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Personal Info
Known For
Acting
Birthday
December 13, 1932
Died
November 8, 2025
Place of Birth
Meguro, Tokyo, Japan
Also Known As
- Тацуя Накадай
- Tatsuya Nakadaki
- تاتسویا ناکادای
- Motohisa Nakadai
- 仲代 元久
- 仲代元久
- 仲代 達矢
Tatsuya Nakadai
2.8 Popularity
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.
Known For
0.0
Narrator
The Limit
2025
8.0
Self
Life Work of Akira Kurosawa
2022
7.1
Makino Tadayuki
The Pass: Last Days of the Samurai
2022
8.0
The Return
2019
8.0
A Town and a Tall Chimney
2019
6.7
(narration)
Sleeping Village
2019
🎬
0.0
Unosuke (archive footage)
Black Baby
2018
0.0
Narrator
Henkan kōshōjin: Itsuka, Okinawa o torimodosu
2018
6.2
Kuwahata Chokichi
Lear on the Shore
2017
7.0
Yohei Tachibana
Great evil does not go to sleep: The counterattack of the special investigation unit prosecutor
2016
Credits
The Limit
as Narrator
2025
0.0
Life Work of Akira Kurosawa
as Self
2022
8.0
The Pass: Last Days of the Samurai
as Makino Tadayuki
2022
7.1
The Return
2019
8.0
A Town and a Tall Chimney
2019
8.0
Sleeping Village
as (narration)
2019
6.7
🎬
Black Baby
as Unosuke (archive footage)
2018
0.0
Henkan kōshōjin: Itsuka, Okinawa o torimodosu
as Narrator
2018
0.0
Lear on the Shore
as Kuwahata Chokichi
2017
6.2
Great evil does not go to sleep: The counterattack of the special investigation unit prosecutor
as Yohei Tachibana
2016
7.0
A Duel Tale
2015
8.0
NORINTEN 稲塚権次郎物語
2015
0.0
ふたりの死刑囚
as Narrator
2015
0.0
Before The Leaves Fall
as Kenichiro Miya
2015
0.0
Isao Takahata and His Tale of The Princess Kaguya
as Self
2014
6.4
A Sinner's Lie
as Kenzo Haneda
2014
8.3
Gun Woman
as Hamazaki
2014
5.0
Giovanni's Island
as Older Junpei Senou (voice)
2014
7.5
The Tale of The Princess Kaguya
as Charcoal-maker Old Man (voice)
2013
8.1
The Human Trust
as Nobuhiro Sasakura
2013
4.0
Promise: The Nabari Poisoned Wine Case, The Life of a Death-row Inmate
2013
0.0
Until the Break of Dawn
as Sadayuki Akiyama
2012
6.7
Japan's Tragedy
as Fujio Murai
2012
6.5
Gaku
as Kazama Shin-ichi
2012
0.0
Zatoichi: The Last
as Tendo
2010
5.6
Haru's Journey
as Tadao Nakai
2010
6.5
Listen to My Heart
as Kyozo Hayami
2009
0.0
Tatsuya Nakadai on 'The Human Condition'
as Self
2009
0.0
Through the Mist
as (Archive Footage)
2009
6.1
Samurai Banners
2007
7.6
Murder of the Inugami Clan
as Sahei Inugami
2006
6.9
Yamato
2005
5.5
Wish Upon a Star
as Takanori Wakamiya
2005
0.0
The Taika Reforms
as Minabuchi no Syôan
2005
0.0
Crying Out Love, in the Center of the World
as Matsumoto Kentaro
2004
8.3
Like Asura
as Kotaro Takezawa
2003
6.5
Akira Kurosawa: It Is Wonderful to Create: 'High and Low'
as Self
2002
0.0
Akira Kurosawa: It Is Wonderful to Create: 'Kagemusha'
as Self
2002
7.0
Akira Kurosawa: It Is Wonderful to Create: 'Yojimbo'
as Self
2002
0.0
Akira Kurosawa: It Is Wonderful to Create: 'Sanjuro'
as Self
2002
0.0
Dawn of a New Day: The Man Behind VHS
as Matsushita (Matsushita Denki Co.)
2002
7.0
To Dance with the White Dog
as Eisuke Nakamoto
2002
0.0
Vengeance for Sale
as Umetaro Katakura
2002
6.4
🎬
嘱託刑事･小山田昭平 旅路の果て
2001
0.0
Kurosawa
as Self
2000
6.7
After the Rain
as Tsuji Gettan
2000
7.3
Jubaku: Spellbound
as Hideaki Sasaki
1999
6.0
Kurosawa: The Last Emperor
as Self
1999
5.5
The Life and Love of Kenji Miyazawa
as Seijiro Miyazawa
1996
0.0
A Son Of The Good Earth
1995
10.0
East Meets West
as Kaishu Katsu
1995
5.4
Summer of the Moonlight Sonata
1993
0.0
Kin chan no Cinema Jack
1993
0.0
Lone Wolf and Cub: The Final Conflict
as Yagyu Retsudo
1993
7.6
Wicked City
as Daishu
1992
5.7
Faraway Sunset
as Kobayashi
1992
0.0
Pinwheel Hamakichi's Spell
1992
0.0
Basara: The Princess Goh
as Oribe Furuta
1992
6.9
Pinwheel Hamakichi's Spell
1992
0.0
Heat Wave
as Tsunejiro Murai
1991
5.6
Florence My Love
1991
0.0
13 Assassins
1990
7.0
Let Him Rest in Peace
1989
0.0
Four Days of Snow and Blood
as Sugiyama
1989
6.8
Return from the River Kwai
as Major Harada
1989
5.0
Another Way: D-Kikan-Joho
1988
1.0
Oración
as Heihachiro Wagu
1988
6.0
Trinacria: Porsche 959
1987
0.0
Hachiko
as Shujiro Ueno
1987
7.8
Taikoki
as (Narrator)
1987
8.0
Michi
as Seiji Tajima
1986
1.0
Atami Murder Case
as Denbei Nikaido
1986
0.0
The Empty Table
as Nobuyuki Kidoji
1985
5.3
Ran
as Lord Hidetora Ichimonji
1985
8.0
A. K.
as Self
1985
6.3
Making of Ran
as Self
1985
0.0
Fireflies in the North
as Takeshi Tsukigata
1984
5.3
The Fir Trees Remain
1983
0.0
Momi no Ki wa Nokotta: Ranshin
1983
0.0
Shadow Hunters
1983
8.0
Battle Anthem
1983
7.0
Final Yamato
as Narrator
1983
7.0
The Legend of Sayo
1982
6.3
Tange Sazen: The Million Ryo Pot
as Sazen Tange
1982
10.0
The Law of Hell
1982
0.0
Onimasa: A Japanese Godfather
as Masagoro Kiryuin - Onimasa
1982
6.0
Willful Murder
as Yashiro
1981
7.3
Magistrate of the Floating World
1981
6.0
Kinagashi Bugyō
1981
0.0
Aoki Ookami Narukichiomoase no Shougai
as ナレーション
1980
0.0
Port Arthur
as Maresuke Nogi
1980
7.3
Kagemusha
as Shingen Takeda / Kagemusha
1980
7.8
Hunter in the Dark
as Gomyo Kiyoemon
1979
6.3
Blood Type: Blue
as Minami
1978
5.5
The Phoenix
as Jingi the Conqueror, leader of the Takamagahara
1978
5.6
Bandits vs. Samurai Squadron
as Kumokiri Nizaemon
1978
5.9
Queen Bee
as Ginzo Daidoji
1978
7.3
🎬
Sugata Sanshiro
as Yano
1977
0.0
Suna no Utsuwa
as 今西栄太郎
1977
0.0
The Corporation
1976
1.0
Human Revolution II
1976
0.0
Elegy
as Setsuo Katsuragi
1976
0.0
Solar Eclipse
as Yasuo Hoshino, the Chief Cabinet Secretary
1975
6.8
I Am a Cat
as Kushami
1975
2.8
Battle Cry
as Hijikata Toshizo
1975
6.0
The Gate of Youth
1975
9.0
The Family
as Teppei Manpyo
1974
10.0
Rise, Fair Sun
1973
0.0
The Human Revolution
1973
0.0
Belladonna of Sadness
as The Devil (voice)
1973
7.3
The King
as Kinjiro Sekine
1973
0.0
Shin Heike Monogatari
as Taira no Kiyomori
1972
7.0
The Wolves
as Seji Iwahashi
1971
7.4
Inn of Evil
as Sadashichi
1971
6.0
The Battle of Okinawa
as Colonel Hiromichi Yahara
1971
7.5
Challenge at Dawn
as Tsukagoshi
1971
0.0
Will to Conquer
1970
0.0
Zatoichi Goes to the Fire Festival
as Ronin
1970
6.6
The Scandalous Adventures of Buraikan
as Naojiro Kataoka
1970
6.8
The Ambitious
as Shintaro Nakaoka
1970
7.2
Duel at Fort Ezo
as Daizennokami Honjo
1970
5.4
Portrait of Hell
as Yoshihide
1969
8.1
Blood End
as Sentaro
1969
6.2
Tenchu!
as Hanpeita Takechi
1969
6.9
Battle of the Japan Sea
as Major Genjiro Akashi
1969
6.0
Safari 5000
1969
7.3
Goyokin
as Magobei Wakizaka
1969
7.5
The Human Bullet
as Narrator
1968
5.8
Admiral Yamamoto
as Narrator (voice)
1968
8.3
Kill!
as Genta
1968
6.9
Today We Kill, Tomorrow We Die!
as James Elfego
1968
6.0
Journey
1967
0.0
Japan's Longest Day
as Narrator (voice)
1967
7.2
Samurai Rebellion
as Tatewaki Asano
1967
8.2
Gomez's Name is Gomez
as Sakamoto
1967
0.0
🎬
ゴメスの名はゴメス
1967
0.0
Kojiro
as Musashi Miyamoto
1967
7.5
The Age of Assassins
as Shinji Kikyo
1967
7.5
The Daphne
1966
0.0
The Face of Another
as Mr. Okuyama
1966
7.8
The Sword of Doom
as Ryunosuke Tsukue
1966
7.7
Cash Calls Hell
as Oida
1966
7.6
Fort Graveyard
as Sakuma
1965
6.0
Illusion of Blood
as Iyemon Tamiya
1965
6.2
Three Yakuza
1965
7.8
The Last Judgment
1965
0.0
Kwaidan
as Minokichi (segment "The Woman of the Snow")
1965
7.7
Ant Hell War
1964
0.0
Mr. Giant's Victory Flag
1964
0.0
A Woman's Life
1963
7.0
Miren
as Ryôta Kinoshita
1963
0.0
Legacy of the 500,000
as Mitsura Gunji
1963
7.1
High and Low
as Chief Detective Tokura
1963
8.3
Pressure of Guilt
1963
7.0
Yushu Heiya
as Tatsumi
1963
0.0
Chibusa o daku musume tachi
1962
0.0
Harakiri
as Hanshiro Tsugumo
1962
8.4
Love Under the Crucifix
as Ukon Takayama
1962
6.9
The Inheritance
as Kikuo Furukawa
1962
7.2
Sanjuro
as Hanbei Muroto
1962
7.9
Immortal Love
as Heibei
1961
7.5
As the Clouds Scatter
1961
5.2
The Other Woman
as Minami
1961
6.3
Yojimbo
as Unosuke, gunfighter
1961
8.1
The Human Condition III: A Soldier's Prayer
as Kaji
1961
8.4
Get 'em All
as Tsubota
1960
6.0
The Blue Beast
1960
7.0
Daughters, Wives and a Mother
as Kuroki Shingo
1960
7.1
When a Woman Ascends the Stairs
as Kenichi Komatsu
1960
7.9
The Human Condition II: Road to Eternity
as Kaji
1959
8.2
Pilgrimage at Night
1959
0.0
Three Dolls in Ginza
as Kyosuke Tamura
1959
0.0
Odd Obsession
as Kimura
1959
6.2
The Beast Shall Die
as Kunihiko Date
1959
5.6
The Human Condition I: No Greater Love
as Kaji
1959
8.1
The Naked Sun
1958
0.0
Conflagration
as Tokari
1958
7.1
Diary of an Elegant Hot Spring
as Kazuo Shimada
1958
0.0
Oban kanketsu hen
as Shin Don
1958
0.0
Go and Get It
as His assistant
1958
0.0
All About Marriage
as Akira Nakayama
1958
0.0
A Boy and Three Mothers
as The Engineer
1958
0.0
Kampai! Miai Kekkon
as Kunihiko Sasada
1958
0.0
Teenage Sazae
1957
0.0
Zokuzoku Ôban: Dotô hen
as Shindon
1957
0.0
Black River
as Jo
1957
6.8
Skin-Colored Moon
as Jirô Taki
1957
0.0
A Dangerous Hero
1957
0.0
Zoku Ôban: Fûun hen
as Shin don
1957
0.0
The Shadow Daughter
1957
0.0
Untamed Woman
as Kimura
1957
7.4
Ôban
as Shin Don
1957
0.0
The Mandarin Room
1956
0.0
Sazae-san
as Norisuke
1956
8.0
The Thick-Walled Room
as (Uncredited)
1956
7.1
Love on Rainbow Island
as Yûji Wada
1956
0.0
Phoenix
1956
6.0
Floating Weeds Diary
1955
4.3
Seven Samurai
as Samurai Wandering through Town (uncredited)
1954
8.5
The Gion Tempest
as Masaki
N/A
0.0