Tatsuya Nakadai
- Known for
- Acting
- Born
- December 13, 1932
- Died
- November 8, 2025 (aged 92)
- Birthplace
- Meguro, Tokyo, Japan
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
Photos
Filmography
The Limit
Movie · as Narrator (voice)
Life Work of Akira Kurosawa
Movie · as Self
The Pass: Last Days of the Samurai
Movie · as Makino Tadayuki
The Return
Movie · as Unokichi
A Town and a Tall Chimney
Movie · as Hyoma Sekine
Sleeping Village
Movie · as Narrator (voice)
Henkan kōshōjin: Itsuka, Okinawa o torimodosu
Movie · as Narrator (voice)
Lear on the Shore
Movie · as Kuwahata Chokichi
Tatsuya Nakadai on Five Japanese Masters
Movie · as self
Great evil does not go to sleep: The counterattack of the special investigation unit prosecutor
Movie · as Yohei Tachibana
Mifune: The Last Samurai
Movie · as Self (archive footage)
Cold Case: Door of Truth
TV · as Suzaki Kiyoshi · 1 ep
Futari no shikeishû - saishin imada hirakarezu
Movie · as Narrator (voice)
A Duel Tale
Movie · as Sanosuke Shoji
Before The Leaves Fall
Movie · as Kenichiro Miya
NORIN TEN inadzukagonjirō monogatari
Movie · as Gonjiro Inazuka
Nakadai Tatsuya: to Live for Acting
Movie · as Self
Giovanni's Island
Movie · as Older Junpei Senou (voice)
Isao Takahata and His Tale of The Princess Kaguya
Movie · as Self
Gun Woman
Movie · as Hamazaki
A Sinner's Lie
TV · as Kenzo Haneda · 5 eps
The Human Trust
Movie · as Nobuhiro Sasakura
The Tale of The Princess Kaguya
Movie · as Charcoal-maker Old Man (voice)
Promise: The Nabari Poisoned Wine Case, The Life of a Death-row Inmate
Movie · as Masaru Okunishi
Japan's Tragedy
Movie · as Fujio Murai
Until the Break of Dawn
Movie · as Sadayuki Akiyama
Gaku
Movie · as Kazama Shin-ichi
Haru's Journey
Movie · as Tadao Nakai
Zatoichi: The Last
Movie · as Tendo
Listen to My Heart
Movie · as Kyozo Hayami
Through the Mist
Movie · as (archive footage)
Tatsuya Nakadai on 'The Human Condition'
Movie · as Self
Tatsuya Nakadai on WHEN A WOMAN ASCENDS THE STAIRS
Movie · as Self
Samurai Banners
TV · 54 eps
Murder of the Inugami Clan
Movie · as Sahei Inugami
Wish Upon a Star
Movie · as Takanori Wakamiya
Yamato
Movie
The Taika Reforms
Movie · as Minabuchi no Syôan
A Golden Age
Movie · as Self
Crying Out Love, in the Center of the World
TV · as Matsumoto Kentaro · 11 eps
Like Asura
Movie · as Kotaro Takezawa
Vengeance for Sale
Movie · as Umetaro Katakura
Dawn of a New Day: The Man Behind VHS
Movie · as Matsushita (Matsushita Denki Co.)
Akira Kurosawa: It Is Wonderful to Create: 'Kagemusha'
Movie · as Self
Akira Kurosawa: It Is Wonderful to Create: 'Yojimbo'
Movie · as Self
Akira Kurosawa: It Is Wonderful to Create: 'Sanjuro'
Movie · as Self
Akira Kurosawa: It Is Wonderful to Create: 'High and Low'
Movie · as Self
To Dance with the White Dog
Movie · as Eisuke Nakamoto
Akira Kurosawa: It Is Wonderful to Create: 'Ran'
Movie · as Self
嘱託刑事･小山田昭平 旅路の果て
TV · 1 ep
Kurosawa
Movie · as Self
After the Rain
Movie · as Tsuji Gettan
Kurosawa: The Last Emperor
Movie · as Self
Jubaku: Spellbound
Movie · as Hideaki Sasaki
The Life and Love of Kenji Miyazawa
Movie · as Seijiro Miyazawa
East Meets West
Movie · as Kaishu Katsu
A Son of the Good Earth
TV · 11 eps
Kin chan no Cinema Jack
Movie
Lone Wolf and Cub: The Final Conflict
Movie · as Yagyu Retsudo
Summer of the Moonlight Sonata
Movie
Wicked City
Movie · as Daishu
Basara: The Princess Goh
Movie · as Oribe Furuta
Pinwheel Hamakichi's Spell
Movie · as Hamakichi
Faraway Sunset
Movie · as Kobayashi
Pinwheel Hamakichi's Spell
TV · 6 eps
Heat Wave
Movie · as Tsunejiro Murai
Florence My Love
Movie
13 Assassins
Movie · as Shinzaemon Shimada
Battleship Yamato
Movie · as Vice Admiral Seiichi Itō
Return from the River Kwai
Movie · as Major Harada
Four Days of Snow and Blood
Movie · as Sugiyama
Let Him Rest in Peace
Movie
Another Way: D-Kikan-Joho
Movie · as Shimamura
Oración
Movie · as Heihachiro Wagu
Hachiko
Movie · as Shujiro Ueno
Taikoki
Movie · as Narrator (voice)
Trinacria: Porsche 959
Movie
Atami Murder Case
Movie · as Denbei Nikaido
Michi
Movie · as Seiji Tajima
Ran
Movie · as Lord Hidetora Ichimonji
The Empty Table
Movie · as Nobuyuki Kidoji
Making of Ran
Movie · as Self
A. K.
Movie · as Self
Fireflies in the North
Movie · as Takeshi Tsukigata
The Fox Dancing in the Dusk
Movie
Final Yamato
Movie · as Narrator
Battle Anthem
Movie · as Narrator (voice)
The Fir Trees Remain
Movie
Shadow Hunters
Movie
Momi no Ki wa Nokotta: Ranshin
TV · 1 ep
Onimasa: A Japanese Godfather
Movie · as Masagoro Kiryuin - Onimasa
The Law of Hell
Movie · as Ikuzô
Tange Sazen: The Million Ryo Pot
Movie · as Sazen Tange
The Legend of Sayo
Movie · as Otozo
Magistrate of the Floating World
Movie
Willful Murder
Movie · as Yashiro
Kinagashi Bugyō
TV · 1 ep
Kagemusha
Movie · as Shingen Takeda / Kagemusha
Port Arthur
Movie · as Maresuke Nogi
Aoki Ookami Narukichiomoase no Shougai
TV · as ナレーション · 2 eps
Hunter in the Dark
Movie · as Gomyo Kiyoemon
Bandits vs. Samurai Squadron
Movie · as Kumokiri Nizaemon
Queen Bee
Movie · as Ginzo Daidoji
Blood Type: Blue
Movie · as Minami
The Phoenix
Movie · as Jingi the Conqueror, leader of the Takamagahara
Sugata Sanshiro
Movie · as Yano
Suna no Utsuwa
TV · as 今西栄太郎 · 6 eps
The Corporation
Movie · as Tadashi Iki
Human Revolution II
Movie
Elegy
Movie · as Setsuo Katsuragi
I Am a Cat
Movie · as Kushami
Battle Cry
Movie · as Hijikata Toshizo
The Gate of Youth
Movie
Solar Eclipse
Movie · as Yasuo Hoshino, the Chief Cabinet Secretary
The Family
Movie · as Teppei Manpyo / Keisuke Manpyo
Rise, Fair Sun
Movie · as Sakuzo
Belladonna of Sadness
Movie · as The Devil (voice)
The Human Revolution
Movie · as Nichiren
The King
Movie · as Kinjiro Sekine
Shin Heike Monogatari
TV · as Taira no Kiyomori · 52 eps
The Wolves
Movie · as Seji Iwahashi
Inn of Evil
Movie · as Sadashichi
The Battle of Okinawa
Movie · as Colonel Hiromichi Yahara
Challenge at Dawn
Movie · as Tsukagoshi
Zatoichi Goes to the Fire Festival
Movie · as Ronin
The Scandalous Adventures of Buraikan
Movie · as Naojiro Kataoka
Duel at Fort Ezo
Movie · as Daizennokami Honjo
Will to Conquer
Movie · as Yoshida Tōyō
The Ambitious
Movie · as Shintaro Nakaoka
Tenchu!
Movie · as Hanpeita Takechi
Goyokin
Movie · as Magobei Wakizaka
Portrait of Hell
Movie · as Yoshihide
Blood End
Movie · as Sentaro
Battle of the Japan Sea
Movie · as Major Genjiro Akashi
Safari 5000
Movie · as Masaomi Takeuchi
Kill!
Movie · as Genta
Today We Kill, Tomorrow We Die!
Movie · as James Elfego
The Human Bullet
Movie · as Narrator (voice)
Admiral Yamamoto
Movie · as Narrator (voice)
Samurai Rebellion
Movie · as Tatewaki Asano
The Age of Assassins
Movie · as Shinji Kikyo
Kojiro
Movie · as Musashi Miyamoto
The Journey
Movie · as Yuichiro
Japan's Longest Day
Movie · as Narrator (voice)
Who Is Gomez?
Movie · as Sakamoto
ゴメスの名はゴメス
TV · 5 eps
The Face of Another
Movie · as Mr. Okuyama
The Sword of Doom
Movie · as Ryunosuke Tsukue
Cash Calls Hell
Movie · as Oida
The Daphne
Movie
Kwaidan
Movie · as Minokichi (segment "The Woman of the Snow")
Illusion of Blood
Movie · as Iyemon Tamiya
Fort Graveyard
Movie · as Sakuma
Three Yakuza
Movie
The Last Judgment
Movie · as Jiro
Ant Hell War
Movie
Mr. Giant's Victory Flag
Movie
High and Low
Movie · as Chief Detective Tokura
A Woman's Life
Movie · as Takashi Akimoto
Pressure of Guilt
Movie · as Ichiro Hamano
Legacy of the 500,000
Movie · as Mitsura Gunji
Miren
Movie · as Ryôta Kinoshita
Madame Aki
Movie · as Tatsumi
Sanjuro
Movie · as Hanbei Muroto
Harakiri
Movie · as Hanshiro Tsugumo
The Inheritance
Movie · as Kikuo Furukawa
Love Under the Crucifix
Movie · as Ukon Takayama
Farm Girls
Movie · as Kenichi
Yojimbo
Movie · as Unosuke, gunfighter
The Human Condition III: A Soldier's Prayer
Movie · as Kaji
Immortal Love
Movie · as Heibei
The Other Woman
Movie · as Minami
As the Clouds Scatter
Movie · as James Kimura
When a Woman Ascends the Stairs
Movie · as Kenichi Komatsu
Daughters, Wives and a Mother
Movie · as Kuroki Shingo
The Blue Beast
Movie · as Yasuhiko Kuroki
Get 'em All
Movie · as Tsubota
The Human Condition I: No Greater Love
Movie · as Kaji
The Human Condition II: Road to Eternity
Movie · as Kaji
Odd Obsession
Movie · as Kimura
The Beast Shall Die
Movie · as Kunihiko Date
Pilgrimage at Night
Movie · as Kaname
Three Dolls in Ginza
Movie · as Kyosuke Tamura
Oban kanketsu hen
Movie · as Shin Don
Conflagration
Movie · as Tokari
A Boy and Three Mothers
Movie · as Kensaku, the Engineer
The Naked Sun
Movie · as Jiro Maeda
All About Marriage
Movie · as Akira Nakayama
Diary of an Elegant Hot Spring
Movie · as Kazuo Shimada
Go and Get It
Movie · as Hara
Kampai! Miai Kekkon
Movie · as Kunihiko Sasada
The Gion Tempest
Movie · as Masaki
Zokuzoku Ôban: Dotô hen
Movie · as Shindon
Ôban
Movie · as Shin Don
Zoku Ôban: Fûun hen
Movie · as Shin don
Black River
Movie · as Joe
A Dangerous Hero
Movie · as Reporter Imamura
Untamed Woman
Movie · as Kimura
Teenage Sazae
Movie · as Norisuke
The Shadow Daughter
Movie · as Motohashi
Skin-Colored Moon
Movie · as Jirô Taki
Phoenix
Movie · as Keiichi Naganuma
Love on Rainbow Island
Movie · as Yûji Wada
Sazae-san
Movie · as Norisuke
The Mandarin Room
Movie · as Ando
The Thick-Walled Room
Movie · as Prisoner (uncredited)
Floating Weeds Diary
Movie · as Union Member
Seven Samurai
Movie · as Samurai Wandering through Town (uncredited)
How the Bell of Liberty Rings
Movie · as (uncredited)