Japanese stage and film legend Tatsuya Nakadai, renowned for his roles in several Akira Kurosawa classics, including the lead in Ran, has passed away at the age of 92, his acting school announced on Tuesday.
Nakadai first gained widespread recognition in Japan and internationally through director Masaki Kobayashi, starring in the epic anti-war trilogy The Human Condition in the late 1950s and early 1960s.
His acting school, Mumeijuku, did not specify the exact date of his passing or provide further details.
Nakadai had a minor role in Kurosawa’s 1954 masterpiece Seven Samurai but later became the director’s leading man, stepping into the space previously held by Toshiro Mifune after the latter pursued other projects.
He delivered unforgettable performances as the central character in Kagemusha (1980), which won the Palme d’Or at Cannes, and as the tragic warlord in Ran (1985), Kurosawa’s adaptation of Shakespeare’s King Lear. He also appeared alongside Mifune in the 1961 samurai classic Yojimbo and collaborated with other acclaimed directors, including Hiroshi Teshigahara and Kon Ichikawa.
In 1975, Nakadai founded Mumeijuku, a private acting school and troupe, with his late wife, Yasuko Miyazaki, mentoring a new generation of actors. Among his students was Koji Yakusho, who won Best Actor at Cannes in 2023 for his role in Wim Wenders’ Perfect Days.
Nakadai remained active on stage and screen until recently, performing this year in the Noto region, which was still recovering from a devastating earthquake on New Year’s Day last year.
He leaves behind a legacy as one of Japan’s most influential and respected actors, celebrated for his commanding presence and profound contributions to cinema and theatre.
