{{Short description|Japanese actor (1932–2021)}} {{Use American English|date=February 2025}} {{Use mdy dates|date=February 2025}} {{Infobox person | name = Kunie Tanaka | image = Kunie Tanaka1962.jpg | alt = | caption = | birth_date = {{Birth date|1932|11|23}} | birth_place = [[Toki District, Gifu]], [[Empire of Japan]] | death_date = {{death date and age|2021|3|24|1932|11|23}} | death_place = [[Japan]] | other_names = | occupation = [[Actor]] | years_active = 1955–2021 }} {{Nihongo|'''Kunie Tanaka'''|田中 邦衛|Tanaka Kunie|November 23, 1932 – March 24, 2021<ref>{{Cite web|url=https://www3.nhk.or.jp/news/html/20210402/k10012953271000.html|title = 俳優の田中邦衛さん死去 88歳「北の国から」などで存在感|work=[[NHK]]|language=ja|date=2021-04-02|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20210402090305/https://www3.nhk.or.jp/news/html/20210402/k10012953271000.html|archive-date=2021-04-02}}</ref>|lead=yes}} was a Japanese actor. Tanaka first made a name for himself as the lecherous antagonist of the [[Wakadaishō series|''Wakadaishō'' series]] (1961–1981) of films.<ref name="daispo">{{cite web|title=田中邦衛さん【略歴】昭和５６年「北の国から」で黒板五郎役で"伝説"に|url=https://www.daily.co.jp/gossip/2021/04/02/0014206688.shtml|work=[[Daily Sports (Japanese newspaper)|Daily Sports]]|language=ja|date=2021-04-02|access-date=2012-05-04|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20210402092528/https://www.daily.co.jp/gossip/2021/04/02/0014206688.shtml|archive-date=2021-04-02}}</ref> He is also well-known for his roles in [[Kinji Fukasaku]]'s yakuza films, namely the ''[[Battles Without Honor and Humanity]]'' series (1973–1974), and for starring in the ''Kita no Kuni Kara'' (1981–2002) television series.<ref name="daispo"/><ref name="Cineplus">{{cite web|title=田中邦衛追悼：助演から主演まで、どんな作品でもオーラ全開の存在感|url=https://cinema.ne.jp/article/detail/46309|work=Cinemas+|language=ja|date=2021-04-10|access-date=2012-05-04}}</ref>
Tanaka was nominated for five [[Japanese Academy Awards]], winning [[Japan Academy Film Prize for Outstanding Performance by an Actor in a Supporting Role|Best Supporting Actor]] for ''[[Gakko (film)|Gakko]]'' in 1993.<ref>{{Cite web |url=http://www.japan-academy-prize.jp/prizes/?t=17 |script-title=ja:第 17 回日本アカデミー賞優秀作品|access-date= 2010-12-16|language= ja|publisher= Japan Academy Prize}}</ref> He also won the [[Blue Ribbon Award for Best Supporting Actor]] for ''Nogare no Machi'' and ''[[Izakaya Chōji]]'' in 1983, and the [[Blue Ribbon Award for Best Actor]] for ''[[Uhohho Tankentai]]'' in 1986.<ref name="Cineplus"/> For his contributions to the arts, the Japanese government decorated Tanaka with the [[Medals of Honor (Japan)|Medal with Purple Ribbon]] in 1999 and the [[Order of the Rising Sun]] in 2006.
==Life and career== Tanaka was born on November 23, 1932, in [[Toki District, Gifu]] to a family of [[Mino ware]] potters.<ref name="daispo"/> After graduating from Reitaku Junior College, he became a substitute teacher in Gifu.<ref name="daispo"/> However, he gave up the job to become an actor for the [[Haiyuza Theatre Company]].<ref name="Cineplus"/>
In 1957, Tanaka had his first film role in [[Tadashi Imai]]'s ''[[Jun'ai Monogatari]]''.<ref name="Cineplus"/> His first notable role was as a thug in [[Akira Kurosawa]]'s ''[[The Bad Sleep Well]]'' (1960), and he would later work with the director again on ''[[Sanjuro]]'' (1962) and ''[[Dodes'ka-den]]'' (1970). He established himself as an actor with the role of lecherous antagonist Shinjiro Ishiyama, nicknamed "Aodaishō", in 1961's ''[[Daigaku no Wakadaishō]]''. It spawned the 17-film [[Wakadaishō series|''Wakadaishō'' series]] (1961–1981), and he reprised the role for each installment.<ref name="daispo"/> Tanaka also appeared in [[Masaki Kobayashi]]'s ''[[Kwaidan (film)|Kwaidan]]'' (1964), and portrayed [[Daisuke Jigen]] in ''[[Lupin III: Strange Psychokinetic Strategy]]'' (1974). He is also known for playing Masakichi Makihara in [[Kinji Fukasaku]]'s ''[[Battles Without Honor and Humanity]]'' series (1973–1974) of yakuza films.<ref name="daispo"/>
Tanaka is well-known for starring as Goro Kuroita in the ''Kita no Kuni Kara'' television series, which had various installments between 1981 and 2002.<ref name="Cineplus"/> His last film role was in 2010's ''Saigo no Chushingura''.<ref name="Cineplus"/>
The character [[List of One Piece characters#Kizaru|Kizaru]], from [[Eiichiro Oda]]'s manga series ''[[One Piece]]'', is modeled after Tanaka.
==Selected filmography== {{Div col}} *''[[Jun'ai Monogatari]]'' (1957) *''[[The Bad Sleep Well]]'' (1960) *''[[Daigaku no Wakadaishō]]'' (1961) as Shinjiro Ishiyama *''[[Sanjuro]]'' (1962) *''[[Pitfall (1962 film)|Pitfall]]'' (1962)<ref>{{cite web|url= https://www.japanese-cinema-db.jp/Details?id=9125|title= おとし穴(1962)|access-date= February 23, 2021|work= Japanese Cinema Database|archive-date= January 28, 2022|archive-url= https://web.archive.org/web/20220128170406/https://www.japanese-cinema-db.jp/Details?id=9125|url-status= dead}}</ref> *''[[Brave Records of the Sanada Clan]]'' (1963) as [[Sakazaki Naomori]] *''[[Kwaidan (film)|Kwaidan]]'' (1964) *''[[Ninpō-chūshingura]]'' (1965) as Fuwa Kazuemon *''[[Abashiri Prison (film)|Abashiri Prison]]'' (1965) *''[[Ereki no Wakadaishō]]'' (1965) as Shinjiro Ishiyama *''[[The Sword of Doom]]'' (1966) as Senkichi<ref>{{cite book|author=Stuart Galbraith IV|title=The Toho Studios Story: A History and Complete Filmography|url=https://books.google.com/books?id=f7o8pq6G_dYC&pg=PA168|date=16 May 2008|publisher=Scarecrow Press|isbn=978-1-4616-7374-3|page=227}}</ref> *''[[The Threat (1966 film)|The Threat]]'' (1966) as a police officer *''[[The Human Bullet]]'' (1968) *''[[Fuji Sanchō]]'' (1970) *''[[Dodes'ka-den]]'' (1970) as Hatsutaro *''[[Summer Soldiers (film)|Summer Soldiers]]'' (1972) *''[[Outlaw Killers: Three Mad Dog Brothers]]'' (1972) *''[[Battles Without Honor and Humanity (film)|Battles Without Honor and Humanity]]'' (1973) as Masakichi Makihara *''[[Battles Without Honor and Humanity: Proxy War]]'' (1973) as Masakichi Makihara *''[[Battles Without Honor and Humanity: Police Tactics]]'' (1974) as Masakichi Makihara *''[[Battles Without Honor and Humanity: Final Episode]]'' (1974) as Masakichi Makihara *''Evil of Dracula'' (1974) *''[[Lupin III: Strange Psychokinetic Strategy]]'' (1974) as [[Daisuke Jigen]] *''[[New Battles Without Honor and Humanity (1974 film)|New Battles Without Honor and Humanity]]'' (1974) as Gen Sakagami *''[[Graveyard of Honor (1975 film)|Graveyard of Honor]]'' (1975) as Katsuji Ozaki *''[[Cops vs. Thugs]]'' (1975) as Kinpachi Komiya *''[[Kimi yo Funnu no Kawa wo Watare]]'' (1976) *''[[Dynamite Dondon]]'' (1978) *''[[Pink Lady no Katsudō Daishashin]]'' (1978) *''[[Nihon no Fixer]]'' (1979) *''[[Nichiren (film)|Nichiren]]'' (1979) *''[[Izakaya Choji]]'' (1983) *''[[Okinawan Boys]]'' (1983) *''[[Soushun Monogatari]]'' (1985) *''[[Tokei – Adieu l'hiver]]'' (1986) *''[[Uhohho Tankentai]]'' (1986) *''[[Yojo no Jidai]]'' (1988) *''[[Tasmania Story]]'' (1990) *''[[Luminous Moss (film)|Luminous Moss]]'' (1992) *''[[Gakko (film)|Gakko]]'' (1993) *''[[Kozure Ōkami: Sono Chiisaki Te ni]]'' (1993) *''[[Tora-san to the Rescue]]'' (1995) *''[[Minna no Ie]]'' (2001) *''Saigo no Chushingura'' (2010) {{div col end}}
==Honors== *[[Mainichi Film Award for Best Actor]] (1967)<ref name="Cineplus"/> *[[Blue Ribbon Award for Best Supporting Actor]] (1983) *[[Blue Ribbon Award for Best Actor]] (1986) *[[Japan Academy Film Prize for Outstanding Performance by an Actor in a Supporting Role]] (1993) *[[Medals of Honor (Japan)|Medal with Purple Ribbon]] (1999) *[[Order of the Rising Sun|Order of the Rising Sun, 4th Class, Gold Rays with Rosette]] (2006)
==References== {{reflist}}
==External links== *{{IMDb name|id=0848993|name=Kunie Tanaka}}
{{Navboxes |title = Awards |list = {{Blue Ribbon Award for Best Actor}} {{Blue Ribbon Award for Best Supporting Actor}} {{Mainichi Film Award for Best Actor}} {{Japan Academy Prize for Best Supporting Actor}} }} {{Authority control}}
{{DEFAULTSORT:Tanaka, Kunie}} [[Category:1932 births]] [[Category:2021 deaths]] [[Category:Japanese male actors]] [[Category:Recipients of the Medal with Purple Ribbon]] [[Category:Recipients of the Order of the Rising Sun, 4th class]]