Japanese actor Tatsuya Nakadai dead at 92

Posted On November 11, 2025November 11, 2025

Tatsuya Nakadai, the prolific Japanese actor, has died aged 92.

It has been confirmed by the Kyodo news agency on November 10th (via The Guardian) that Nakadai died in a Tokyo hospital on November 8th. No cause of death has been revealed.

Nakadai was a notable name in Japanese cinema for seven decades with over 160 screen credits, with his career highlight coming in 1985 when he starred in Akira Kurosawa’s Ran. He also appeared in Kurosawa’s Yojimbo and Kagemusha.

Another great of Japanese cinema that Nakadai was a close collaborator with was Masaki Kobayashi, who directed him in the groundbreaking The Human Condition trilogy, and Harakiri.

For his contribution to Japanese cinema, he was awarded the coveted Order of Culture in 2015. It is the highest award given to creatives in Japan.

Reflecting on his career, which started in 1955, with Screen Anarchy in 2016, Nakadai said: “Back in the 50s and the 60s in Japan, all the masters of cinema, like Kurosawa and so on, they all had very fervent ideas about politics, and I, just by chance, happened to be coming of age as an actor at that time – not only a film actor, but also theater actor.”

He continued, “So, the fact that I was able to work and meet with these very passionate directors, and looking back now that I’m 83, how fortunate a life I’ve lead.”

Outside of appearing on screen, Nakadai founded the theatre school, Mumeijuku, in 1975, which helps young actors work on their craft.

Nakadai also starred in a series of stage productions throughout his career, including Hamlet, Othello, Macbeth, Death of a Salesman, and Romeo and Juliet.

Related Topics