Tatsuya Nakadai, one of Japan’s most celebrated screen and stage icons, has died
He is known for his roles in films like Ran, Kagemusha, and High and Low, among others
In his illustrious career of over seventy years, Tatsuya appeared made over 100 screen appearances
Legendary Japanese Cinema Icon Tatsuya Nakadai Of Ran And Harakiri Fame Passes Away At 92
Tatsuya Nakadai, a renowned figure in Japanese cinema, has died at age 92.
Summary
Tatsuya Nakadai, one of the renowned Japanese stage and movie actors, breathed his last at the age of 92. His death was reported on Tuesday (November 11) by The Japan News. Nakadai was best known for his roles in Masaki Kobayashi's Harakiri and Akira Kurosawa's Ran, Yojimbo and High and Low.
Who was Tatsuya Nakadai?
Tatsuya Nakadai was born Motohisa Nakadai on December 13, 1932, in Tokyo. He was the second of four siblings. After losing his father, a bus driver, in 1941, the family moved to Aoyama. He went to Haiyuza Training School which led him to acting career, making him one of the most celebrated figures of the Japanese cinema.
Tatsuya Nakadai's film career
In his illustrious career of over seventy years, Tatsuya made over 100 screen appearances.
The legend started his cinematic journey with the small role of a prisoner in Masaki Kobayashi’s The Thick-Walled Room (1953). They became frequent collaborators and delivered some powerful films such as The Human Condition trilogy — No Greater Love (1959), Road to Eternity (1959), A Soldier’s Prayer (1961), Harakiri (1962), Samurai Rebellion (1967), and Kwaidan (1964), among others.
He also appeared in Akira Kurosawa’s iconic film Ran (1985), inspired by Shakespeare’s King Lear. Apart from playing tragic roles, he also played antagonists in Yojimbo (1961) and Sanjuro (1962).
He also had a voice role in Studio Ghibli’s The Tale of the Princess Kaguya (2013) and performed in Japanese adaptations of Death of a Salesman and Don Quixote.
Nakadai, with his late wife and fellow actor Yasuko Miyazaki, set up a private acting school and troupe, Mumeijuku, in 1975 for young actors.
The veteran actor was honoured with Japan’s Blue Ribbon Awards, the first for Harakiri in 1962 followed by the second one for Kagemusha and The Battle of Port Arthur in 1980. In 2015, the cinema icon received the Order of Culture, Japan’s highest honour for contributions to arts and science.
Tatsuya is survived by his daughter, Nao Nakadai.
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