Syôan
Crying Out Love, in the Center of the World
Matsumoto Kentaro
Like Asura
Kotaro Takezawa
Akira Kurosawa: It Is Wonderful to Create: 'High and Low'
Self
Akira Kurosawa: It Is Wonderful to Create: 'Yojimbo'
Self
Akira Kurosawa: It Is Wonderful to Create: 'Kagemusha'
Self
Akira Kurosawa: It Is Wonderful to Create: 'Sanjuro'
Self
Akira Kurosawa: It Is Wonderful to Create: 'Ran'
Self
Dawn of a New Day: The Man Behind VHS
Matsushita (Matsushita Denki Co.)
To Dance with the White Dog
Eisuke Nakamoto
Vengeance for Sale
Umetaro Katakura
嘱託刑事･小山田昭平 旅路の果て
Kurosawa
Self
After the Rain
Tsuji Gettan
Jubaku: Spellbound
Hideaki Sasaki
Kurosawa: The Last Emperor
Self
The Life and Love of Kenji Miyazawa
Seijiro Miyazawa