Tatsuya Nakadai (仲代 éç¢, Nakadai Tatsuya; born Motohisa Nakadai; December 13, 1932 â 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 (1959â1961). 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 Kobayashiâincluding Kwaidan (1964) and Samurai Rebellion (1967)âand 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.
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Recent movies
| # | Name | Character | Rating |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Giovanni's Island (2014) | Older Junpei Senou (voice) | 7 |
| 2 | Gun Woman (2014) | Hamazaki | 7.8 |
| 3 | The Tale of The Princess Kaguya (2013) Oscars 2015 | Charcoal-maker Old Man (voice) | 8 |
| 4 | Zatoichi: The Last (2010) | Tendo | 5 |
| 5 | Through the Mist (2009) | (archive footage) | - |
| 6 | After the Rain (2000) | Tsuji Gettan | 10 |
| 7 | Lone Wolf and Cub: The Final Conflict (1993) | Yagyu Retsudo | - |
| 8 | Basara: The Princess Goh (1992) | Oribe Furuta | - |
| 9 | Wicked City (1992) | Daishu | - |
| 10 | Heat Wave (1991) | Tsunejiro Murai | - |
| 11 | Four Days of Snow and Blood (1989) | Sugiyama | - |
| 12 | Return from the River Kwai (1989) | Major Harada | 3 |
| 13 | Hachiko (1987) | Shujiro Ueno | 7 |
| 14 | Ran (1985) | Lord Hidetora Ichimonji | 7.8 |
| 15 | A. K. (1985) | Self | 7 |
| 16 | Port Arthur (1980) | Maresuke Nogi | - |
| 17 | Kagemusha (1980) | Shingen Takeda / Kagemusha | 7.2 |
| 18 | Hunter in the Dark (1979) | Gomyo Kiyoemon | 7 |
| 19 | Bandits vs. Samurai Squadron (1978) | Kumokiri Nizaemon | 5 |
| 20 | Belladonna of Sadness (1973) | The Devil (voice) | 7.5 |
| 21 | The Battle of Okinawa (1971) | Colonel Hiromichi Yahara | - |
| 22 | Zatoichi Goes to the Fire Festival (1970) | Ronin | 6.5 |
| 23 | The Scandalous Adventures of Buraikan (1970) | Naojiro Kataoka | 4 |
| 24 | Tenchu! (1969) | Hanpeita Takechi | 4 |
| 25 | Blood End (1969) | Sentaro | 5 |
| 26 | Today We Kill, Tomorrow We Die! (1968) | James Elfego | 6 |
| 27 | The Human Bullet (1968) | Narrator | 8 |
| 28 | Samurai Rebellion (1967) | Tatewaki Asano | 9.5 |
| 29 | Japan's Longest Day (1967) | Narrator (voice) | 5 |
| 30 | The Face of Another (1966) | Mr. Okuyama | 7 |
| 31 | Cash Calls Hell (1966) | Oida | 4 |
| 32 | The Sword of Doom (1966) | Ryunosuke Tsukue | 6.8 |
| 33 | Fort Graveyard (1965) | Sakuma | - |
| 34 | Kwaidan (1965) | Minokichi (segment "The Woman of the Snow") | 7 |
| 35 | Legacy of the 500,000 (1963) | Mitsura Gunji | - |
| 36 | High and Low (1963) | Chief Detective Tokura | 7.8 |
| 37 | Love Under the Crucifix (1962) | Ukon Takayama | 3 |
| 38 | Harakiri (1962) | Hanshiro Tsugumo | 8.9 |
| 39 | Sanjuro (1962) | Hanbei Muroto | 7.6 |
| 40 | Immortal Love (1961) | Heibei | 6 |
| 41 | Yojimbo (1961) | Unosuke, gunfighter | 7.7 |
| 42 | The Human Condition III: A Soldier's Prayer (1961) | Kaji | 7.5 |
| 43 | The Other Woman (1961) | Minami | 3 |
| 44 | Daughters, Wives and a Mother (1960) | Kuroki Shingo | 2 |
| 45 | The Human Condition I: No Greater Love (1959) | Kaji | 6 |
| 46 | The Human Condition II: Road to Eternity (1959) | Kaji | 8 |
| 47 | All About Marriage (1958) | Akira Nakayama | - |
| 48 | Conflagration (1958) | Tokari | 3 |
| 49 | Black River (1957) | Jo | 4 |
| 50 | The Thick-Walled Room (1956) | (Uncredited) | 4 |
| 51 | Seven Samurai (1954) | Samurai Wandering through Town (uncredited) | 8.5 |
