View for person of id: 118982
Kinya Kitaoji
Born: 23rd Feb 1943 Kyoto, Kyoto, Japan
Dept: Acting
Early life:
He was born in Kyoto, son of jidaigeki film star Ichikawa Utaemon, and graduated from Waseda University School of Letters, Arts and Sciences Ⅱ in Tokyo.
Acting career:
Kin'ya made his debut with his father in the 1956 Toei film Oyakodaka in the role of Katsu Kaishū. He is a contemporary of, and was taken to be a rival of, Hiroki Matsukata, who was also the son of a famous actor (Jūshirō Konoe). In 1964, Kin'ya made his first appearance on stage in Cyrano de Bergerac.
The 1960s and 1970s saw him in many contemporary roles. He appeared in Battles Without Honor and Humanity: Deadly Fight in Hiroshima and Battles Without Honor and Humanity: Final Episode as well as Karei naru Ichizoku. The title role in the 1975 film Takehisa Yumeji was his.
On television, Kitaōji portrayed Miyamoto Musashi in the Nippon Television show of the same name. A major historical role was Sakamoto Ryōma in the year-long prime-time NHK Taiga drama Ryōma ga Yuku (1968). He landed the title role in the long-running cop show Zenigata Heiji, set in the Edo period. In the 1985 twelve-hour New Year special Fūun Yagyū Bugeichō, he played Yagyū Jūbei, and in the following year's special, he portrayed both Tokugawa Yoshimune and Yagyū Shinrokurō. The role of another shogun fell to him in the following new year as TV Tokyo tapped him to play Tokugawa Iemitsu. Kin'ya returned to NHK for the 1987 Taiga drama Dokuganryū Masamune as Date Terumune, father of title character Date Masamune.
Another role he took had been created by his father. Saotome Mondonosuke was the title character in the series Gozonji! Hatamoto Taikutsu Otoko. It ran from 1988 to 1994 on TV Asahi. His father, Ichikawa Utaemon, had appeared in numerous films as Mondonosuke.
Kin'ya reprised the part of Miyamoto Musashi in the 1990 New Year's special. Toshirō Mifune had portrayed Musashi in the earlier film, also based on the Eiji Yoshikawa story, that had won an Academy Award. He returned to the New Year's special in 1996, again as the famous swordsman, in Tokugawa Kengōden Sore kara no Musashi.
His first portrayal of Ōishi Kuranosuke was in the 1996 Chūshingura. He took up the role again in 2004 for the NHK Saigo no Chūshingura and in 2007, in the New Year special Chūshingura Yōzei-in no Inbō. Other historical roles from the Sengoku period include Azai Nagamasa, Saitō Dōsan, and Yamamoto Kansuke. In addition to historical parts, he appeared in fictional series. His portrayal of Ogami Ittō in the Lone Wolf and Cub ( Kozure 2) Which was a series for Asahi TV in Japan is representative of these appearances.
In 2008, Kitaōji revisited the role of Katsu Kaishū in the Taiga drama Atsuhime. He had portrayed Katsu in his 1956 debut.
He won the award for best actor at the 10th Hochi Film Award for Fire Festival and Haru no kane. Kitaōji played one of the lead roles in Hideo Nakata's psychological thriller film The Incite Mill.
In recent times, Kitaōji voices the Hokkaido-inu character of "Father" in SoftBank Mobile's White Family advertising campaign.
[ToDo] Show list of extra photos here.
Film and Tv Credits
Total number of credits listed: 170
Film: 124 (73%)
Television: 46 (27%)
Remaining genres not in graph: Family, Horror, War & Politics, Science Fiction, Fantasy
Filmography
Apr 2026 (first aired)
A dynamic duo of detectives operates from a high-tech mobile command truck to solve complex "wide-area" crimes that cross jurisdictional boundaries. ... view
Character:
Midorikawa Soichiro (3 ep.)
Apr 2024 (first aired)
This series, produced to commemorate the 65th anniversary of TV Asahi, tells the story of Riku Kariyama, an architectural designer passionate about br ... view
Character:
Goro Bando (9 ep.)
Jan 2024 (first aired)
Yaemori Alice is a chef with autism spectrum disorder (ASD) whose favorite phrase is “Cooking is chemistry.” She’s not good at communicating wit ... view
Character:
Gojo Michitaka (10 ep.)
Apr 2023 (first aired)
The mystery of how Kazama Kimichika became so ruthless and unmatched will be revealed. Kyojo Zero depicts the time before he was assigned to the poli ... view
Character:
Unknown/various (1 ep.)
Original title: レジェンド＆バタフライ
2023
Oda Nobunaga and Nōhime were originally married to mend a hostile relationship between neighbouring regions. Unfortunately, they were like oil and wa ... view
Character:
Saitō Dōsan
2022
Shohei Kazama (Kinya Kitaoji), who travels all over the country and works as a special police chief, is new to the Iwaki Tokiwa Police Station in Fuku ... view
Character:
Feb 2021 (first aired)
Ichito Kurihara is a physician at a small hospital in Nagano Prefecture. The hospital doesn't have enough doctors, which causes Ichito Kurihara to cov ... view
Character:
Itagaki Genzo [Director] (4 ep.)
Original title: コンフィデンスマンJP プリンセス編
2020
Set in Langkawi, Malaysia, professional scammers Dako (Masami Nagasawa), Boku-chan (Masahiro Higashide), and Richard (Fumiyo Kohinata) target the Fuu ... view
Character:
Raymond Fuu
Jan 2020 (first aired)
Onda Kokoro is an oncologist called Dr Onkoro for short by the people around her and teased that she was born for this path. She got married to Takumi ... view
Character:
Kyotaro Onda (11 ep.)
Original title: 砂の器
2019
A bruised and battered corpse in Shibuya, Tokyo has the attention of the local cops. A veteran detective is assigned to the case. The last utterance o ... view
Character:
Original title: 七つの会議
2019
A seemingly lazy salaryman is tasked with managing a company secret. ... view
Character:
Ikuo Yakuyama
Jan 2019 (first aired)
After being paralysed while on a case Detective Ichiro Onizuka returns to Shinjuku East to solve unsolved cases. ... view
Character:
Unknown/various (22 ep.)
Jan 2017 (first aired)
Higurashi Tabito has lost four out of his five senses--his sense of sound, smell, taste, and touch. The only sense he has is sight, which he relies on ... view
Character:
Wataru Enoki (9 ep.)
Original title: モンスターストライク THE MOVIE はじまりの場所へ
2016
Monster Strike: The Movie serves as a prequel to the net anime series based on the game of the same name. The anime tells the story of Ren, who return ... view
Character:
Kentaro Ishibashi (voice)
Original title: ONE PIECE FILM GOLD
2016
The glittering Gran Tesoro, a city of entertainment beyond the laws of the government, is a sanctuary for the world’s most infamous pirates, Marines ... view
Character:
Raise Max (voice)
Original title: 事件17～大富豪の夫を殺した女！空白の一時間に何が？
2016
One evening, a married couple comes to the Itami Law Office. Narumi Suzumura, six months pregnant, and her husband Takuya have come to ask Itami to ta ... view
Character:
Shuichi Itami
Original title: さよならドビュッシー ～ピアニスト探偵 岬洋介～
2016
Yosuke Misaki used to be a promising prosecutor, but he suddenly quit his job. He begins a new career as a pianist. He knocks on the door of wealthy ... view
Character:
香月玄太郎
Jan 2016 (first aired)
The story of Kishi Keiichitaro, a dashingly handsome pathologist who is intensely eccentric and brutally honest, but also holds one of the most brilli ... view
Character:
Kaoru Nakaguma (10 ep.)
Jul 2015 (first aired)
Yū Amagi is a slightly eccentric detective who has been assigned to the Twelfth Section of the Tokyo Metropolitan Police Department's First Investiga ... view
Character:
Shuntaro Domoto (85 ep.)
Apr 2015 (first aired)
Ieji Hisashi, a salaryman who works for a securities company, has a fuzzy memory of the recent five years because of an accident at his job posting. H ... view
Character:
Yozo Ieji (1 ep.)
Original title: 黒い福音
2014
In 1959, a body of a flight attendant of an international airline is found, strangled. Detective Rokuro Fujisawa takes charge of the investigation wit ... view
Character:
Jan 2014 (first aired)
Kiyokazu (Kinya Kitaoji) retires from the company where he worked for many years. He will begin a new job as a temp at a game center affiliated with h ... view
Character:
清田清一 (24 ep.)
Original title: 桜ほうさら
2014
Shonosuke Furukehashi (Hiroshi Tamaki) is a young samurai and the second son of Sozaemon (Bunchin Katsura) of Togane Domain, Kazusa Province. Sozaemon ... view
Character:
Jul 2013 (first aired)
Hanzawa Naoki works as a loan manager at the Osaka Nishi branch of Tokyo Central Bank. One day, Hanzawa makes a loan contract for 500 million yen with ... view
Character:
Ken Nakanowatari (20 ep.)
Original title: リーガル・ハイ スペシャル
2013
Kazuhiko Kogure, who is a 2nd grade student in middle school, falls off from one of the school's rooftop. There were other male students on the roof w ... view
Character:
Isao Teshigawara
Oct 2012 (first aired)
Daimon Michiko is a 37-year-old freelance surgeon who is part of a questionable “doctor placement service” that has her wander from hospital to ho ... view
Character:
Yoshito Tendo（天堂 義人） (11 ep.)
Original title: アシュラ
2012
Abandoned in the barren wasteland of Kyoto, a savage, enraged orphan does whatever it takes to survive in the wild. When he crosses paths with civiliz ... view
Character:
Monk
Jul 2012 (first aired)
A 19-year-old girl burdened by a cruel destiny, a 41-year-old man living in atonement, and a forbidden love that cannot be accepted by the people ar ... view
Character:
夏目周作 (11 ep.)
Apr 2012 (first aired)
"Blackboard ~ Jidai to Tatakatta Kyoushitachi~," revolves around teachers in different time periods having to deal with the problems of that era.
The ... view
Character:
Akinori Shioda (1 ep.)
Shioda Akinori (3 ep.)
Jan 2012 (first aired)
A newspaper reporter (Masahiro Motoki) uncovers a secret "Okinawa pact" between the Japanese and U.S. government. A woman who is the deputy director o ... view
Character:
Keisaku Sahashi (10 ep.)
Original title: もう誘拐なんてしない
2012
Ohno plays the role of Tarui Shotaro, an ordinary guy who dreamed of becoming a hero when he was a child, but now gets by as a part-time worker. The u ... view
Character:
Hanazono Shugoro
Original title: 遺恨あり 明治十三年 最後の仇討
2011
This is the true story of the last officially recorded case of adauchi, when a young man avenged the death of his father by brutally killing the murde ... view
Character:
Tesshu Yamaoka
Jan 2011 (first aired)
Princess Go was the youngest of the most famous three sisters in Japanese history, who each led a remarkable life in an age of turmoil and civil war. ... view
Character:
Unknown/various (46 ep.)
Original title: 忠臣蔵〜その男、大石内蔵助
2010
In the spring of Genroku 14 (1701), Oishi Kuranosuke (Tamura Masakazu), the chief retainer of the Asano family in Ako domain is shocked to learn that ... view
Character:
Original title: 桜田門外ノ変
2010
Mito Domain Samurai Seki Tetsunosuke must pay the consequences for his role in the assassination of Great Elder Ii Naosuke. Based on true events. ... view
Character:
Original title: インシテミル 7日間のデス・ゲーム
2010
Drawn by the exorbitantly high hourly wage of 112,000 Japanese yen, ten men and women gather at a mansion. Everyone thinks the simple psychology exper ... view
Character:
Yoshi Ando
Original title: 恋するナポリタン 世界で一番おいしい愛され方
2010
Takeshi (Takashi Tsukamoto), an Italian restaurant chef, and Ruri (Saki Aibu) could have been lovers, but Takeshi was too comfortable with their curre ... view
Character:
Yuichi Makibara
Apr 2010 (first aired)
Izumi Sakuragi is a new police sergeant with the Special Investigations Office, which was set up within the Metropolitan Police in November last year. ... view
Character:
Hideo Nagashima (24 ep.)
Original title: 幻十郎必殺剣スペシャル 死神復活
2009
Genjuro’s crime was assassination, his punishment was to survive a faked execution and lose his home, lose his identity, and emerge as Maboroshi Shi ... view
Character:
Jan 2009 (first aired)
The series starts with the murder of a 10-year-old girl in 1984. 15 years later, after the case goes unsolved and passes the statute of limitations, a ... view
Character:
Kuroki Shinzo (11 ep.)
Original title: 銀幕版 スシ王子！ ～ニューヨークへ行く～
2008
A genius sushi chef travels to New York to battle it out with the local competition there. ... view
Character:
Gengoro
Jan 2008 (first aired)
Genjuro’s crime was assassination, his punishment was to survive a faked execution and lose his home, lose his identity, and emerge as Maboroshi Shi ... view
Character:
Koyama Genjuro (9 ep.)
Jan 2008 (first aired)
The 47th NHK Taiga Drama is a life story of Princess Atsu, who was born in Kagoshima Prefecture, then called Satsuma, and became the wife of Tokugawa ... view
Character:
Unknown/various (50 ep.)
May 2007 (first aired)
In this drama based on an award-winning story by author Sato Masayoshi, Kitaoji Kinya stars as Kuwayama Jubei, a samurai who travels through Japan kee ... view
Character:
Kuwayama Jubei (1 ep.)
Jan 2007 (first aired)
The Family, the program commemorating the 55th anniversary of the launch of the TBS TV station, is a social drama depicting the inside story between b ... view
Character:
Daisuke Manpyo (10 ep.)
Apr 2005 (first aired)
Ooka Echizen is the commissioner of the two-acre Minami-machi Magistrate’s Office, located in Edo Castle. He keeps order within the town. ... view
Character:
Unknown/various (20 ep.)
Jan 2005 (first aired)
Based on the award-winning novel by Shiba Ryotaro, the drama is set in Japan several centuries back in the Sengoku period. It depicts the struggles of ... view
Character:
Unknown/various (4 ep.)
Original title: さすらい署長風間昭平2 こまち田沢湖殺人事件
2004
A couple died in Lake Tazawa in Akita Prefecture, in an apparent double suicide, the circumstances of which were unclear. ... view
Character:
Shohei Kazama
Oct 2002 (first aired)
Ronin Ogami Itto travels around 17th century Japan, accompanied by his young son Daigoro, in search of those who has offended him. ... view
Character:
Ogami Ittô (9 ep.)
Feb 2002 (first aired)
A human suspense drama in which a man who was told that he had three months to live searches for the truth about his daughter who disappeared 14 year ... view
Character:
Unknown/various (4 ep.)
Jan 2001 (first aired)
The 40th NHK Taiga Drama is Hojo Tokimune. It tells the dramatic and turbulent life of young shikken Hojo Tokimune, and his successful defense of Japa ... view
Character:
Sha Kokumei (49 ep.)
Jun 1998 (first aired)
Ometsuke Asahina Kawachinokami Masakiyo - holds the position of inspector overseeing the daimyo on behalf of the shogun and the council of elders. Whe ... view
Character:
Asahina Kawachinokami Masakiyo (10 ep.)
Original title: 次郎長三国志 勢揃い二十八人衆喧嘩旅!
1998
On the day of the festival at Takao Shrine in Koshu, a brawl breaks out at a local gambling den run by the boss, Kansuke of Saruya (played by Zo Ozawa ... view
Character:
Jirocho Shimizu
Original title: 北京原人
1997
In 1929 the fossil of a 500,000 year old man is discovered in China. In 1941 the Japanese army confiscates this find, but during the war the remains d ... view
Character:
Kin'ya Kitaôji
Apr 1996 (first aired)
SMAP×SMAP was an ongoing weekly Japanese variety show on Kansai TV and Fuji TV starring the members of SMAP. The show began on April 15, 1996 and it ... view
Character:
Skit Guest (2 ep.)
Jan 1996 (first aired)
The story of Musashi Miyamoto is one of the most famous and often filmed sagas in Japanese film and television history. Almost every production is bas ... view
Character:
Miyamoto Musashi (13 ep.)
Original title: 元禄太平記 忠臣蔵討入りの助っ人たち
1995
In the 14th year of the Genroku period, Asano, the head carpenter of Edo Castle, attacked Kira, the master of ceremonies, with a sword, leading to Asa ... view
Character:
Original title: 家光謀殺
1995
A vicious plot that would change the course of Japanese history is set in motion when assassins conspire to kill Iemitsu, the third shogun of the Toku ... view
Character:
Original title: ご存知！旗本退屈男Ⅸ
1994
The one who hurriedly ascended the castle upon hearing news of Shogun Tsunayoshi's illness was Saotome Mondonosuke. However, instead of an illness, he ... view
Character:
Saotome Mondonosuke
Original title: ご存知！旗本退屈男Ⅸ
1994
The one who hurriedly ascended the castle upon hearing news of Shogun Tsunayoshi's illness was Saotome Mondonosuke. However, instead of an illness, he ... view
Character:
Original title: Gozonji! Hatamoto Taikutsu Otoko
1993
The crescent shaped scar on his forehead is a license given him by the Shogun to kill anyone he deems to be a villain. A strong performance that refle ... view
Character:
Original title: ご存知！旗本退屈男Ⅷ 琉球王朝に渦巻く暗雲！
1993
The two ronin that Sawatari Mondonosuke saved were secret envoys from Ryukyu. They could not stand the tyranny of the Satsuma clan and were trying to ... view
Character:
Sawatari Mondonosuke
Character:
Original title: 新・極道の妻たち 覚悟しいや
1993
Recently released from prison for a murder sentence, a yakuza boss's wife leaves Hong Kong for a fresh start, but a betrayal leads to her return. ... view
Character:
Original title: 独眼竜の野望 伊達政宗
1993
Biopic of Date Masamune. Young Masamune upon learning of the death of Nobunaga decides that he is the man to fill those sainted clogs. The fastest way ... view
Character:
Original title: ご存知！旗本退屈男Ⅶ 危うし！加賀百万石
1992
The great merchant of Kaga Daitokuya , had taken control of the domain with his wealth and by holding onto the weakness of Lord Maeda Tsunanori , and ... view
Character:
Sawatari Shusui
Feb 1992 (first aired)
A historical drama about the days of youth of the famous yakuza boss, the protector of ordinary people Chuji Kunisada.
The film was made to commemora ... view
Character:
Chuji (1 ep.)
Original title: 戦国最後の勝利者！徳川家康
1992
The life story of Japan’s greatest leader, Tokugawa Ieyasu, whose shogunate ruled the nation for almost 300 years has never been told like this befo ... view
Character:
Original title: ご存知！旗本退屈男Ⅵ 伊達家に倒幕の陰謀！
1991
Sawatari Shusui was told about 7,000 ryo of buried gold by Osuke, who claimed to be a princess of the Fujiwara family. Shusui speculates that powerfu ... view
Character:
Sawatari Shusui
Original title: 動天
1991
Jubei is a Japanese merchant who learns tricks from Western merchants to get ahead in the game. ... view
Character:
Original title: ご存知！旗本退屈男Ⅴ 甲府城に渦巻く暗雲！
1990
Sawatari Shusui saved Princess Hiroko of the Konoe family, who was about to be married to Tokugawa Tsunatoyo. However, Hiroko, a tomboy, disappears ... view
Character:
Sawatari Shusui
Original title: 銭形平次
1990
Police detective Heiji is assigned to catch the masked Maboroshi gang of robbers who have terrorized all of Edo, leaving few clues as to their leader' ... view
Character:
Heiji Zenigata
Jan 1990 (first aired)
On September 15, Keicho, a young man, Takezo, whose life was ruined by the war in Sekigahara wandered around like a wild beast. Only his lover Otsu an ... view
Character:
Miyamoto Musashi (13 ep.)
Original title: ご存知！旗本退屈男Ⅲ 疑惑渦巻く大奥！
1989
One night, Sawatari Shusui saves a geisha named Osode from a ninja attack. Osode's mother is said to be carrying the child of the shogun, Tsunayosh ... view
Character:
Sawatari Shusui
Original title: せんせい
1989
In one of the districts of Tokyo, an old school is planned to be torn down after the summer holidays. The only person who is seriously worried about t ... view
Character:
Chairman of the town
Jan 1989 (first aired)
Lord Sanada along with his deadly ninja assassins Kirigakure Saizo and Sarutobi Sasuke attempt to restore the rule of the Toyotomi during the brutal p ... view
Character:
Unknown/various (26 ep.)
Original title: ご存知！旗本退屈男Ⅱ 薩摩に倒幕の謀反！
1988
The Satsuma clan conspires with key figures in the shogunate to overthrow the government. However, the head inspector, Naito Yamashiro no Kami, cannot ... view
Character:
Mondonosuke Saotome
Original title: ご存知！旗本退屈男 長崎 死の密書！
1988
Mondosuke ventures alone into the land of Nagasaki. There, he encounters young lady named Kinue, the daughter of Nagasaki's former magistrate office c ... view
Character:
Mondosuke
Jan 1987 (first aired)
Broadcast TV drama NHK broadcast on January 4 to December 13, 1987 (Showa 62). In the questionnaire survey conducted by NHK, it is shining in the most ... view
Character:
伊達輝宗 (50 ep.)
Jan 1987 (first aired)
After the end of the reign of the second Shogun Hidetada, the country was still in turmoil. Meanwhile, Iemitsu, who took the place of the third shogun ... view
Character:
Unknown/various (6 ep.)
Jan 1986 (first aired)
The story of the battles between the 3 related families Kishu, Mito, and Owari, as each vies for the shogun’s seat in the line of succession. Highli ... view
Character:
Genroku Kano (Tokugawa Yoshimune) (13 ep.)
Original title: 春の鐘
1985
Rokuheita Narumi is fascinated by oriental art and works as the director of the Saho Art Museum in Nara. His wife, Noriko, is unable to leave Tokyo, d ... view
Character:
Rokuheita Narumi
Original title: 二代目はクリスチャン
1985
The story of beautiful Christian nun, Kyoko who is the object of affection for two very different men - one the happy-go-lucky yakuza gangster, Haruhi ... view
Character:
Eiji
Original title: 夢千代日記
1985
Yumechiyo, a geisha house madam recently diagnosed with a terminal illness, yearns to do something constructive with the little time she has left. Tho ... view
Character:
Original title: 火まつり
1985
Tatsuo, a reverent lumberjack, seeks to disrupt plans to build a marine park on his family land, instead promoting his traditions in reactionary ways. ... view
Character:
Tatsuo
Original title: 修羅の群れ
1984
During the Showa era, a young yakuza survives war and injury and rises to become a clan boss with the help and respect of his sworn brothers. ... view
Character:
Original title: 零戦燃ゆ
1984
Two young men are recruited into the Japanese air force just before outbreak of WW2 by the test pilot of Japans new super fighter - the Zero. The movi ... view
Character:
Jiro Horikoshi
Original title: 空海
1984
The life and times of Kûkai, a Japanese monk who studies Esoteric Buddhism in the far reaches of India, China and Tibet, then uses their combined inf ... view
Character:
Kukai
Original title: 闇の傀儡師
1982
One night, Genjiro Tsurumi, a former ronin comes across a man being attacked by a group of assassins. The dying man is an official secret agent carryi ... view
Character:
Original title: FUTURE WAR 198X年
1982
An American scientist constructs a laser satellite with hopes of preventing any nuclear conflicts from occurring. However, after a fatal error from bo ... view
Character:
Wataru Mikumo (voice)
Original title: 幻の湖
1982
A free-spirited girl living in a Japanese province spends her time working in a brothel and running with her dog. When her routine is shattered she ge ... view
Character:
Nobunaga Oda
1982
After a highly successful raid on Singapore Harbour, soldiers of Z Special Unit lead a new expedition in Singapore, with disastrous results. ... view
Character:
Major Tachibana
Original title: 漂流
1981
The film tells the story of a man who was washed ashore on an uninhabited island after a ship wrecked by a storm, and after twelve years, he returned ... view
Character:
Original title: 仁義なき戦い 総集篇
1980
The 224-minute compilation edition of Battles Without Honor and Humanity compiles these four movies: Battles Without Honor and Humanity, Deadly Fight ... view
Character:
Original title: 燃える秋
1978
A very beautiful Japanese woman is in love with Persian carpets. She is being chased by lecherous Saburi Shin and a handsome young photographer. Leche ... view
Character:
Original title: ダイナマイトどんどん
1978
Yakuza Gang War is at the height in North Kyūshū Area in the summer of 1950, particularly between the Okagen Group and the rising Hashiden Gang. Now ... view
Character:
Ginji Tachibana
Original title: 聖職の碑
1978
A rural high school takes part in a mountain-climbing exercise and are caught in a sudden typhoon. ... view
Character:
Original title: 冬の華
1978
Kanno is a Yakuza. He had to kill Matsuoka who betrayed their boss. Kanno knew Matsuoka had a 3-year-old daughter named Youko. Before he gave himself ... view
Character:
Michio Sakata
Original title: 犬笛
1978
Shiro Akitsu goes on a relentless search for his abducted 7-year-old daughter, with the aid of an Ainu dog summoned by a whistle she gave him. ... view
Character:
Original title: 八甲田山
1977
Two infantry regiments of the Imperial Japanese Army—210 men overall—tackled Mt. Hakkoda in the winter of 1902 to prepare for war with Russia. ... view
Character:
Captain Kanda
Original title: アラスカ物語
1977
A Japanese sailor finds a colony of Eskimos in the Arctic and decides to stay with them. He comes off at a certain moment to look for his luck in the ... view
Character:
Frank Yasuda
Original title: 不毛地帯
1976
Tadashi Iki returns to Japan from a Soviet gulag 11 years after being captured during the invasion of Manchuria. He is offered a position in the expan ... view
Character:
Original title: スリランカの愛と別れ
1976
A Japanese businessman is sent to Sri Lanka and meets a beautiful Japanese woman with a past. They befriend an old Japanese-Indian widow who has an es ... view
Character:
Character:
Yumeji Takehisa
Original title: 資金源強奪
1975
After eight years in prison, Takeshi’s mission is a big heist from his own clan’s gambling parlor. ... view
Character:
Takeshi Kiyomoto
Original title: 暴動島根刑務所
1975
Japan, 1948: Hiroki Matsukata stars as a man facing a nine year prison sentence. He incites prisoners of Shimane Prison to the biggest riot in jail h ... view
Character:
Yuji Kawamura
Character:
Original title: あゝ決戦航空隊
1974
Vice Admiral Takajiro Ohnishi could see that Japan's defeat in WWII was inevitable. He came to realize that the only way to force a negotiated solutio ... view
Character:
Original title: 仁義なき戦い 完結篇
1974
While Hirono is in prison, his rival Takeda turns his own crime organization into a political party, whose two executives stir up new tensions in thei ... view
Character:
Tamotsu Matsumura
Original title: 悪名 縄張荒らし
1974
About small-time gangster Asakichi's chaotic life in the 1930s. His gambling addiction means that he must not continue working in the family business. ... view
Character:
Original title: 日本侠花伝
1973
Tai Kato’s early 20th century set yakuza epic about an ordinary merchant girl (Hiroko Maki) who crosses paths with an assassin (Tetsuya Watari). The ... view
Character:
Captain Sakagami
Original title: 朝やけの詩
1973
Though a farmer and his fellow villagers in this Japanese film resist the effort to turn the unspoiled region in which they live into a land developme ... view
Character:
Original title: 戦争と人間 第三部
1973
Final part of epic drama about war and its effects upon human beings, follows the fortunes of the Godai family through the Sino-Japanese War through t ... view
Character:
Shunsuke Godai
Original title: 仁義なき戦い 広島死闘篇
1973
Repeatedly beat to a pulp by gamblers, cops, and gangsters, lone wolf Shoji Yamanaka finally finds a home as a Muraoka family hitman and falls in love ... view
Character:
Shoji Yamanaka
Original title: 婉という女
1971
Set at the end of the feudal period. A woman spends most of her early life in prison, incarcerated by political opponents of her father. When she is r ... view
Character:
Original title: 商魂一代 天下の暴れん坊
1970
The struggles of a low-ranking samurai (Nakamura) coming to terms with the end of the Tokugawa shogunate and the end of Japan's feudal age with the 18 ... view
Character:
Jan 1970 (first aired)
Depicting Date clan’s internal strife that occurred during a peaceful Edo period governed by the 4th Tokugawa shogun. ... view
Character:
Sakai Tadakiyo (52 ep.)
Original title: 新選組
1969
Near the end of the nineteenth century, as the balance of power shifts from Shogunate towards the Emperor, Japan restlessly awaits the dawning of a ne ... view
Character:
Soji Okita
Original title: ボルネオ大将 赤道に賭ける
1969
Takeo (Kiniya Kitaoji), son of a wealthy car industry executive, is unhappy with his job and goes to Singapore to become a fisherman. At first ridicul ... view
Character:
Takeo
Original title: 濡れた二人
1968
A Yasuzō Masumura film about a love affair starring Ayako Wakao. The literal title is The Two Who Got Wet. ... view
Character:
Shigeo Ugari
Original title: 祇園祭
1968
Shinkichi, a peasant employed as a cloth-dyer, has a dream: in the midst of the civil war which ravages Japan, he hopes to revive the long-banned cust ... view
Character:
Jan 1968 (first aired)
The chronicles of Sakamoto Ryoma, a pre-revolutionary who helped shape the face of modern Japan. In order to study swordsmanship, Ryoma heads for Edo ... view
Character:
Sakamoto Ryoma (52 ep.)
Original title: 虹をつかむ恋人たち
1965
A seamstress seeks the love of her life while helping a troubled couple. ... view
Character:
Tatsuya Kitakami
Original title: 徳川家康
1965
In turbulent 16th-century Japan, the leaders of a minor fief have their child taken from them as a political hostage. His mother and his clan endure y ... view
Character:
松平三郎元信（後の徳川家康）
Original title: 狼と豚と人間
1964
Sabu and his pals hold a pauper's funeral for Sabu's mother. His brother Jiro arrives home, fresh out of jail, and Sabu pointedly states that Jiro is ... view
Character:
Sabu, the third brother
Original title: 海軍
1963
A tale of two best friends in the WWII era Japan. Takao is a young man enthusiastic about joining the navy to fight for his country. He convinces his ... view
Character:
Shinji
Original title: 勢揃い東海道
1963
When Kanbe Nagakichi has his turf taken over by Ano-Toku, the father-in-law of his sworn brother Kira Nikichi sets in motion one of the most violent g ... view
Character:
Okeya-no-oni
Original title: 次郎長と小天狗 殴り込み甲州路
1962
In this tale of bravery and honor among the roving gamblers of old Japan, the heroic Jirocho, Boss of the Tokaido is called upon to help a young yakuz ... view
Character:
Original title: 勢揃い関八州
1962
Chuji and his family become the primary target of gangs in Nikko headed by Hasshu marshal Nakayama and boss Sukegoro Iioka. Chuji is then aided by bos ... view
Character:
Character:
Original title: 源九郎義経
1962
An exciting historical drama that dynamically depicts the life of Minamoto no Yoshitsune from the period of his stay on Mount Kurama to his reconcilia ... view
Character:
Character:
Character:
Tsukinowa Gentaro
Original title: 幽霊島の掟
1961
Upon his arrival to Dragon Island, ronin Yagi Hanzo, is propositioned by various shady individuals representing rival gangs to lend his services to th ... view
Character:
Yusaku
Original title: 水戸黄門 助さん格さん大暴れ
1961
The story of two young men whose ambition is to become the personal bodyguards to the Shogun's uncle, Lord Mito Komon. Portrayed by a pair of up and c ... view
Character:
Original title: 安寿と厨子王丸
1961
After their father quarrels with local military men, Anju and Zushio are forced to flee, but they are captured and sold into slavery. When their mothe ... view
Character:
Original title: 葵の暴れん坊
1961
A young son of a master of the Kuwana clan gets disowned for his rebellious behavior. After he goes from the mountains to the ocean defeating the evil ... view
Character:
Original title: 花笠ふたり若衆
1961
At the crowded Komatsuya in Kawadome, travellers are holding a secret art contest to relieve boredom. However, a thief goes around. During the sudden ... view
Character:
Gentaro
Original title: 旗本退屈男 謎の幽霊島
1960
Part of the Bored Hatamoto series. The most popular samurai in Edo, Saotome Mondonosuke, known to most as the "Bored Hatamoto" is the only one who can ... view
Character:
Original title: 天下の伊賀越 暁の血戦
1959
A story of revenge between two samurai families on the Igagoe Road. Araki Mataemon born in the province of Iga. He studied the art of the sword under ... view
Character:
Original title: 旗本退屈男 謎の大文字
1959
Master swordsman and loyal vassal Saotome Mondonosuke goes on a mission to find a missing princess. ... view
Character:
Original title: 旗本退屈男 謎の南蛮太鼓
1959
Saotome, a sword master and guard of the Shogunate, pursues the mystery of a deadly aerial weapon that is responsible for the multiple deaths in town. ... view
Character:
Original title: 旗本退屈男
1958
Master swordsman and loya 'Hatamoto' (direct vassal to the Shogun), Saotome Mondonosuke, is sent to investigate an intrigue centering on the Date Clan ... view
Character:
Original title: 少年三国志
1958
An entertaining youth drama, which tells about the struggle of a young swordsman Yamanaka Shikanoske (Kinya Kitaoji) and his friends who resist the ty ... view
Character:
Yamanaka Shikanoske
Original title: 旗本退屈男 謎の蛇姫屋敷
1957
A swordsman must foil a minister's sinister plan to assassinate the shogun. ... view
Character:
Kyoya Kirishima
Original title: 富士に立つ影
1957
The year is 1805. Napoleon ruled Europe. Ienari is the 11th Tokugawa Shogun. An incident, which was an open official secret, took place on the foothil ... view
Character:
Character: