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. 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.
Personal Details
Also Known As
Movies (45)
The Limit
as Narrator
2025
Life Work of Akira Kurosawa
as Self
2022
The Pass: Last Days of the Samurai
as Makino Tadayuki
2022
The Return
2019
A Town and a Tall Chimney
2019
Sleeping Village
as (narration)
2019
Henkan kōshōjin: Itsuka, Okinawa o torimodosu
as Narrator
2018
Lear on the Shore
as Kuwahata Chokichi
2017
Great evil does not go to sleep: The counterattack of the special investigation unit prosecutor
as Yohei Tachibana
2016
A Duel Tale
2015
NORINTEN 稲塚権次郎物語
2015
ふたりの死刑囚
as Narrator
2015
Before The Leaves Fall
as Kenichiro Miya
2015
Isao Takahata and His Tale of The Princess Kaguya
as Self
2014
Gun Woman
as Hamazaki
2014
Giovanni's Island
as Older Junpei Senou (voice)
2014
The Tale of The Princess Kaguya
as Charcoal-maker Old Man (voice)
2013
The Human Trust
as Nobuhiro Sasakura
2013
Promise: The Nabari Poisoned Wine Case, The Life of a Death-row Inmate
2013
Until the Break of Dawn
as Sadayuki Akiyama
2012
Japan's Tragedy
as Fujio Murai
2012
Gaku
as Kazama Shin-ichi
2012
Zatoichi: The Last
as Tendo
2010
Haru's Journey
as Tadao Nakai
2010
Listen to My Heart
as Kyozo Hayami
2009
Tatsuya Nakadai on 'The Human Condition'
as Self
2009
Through the Mist
as (Archive Footage)
2009
Murder of the Inugami Clan
as Sahei Inugami
2006
Yamato
2005
Wish Upon a Star
as Takanori Wakamiya
2005
The Taika Reforms
as Minabuchi no Syôan
2005
Like Asura
as Kotaro Takezawa
2003
Akira Kurosawa: It Is Wonderful to Create: 'Kagemusha'
as Self
2002
Akira Kurosawa: It Is Wonderful to Create: 'Yojimbo'
as Self
2002
Akira Kurosawa: It Is Wonderful to Create: 'Sanjuro'
as Self
2002
Akira Kurosawa: It Is Wonderful to Create: 'High and Low'
as Self
2002
Dawn of a New Day: The Man Behind VHS
as Matsushita (Matsushita Denki Co.)
2002
To Dance with the White Dog
as Eisuke Nakamoto
2002
Vengeance for Sale
as Umetaro Katakura
2002
Kurosawa
as Self
2000
After the Rain
as Tsuji Gettan
2000
Jubaku: Spellbound
as Hideaki Sasaki
1999
Kurosawa: The Last Emperor
as Self
1999
The Life and Love of Kenji Miyazawa
as Seijiro Miyazawa
1996
East Meets West
as Kaishu Katsu
1995
