Ken Takakura
Acting • Born 1931-02-16 – Died 2014-11-10
Biography
Ken Takakura (高倉 健, Takakura Ken), born Gouichi Oda (February 16, 1931, in Kitakyūshū, Fukuoka, Japan), was a Japanese actor best known for his brooding style and the stoic presence he brings to his roles. Takakura gained his streetwise swagger and tough-guy persona watching yakuza turf battles over the lucrative black market and racketeering in postwar Fukuoka. This subject was covered in one of his most famous movies, Showa Zankyo-den (Remnants of Chivalry in the Showa Era), in which he played an honorable old-school yakuza among the violent post-war gurentai. A graduate of Meiji University in Tokyo Takakura happened by an audition in 1955 at the Toei Film Company, and decided to look in. Toei found a natural in Takakura as he debuted with Denko Karate Uchi (Lightning Karate Blow) in 1956. Japan experienced a boom in gangster films in the 1960s as the Japanese people struggled with the generational differences between those raised in pre-war and post-war Japan and these were Takakura's stock and trade. His breakout role would be in the 1965 film Abashiri Prison, and its sequel Abashiri Bangaichi: Bokyohen (Abashiri Prison: Longing for Home, also 1965), in which he played an ex-con antihero. By the time Takakura would leave Toei in 1976, he had appeared in over 180 films. Takakura gained international recognition after starring in the 1970 war film Too Late the Hero as the cunning Imperial Japanese Major Yamaguchi, the 1975 Sydney Pollack sleeper hit The Yakuza with Robert Mitchum and is probably best known in the West for his role in Ridley Scott's Black Rain (1989) where he surprises American cops played by Michael Douglas and Andy García with the line, "I do speak fucking English". He again proved himself bankable to Western audiences with the 1992 Fred Schepisi comedy Mr. Baseball starring Tom Selleck. While he has slowed down a bit in his older years, he is still active. His most recent film was the 2005 Riding Alone for Thousands of Miles by Chinese director Zhang Yimou. Description above from the Wikipedia article Ken Takakura, licensed under CC-BY-SA,full list of contributors on Wikipedia.
Filmography
199 credits
The Longest Tunnel
Movie • 1982
Go Akutsu
Black Rain
Movie • 1989
Masahiro
Operation Diamond
Movie • 1962
The Yellow Handkerchief
Movie • 1977
Yusaku Shima
47 Ronin
Movie • 1994
Kuranosuke Oishi
Tokyo Gang vs. Hong Kong Gang
Movie • 1964
South Pacific Waves Are High
Movie • 1962
A Dead Drifter
Movie • 1959
Never Give Up
Movie • 1978
Takeshi Ajisawa
Rogue
Movie • 1968
Isamu Oba
The Yakuza
Movie • 1974
Tanaka Ken
Men Fighting Whales
Movie • 1957
Yosuke Yamagami
Riding Alone for Thousands of Miles
Movie • 2005
Gou-ichi Takata
Tokyo Untouchable
Movie • 1965
Yoshio Harada
The Kamikaze Guy
Movie • 1966
Fumio Kuroki
Antarctica
Movie • 1983
Ushioda
The Bullet Train
Movie • 1975
Tetsuo Okita
Mannen Taro and His Feminine Colleagues
Movie • 1961
Tarô Mannen
Mr. Baseball
Movie • 1992
Uchiyama
The World's Most Noble Guy: Taro's Whirlwind
Movie • 1961
Tarō Senpū
Railroad Man
Movie • 1999
Otomatsu Sato
Blackmail
Movie • 1963
Red Peony Gambler
Movie • 1968
Naoki Katagiri
Manhunt
Movie • 1976
Morioka
Main Street in the Underworld
Movie • 1964
An Outlaw
Movie • 1964
Minami
A Distant Cry from Spring
Movie • 1980
Kosaku Tajima
Golgo 13
Movie • 1973
Duke Togo / Golgo 13
Hell's Companion
Movie • 1959
Red Peony Gambler: Flower Cards Game
Movie • 1969
Shogo Hanaoka
The Outsiders
Movie • 1958
Ichitaro Kazamori
Tokyo's Business District
Movie • 1962
Brave Red Flower of the North
Movie • 1970
Miyamoto Musashi V: Musashi vs Kojiro
Movie • 1965
Sasaki Kojiro
Mount Hakkoda
Movie • 1977
Captain Tokushima
Buddies
Movie • 1989
Kadokura
Station
Movie • 1981
Eiji Mikami
A Fugitive from the Past
Movie • 1965
Ajimura
Dearest
Movie • 2012
Eiji Shimakura
Contemporary Tales of Chivalry 2
Movie • 1966
Contemporary Tales of Chivalry: The Lone Wolf
Movie • 1966
Demon
Movie • 1985
Shuji
Brutal Tales of Chivalry 7: Hell Is a Man's Destiny
Movie • 1970
Manchurian Sunset
Movie • 1956
Shintaro
Brutal Tales of Chivalry 5: Man With The Karajishi Tattoo
Movie • 1969
Hanada Hidejiro
Contemporary Tales of Chivalry 4
Movie • 1967
Brutal Tales of Chivalry
Movie • 1965
Seiji Terajima
Showdown in Blood
Movie • 1957
If You're Man Enough
Movie • 1960
Abashiri Prison
Movie • 1965
Shinichi Tachibana
Wolves, Pigs & Men
Movie • 1964
Jiro Kuroki, the second brother
All Rascals
Movie • 1962
The Man
Movie • 1971
Karate Cop
Movie • 1982
Detective Mikami
Tokyo Untouchable: Escape
Movie • 1963
Yoshio Harada
The Kanto Scarlet Cherry Gang
Movie • 1972
Kuramoto
Uragirimono wa jigoku daze
Movie • 1962
The Firefly
Movie • 2001
Yamaoka Shuji
Winter's Flower
Movie • 1978
Hidetsugu Kano
G-men of Japan 4: Special Armed Unit Mobilization
Movie • 1956
Robert Mitchum: The Reluctant Star
Movie • 1991
Self (archive footage)
The Domain
Movie • 1964
The Homeless
Movie • 1974
Jokichi Anabuki
A Portrait of the Author
Movie • 1984
Self
Too Late the Hero
Movie • 1970
Major Yamaguchi
Contemporary Tales of Chivalry: Forbidden Love
Movie • 1971
Hidejiro Hanada
Lightning Karate Blow
Movie • 1956
Prison Boss
Movie • 1968
Choji Snack Bar
Movie • 1983
Eiji
The Day the Sun Rose
Movie • 1968
The Path of the King
Movie • 1971
Ryutaro Fudo
The Deep Blue Sea
Movie • 1957
The Last Kamikaze
Movie • 1970
Koji Yashiro
Classmates
Movie • 1967
First Lieutenant Kenmochi
The Prickly Mouthed Geisha Part 2
Movie • 1960
The Revolt
Movie • 1980
Keisuke Miyagi
With Songs in My Heart
Movie • 1958
The Sand City in Manchuria
Movie • 1960
Hari
Prison Walls of Abashiri 4
Movie • 1965
Shin'ichi Tachibana
New Prison Walls of Abashiri
Movie • 1968
Katsuji Suehiro
Flower, Storm and Gangster
Movie • 1961
'Smiley' Ken
Romance Freestyle
Movie • 1958
Four Hours of Terror
Movie • 1959
Captain Yamamoto
Devil's Nursery Rhyme
Movie • 1961
Kosuke Kindaichi
Jet Air Base 101
Movie • 1957
Jiro Nakata
Sister with Sister
Movie • 1958
Hiroshi Ishioka
Detective Duel
Movie • 1958
A Fishwife's Tale
Movie • 1961
Glorious Fights
Movie • 1966
Ichiro Takita
Hishakaku and Kiratsune: A Tale of Two Yakuza
Movie • 1968
The International Gang of Kobe
Movie • 1975
Masato Dan
The Prickly Mouthed Geisha and the Girl of Osaka
Movie • 1962
Ken San
Movie • 2016
Self
365 Nights
Movie • 1962
Feisty Edo Girl Nakanori-san
Movie • 1961
Kenichi Oka
Tales of President Mito
Movie • 1962
Sukesaburo Sasa
The World's Most Noble Guy: Taro's Rush
Movie • 1960
No Advice Taken
Movie • 1958
Outlaw Under a Blue Canopy
Movie • 1960
The Bullet and the Horse
Movie • 1966
Patience Has An End
Movie • 1971
Isamu Tekada
House of Gamblers
Movie • 1970
The Pledge
Movie • 1972
The Prickly Mouthed Geisha, Part 4
Movie • 1961
Kenichi Hanamura
The Prickly Mouthed Geisha, Part 3
Movie • 1960
Black Rain: Making The Film
Movie • 2006
Self (archive footage)
Eleven Gangsters
Movie • 1963
Sawagami
The Second Bullet is Marked
Movie • 1960
Brutal Tales of Chivalry 6
Movie • 1969
Contemporary Tales of Chivalry: The Traitor Shall Die
Movie • 1972
New Prison Walls of Abashiri 2
Movie • 1969
The Chivalrous Life
Movie • 1967
Ryuma Ibuki
Prison Walls of Abashiri 3
Movie • 1965
Shinichi Tachibana
Jakoman and Tetsu
Movie • 1964
Tetsu
Samurai Geisha
Movie • 1969
Shimada Seikichi
Miyamoto Musashi IV: The Duel at Ichijo-ji Temple
Movie • 1964
Sasaki Kojiro
Miyamoto Musashi: Birth of Two Sword Style
Movie • 1963
Sasaki Kojiro
A Story from Abashiri Prison—Duel in Snow Storm
Movie • 1967
Shin-ichi Tachibana
The Domain: Flower and Dragon
Movie • 1969
Kingoro Tamai
Life of Hishakaku
Movie • 1963
New Prison Walls of Abashiri: Snowbound Deserter
Movie • 1971
Song of Kagoshima
Movie • 1962
Shuhei Tategami
The Drifting Avenger
Movie • 1968
Ken Kato
Yakuza of the Present
Movie • 1973
Ryoichi Shimaya
Beyond the Seasonal Wind
Movie • 1958
Memoir of Japanese Assassinations
Movie • 1969
Saburo Aizawa
Prison Walls of Abashiri, Part 2
Movie • 1965
Shinichi Tachibana
Third Generation Boss
Movie • 1974
New Prison Walls of Abashiri: Stormy Cape
Movie • 1971
Brothers Serving Time
Movie • 1969
Gambler's Legacy
Movie • 1969
Tsukuda Ginjiro
Bloodiest Flower
Movie • 1971
Red Peony Gambler: Second Generation Ceremony
Movie • 1969
Koji Yashiro
Man of Thirteen Eyes
Movie • 1958
Mother Peacock
Movie • 1956
The Escape
Movie • 1962
The Biggest Gamble
Movie • 1969
Shuzo Honjo
The Prickly-Mouthed Geisha Goes to Sado
Movie • 1961
The World's Most Noble Guy: Taro's Eternity
Movie • 1960
The Happy Family
Movie • 1959
The Domain: Kanto Legends of Chivalry
Movie • 1965
Gang Loyalty and Vengeance
Movie • 1963
Asano
Great Jailbreak
Movie • 1975
Ichiro Kozue
The Japan Derby Race
Movie • 1970
The Big Boss
Movie • 1963
Lullaby for a Tough Guy
Movie • 1972
The Bastards of Lawless Town
Movie • 1959
Fumio Sone
Storm Party
Movie • 1964
Employee Full of Fight
Movie • 1957
Tani
New Prison Walls of Abashiri: The Vagrant Comes to a Port Town
Movie • 1969
Japan's Top Gangster
Movie • 1973
Kazuo Taoka
The Boss
Movie • 1965
Abashiri Prison: Duel in the South
Movie • 1966
Abashiri Prison: Duel in the Snow Country
Movie • 1966
Abashiri Prison: Duel in Hokkaido
Movie • 1967
New Prison Walls of Abashiri: High Stakes at Abashiri
Movie • 1970
Abashiri Prison: Challenge to the Evil
Movie • 1967
Shin-ichi Tachibana
New Prison Walls of Abashiri: Stray Wolf in Snow
Movie • 1970
New Abashiri Prison Story: Honor and Humanity, Ammunition That Attracts the Storm
Movie • 1972
Lady Sen and Hideyori
Movie • 1962
Naomori
The Domain: Rising Dragon
Movie • 1970
The Domain: The Naniwa Story
Movie • 1965
Showdown of Men
Movie • 1966
Dagger
Movie • 1971
The Domain: Kanda Festival Showdown
Movie • 1966
The Domain: White Blade
Movie • 1967
The Domain: Duel at Thunder Gate
Movie • 1966
The Domain: Where The Blade Enters
Movie • 1967
The Domain: Severed Relations
Movie • 1968
Path of Japanese Chivalry: Story of All-Out Attack
Movie • 1975
Umi e, See You
Movie • 1988
Eiji Honma
A Hoodlum At The Risk Of His Life
Movie • 1970
The Great Road
Movie • 1960
Hell's Juggler
Movie • 1961
Duel of the Underworld
Movie • 1963
Hell's Kitchen
Movie • 1962
Histories of the Chivalrous
Movie • 1968
The Chop Professor
Movie • 1956
Yukyo-retsuden
Movie • 1970
Gambler Biography
Movie • 1968
The detective whose path was crossed by a snake
Movie • 1995
Meteor Karate Strike
Movie • 1956
A Man's Dark Finger
Movie • 1959
The Counterfeiters
Movie • 1959
続べらんめぇ芸者
Movie • 1960
Monsoon Son
Movie • 1958
Monsoon Son Pt.2
Movie • 1958
Midair Circus
Movie • 1958
Code of Chivalry
Movie • 1967
Delinquent Angel
Movie • 1960
His Pistol is Hell
Movie • 1958
Defeat the Boss
Movie • 1963
恐怖の空中殺人
Movie • 1956
島田寿夫
Violent Street
Movie • 1963
Storming Squadron
Movie • 1960
Older brother
TV • 1977
Eiji
SMAP×SMAP
TV • 1996
Bistro Guest
An Elegy of Tyrole
TV • 1992
Tateishi Jiro
Korekara: Umibe no Tabibitotachi
TV • 1993