# Kunie Tanaka > Mediated Wiki article. Canonical URL: https://mediated.wiki/source/Kunie_Tanaka > Markdown URL: https://mediated.wiki/source/Kunie_Tanaka.md > Source: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Kunie_Tanaka > Source revision: 1321306480 > License: Creative Commons Attribution-ShareAlike 4.0 International (https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-sa/4.0/) Japanese actor (1932–2021) Kunie Tanaka Born (1932-11-23)November 23, 1932 Toki District, Gifu, Empire of Japan Died March 24, 2021(2021-03-24) (aged 88) Japan Occupation Actor Years active 1955–2021 **Kunie Tanaka** ([Japanese](/source/Japanese_language): 田中 邦衛, [Hepburn](/source/Hepburn_romanization): *Tanaka Kunie*; November 23, 1932 – March 24, 2021[1]) was a Japanese actor. Tanaka first made a name for himself as the lecherous antagonist of the [*Wakadaishō* series](/source/Wakadaish%C5%8D_series) (1961–1981) of films.[2] He is also well-known for his roles in [Kinji Fukasaku](/source/Kinji_Fukasaku)'s yakuza films, namely the *[Battles Without Honor and Humanity](/source/Battles_Without_Honor_and_Humanity)* series (1973–1974), and for starring in the *Kita no Kuni Kara* (1981–2002) television series.[2][3] Tanaka was nominated for five [Japanese Academy Awards](/source/Japanese_Academy_Awards), winning [Best Supporting Actor](/source/Japan_Academy_Film_Prize_for_Outstanding_Performance_by_an_Actor_in_a_Supporting_Role) for *[Gakko](/source/Gakko_(film))* in 1993.[4] He also won the [Blue Ribbon Award for Best Supporting Actor](/source/Blue_Ribbon_Award_for_Best_Supporting_Actor) for *Nogare no Machi* and *[Izakaya Chōji](/source/Izakaya_Ch%C5%8Dji)* in 1983, and the [Blue Ribbon Award for Best Actor](/source/Blue_Ribbon_Award_for_Best_Actor) for *[Uhohho Tankentai](/source/Uhohho_Tankentai)* in 1986.[3] For his contributions to the arts, the Japanese government decorated Tanaka with the [Medal with Purple Ribbon](/source/Medals_of_Honor_(Japan)) in 1999 and the [Order of the Rising Sun](/source/Order_of_the_Rising_Sun) in 2006. ## Life and career Tanaka was born on November 23, 1932, in [Toki District, Gifu](/source/Toki_District%2C_Gifu) to a family of [Mino ware](/source/Mino_ware) potters.[2] After graduating from Reitaku Junior College, he became a substitute teacher in Gifu.[2] However, he gave up the job to become an actor for the [Haiyuza Theatre Company](/source/Haiyuza_Theatre_Company).[3] In 1957, Tanaka had his first film role in [Tadashi Imai](/source/Tadashi_Imai)'s *[Jun'ai Monogatari](/source/Jun'ai_Monogatari)*.[3] His first notable role was as a thug in [Akira Kurosawa](/source/Akira_Kurosawa)'s *[The Bad Sleep Well](/source/The_Bad_Sleep_Well)* (1960), and he would later work with the director again on *[Sanjuro](/source/Sanjuro)* (1962) and *[Dodes'ka-den](/source/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](/source/Daigaku_no_Wakadaish%C5%8D)*. It spawned the 17-film [*Wakadaishō* series](/source/Wakadaish%C5%8D_series) (1961–1981), and he reprised the role for each installment.[2] Tanaka also appeared in [Masaki Kobayashi](/source/Masaki_Kobayashi)'s *[Kwaidan](/source/Kwaidan_(film))* (1964), and portrayed [Daisuke Jigen](/source/Daisuke_Jigen) in *[Lupin III: Strange Psychokinetic Strategy](/source/Lupin_III%3A_Strange_Psychokinetic_Strategy)* (1974). He is also known for playing Masakichi Makihara in [Kinji Fukasaku](/source/Kinji_Fukasaku)'s *[Battles Without Honor and Humanity](/source/Battles_Without_Honor_and_Humanity)* series (1973–1974) of yakuza films.[2] 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.[3] His last film role was in 2010's *Saigo no Chushingura*.[3] The character [Kizaru](/source/List_of_One_Piece_characters#Kizaru), from [Eiichiro Oda](/source/Eiichiro_Oda)'s manga series *[One Piece](/source/One_Piece)*, is modeled after Tanaka. ## Selected filmography - *[Jun'ai Monogatari](/source/Jun'ai_Monogatari)* (1957) - *[The Bad Sleep Well](/source/The_Bad_Sleep_Well)* (1960) - *[Daigaku no Wakadaishō](/source/Daigaku_no_Wakadaish%C5%8D)* (1961) as Shinjiro Ishiyama - *[Sanjuro](/source/Sanjuro)* (1962) - *[Pitfall](/source/Pitfall_(1962_film))* (1962)[5] - *[Brave Records of the Sanada Clan](/source/Brave_Records_of_the_Sanada_Clan)* (1963) as [Sakazaki Naomori](/source/Sakazaki_Naomori) - *[Kwaidan](/source/Kwaidan_(film))* (1964) - *[Ninpō-chūshingura](/source/Ninp%C5%8D-ch%C5%ABshingura)* (1965) as Fuwa Kazuemon - *[Abashiri Prison](/source/Abashiri_Prison_(film))* (1965) - *[Ereki no Wakadaishō](/source/Ereki_no_Wakadaish%C5%8D)* (1965) as Shinjiro Ishiyama - *[The Sword of Doom](/source/The_Sword_of_Doom)* (1966) as Senkichi[6] - *[The Threat](/source/The_Threat_(1966_film))* (1966) as a police officer - *[The Human Bullet](/source/The_Human_Bullet)* (1968) - *[Fuji Sanchō](https://en.wikipedia.org/w/index.php?title=Fuji_Sanch%C5%8D&action=edit&redlink=1)* (1970) - *[Dodes'ka-den](/source/Dodes'ka-den)* (1970) as Hatsutaro - *[Summer Soldiers](/source/Summer_Soldiers_(film))* (1972) - *[Outlaw Killers: Three Mad Dog Brothers](/source/Outlaw_Killers%3A_Three_Mad_Dog_Brothers)* (1972) - *[Battles Without Honor and Humanity](/source/Battles_Without_Honor_and_Humanity_(film))* (1973) as Masakichi Makihara - *[Battles Without Honor and Humanity: Proxy War](/source/Battles_Without_Honor_and_Humanity%3A_Proxy_War)* (1973) as Masakichi Makihara - *[Battles Without Honor and Humanity: Police Tactics](/source/Battles_Without_Honor_and_Humanity%3A_Police_Tactics)* (1974) as Masakichi Makihara - *[Battles Without Honor and Humanity: Final Episode](/source/Battles_Without_Honor_and_Humanity%3A_Final_Episode)* (1974) as Masakichi Makihara - *Evil of Dracula* (1974) - *[Lupin III: Strange Psychokinetic Strategy](/source/Lupin_III%3A_Strange_Psychokinetic_Strategy)* (1974) as [Daisuke Jigen](/source/Daisuke_Jigen) - *[New Battles Without Honor and Humanity](/source/New_Battles_Without_Honor_and_Humanity_(1974_film))* (1974) as Gen Sakagami - *[Graveyard of Honor](/source/Graveyard_of_Honor_(1975_film))* (1975) as Katsuji Ozaki - *[Cops vs. Thugs](/source/Cops_vs._Thugs)* (1975) as Kinpachi Komiya - *[Kimi yo Funnu no Kawa wo Watare](https://en.wikipedia.org/w/index.php?title=Kimi_yo_Funnu_no_Kawa_wo_Watare&action=edit&redlink=1)* (1976) - *[Dynamite Dondon](https://en.wikipedia.org/w/index.php?title=Dynamite_Dondon&action=edit&redlink=1)* (1978) - *[Pink Lady no Katsudō Daishashin](/source/Pink_Lady_no_Katsud%C5%8D_Daishashin)* (1978) - *[Nihon no Fixer](/source/Nihon_no_Fixer)* (1979) - *[Nichiren](/source/Nichiren_(film))* (1979) - *[Izakaya Choji](/source/Izakaya_Choji)* (1983) - *[Okinawan Boys](/source/Okinawan_Boys)* (1983) - *[Soushun Monogatari](https://en.wikipedia.org/w/index.php?title=Soushun_Monogatari&action=edit&redlink=1)* (1985) - *[Tokei – Adieu l'hiver](/source/Tokei_%E2%80%93_Adieu_l'hiver)* (1986) - *[Uhohho Tankentai](/source/Uhohho_Tankentai)* (1986) - *[Yojo no Jidai](https://en.wikipedia.org/w/index.php?title=Yojo_no_Jidai&action=edit&redlink=1)* (1988) - *[Tasmania Story](/source/Tasmania_Story)* (1990) - *[Luminous Moss](/source/Luminous_Moss_(film))* (1992) - *[Gakko](/source/Gakko_(film))* (1993) - *[Kozure Ōkami: Sono Chiisaki Te ni](/source/Kozure_%C5%8Ckami%3A_Sono_Chiisaki_Te_ni)* (1993) - *[Tora-san to the Rescue](/source/Tora-san_to_the_Rescue)* (1995) - *[Minna no Ie](/source/Minna_no_Ie)* (2001) - *Saigo no Chushingura* (2010) ## Honors - [Mainichi Film Award for Best Actor](/source/Mainichi_Film_Award_for_Best_Actor) (1967)[3] - [Blue Ribbon Award for Best Supporting Actor](/source/Blue_Ribbon_Award_for_Best_Supporting_Actor) (1983) - [Blue Ribbon Award for Best Actor](/source/Blue_Ribbon_Award_for_Best_Actor) (1986) - [Japan Academy Film Prize for Outstanding Performance by an Actor in a Supporting Role](/source/Japan_Academy_Film_Prize_for_Outstanding_Performance_by_an_Actor_in_a_Supporting_Role) (1993) - [Medal with Purple Ribbon](/source/Medals_of_Honor_(Japan)) (1999) - [Order of the Rising Sun, 4th Class, Gold Rays with Rosette](/source/Order_of_the_Rising_Sun) (2006) ## References 1. **[^](#cite_ref-1)** ["俳優の田中邦衛さん死去 88歳「北の国から」などで存在感"](https://web.archive.org/web/20210402090305/https://www3.nhk.or.jp/news/html/20210402/k10012953271000.html). *[NHK](/source/NHK)* (in Japanese). April 2, 2021. Archived from [the original](https://www3.nhk.or.jp/news/html/20210402/k10012953271000.html) on April 2, 2021. 1. ^ [***a***](#cite_ref-daispo_2-0) [***b***](#cite_ref-daispo_2-1) [***c***](#cite_ref-daispo_2-2) [***d***](#cite_ref-daispo_2-3) [***e***](#cite_ref-daispo_2-4) [***f***](#cite_ref-daispo_2-5) ["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"](https://web.archive.org/web/20210402092528/https://www.daily.co.jp/gossip/2021/04/02/0014206688.shtml). *[Daily Sports](/source/Daily_Sports_(Japanese_newspaper))* (in Japanese). April 2, 2021. Archived from [the original](https://www.daily.co.jp/gossip/2021/04/02/0014206688.shtml) on April 2, 2021. Retrieved May 4, 2012. 1. ^ [***a***](#cite_ref-Cineplus_3-0) [***b***](#cite_ref-Cineplus_3-1) [***c***](#cite_ref-Cineplus_3-2) [***d***](#cite_ref-Cineplus_3-3) [***e***](#cite_ref-Cineplus_3-4) [***f***](#cite_ref-Cineplus_3-5) [***g***](#cite_ref-Cineplus_3-6) ["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"](https://cinema.ne.jp/article/detail/46309). *Cinemas+* (in Japanese). April 10, 2021. Retrieved May 4, 2012. 1. **[^](#cite_ref-4)** [第 17 回日本アカデミー賞優秀作品](https://www.japan-academy-prize.jp/prizes/?t=17) (in Japanese). Japan Academy Prize. Retrieved December 16, 2010. 1. **[^](#cite_ref-5)** ["おとし穴(1962)"](https://web.archive.org/web/20220128170406/https://www.japanese-cinema-db.jp/Details?id=9125). *Japanese Cinema Database*. Archived from [the original](https://www.japanese-cinema-db.jp/Details?id=9125) on January 28, 2022. Retrieved February 23, 2021. 1. **[^](#cite_ref-6)** Stuart Galbraith IV (May 16, 2008). [*The Toho Studios Story: A History and Complete Filmography*](https://books.google.com/books?id=f7o8pq6G_dYC&pg=PA168). Scarecrow Press. p. 227. [ISBN](/source/ISBN_(identifier)) [978-1-4616-7374-3](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Special:BookSources/978-1-4616-7374-3). ## External links - [Kunie Tanaka](https://www.imdb.com/name/nm0848993/) at [IMDb](/source/IMDb_(identifier)) Awards v t e Blue Ribbon Award for Best Actor So Yamamura (1950) Toshiro Mifune (1951) Hisaya Morishige (1955) Keiji Sada (1956) Frankie Sakai (1957) Ichikawa Raizō VIII (1958) Hiroyuki Nagato (1959) Rentarō Mikuni (1960) Toshiro Mifune (1961) Tatsuya Nakadai (1962) Nakamura Kinnosuke (1963) Keiju Kobayashi (1964) Toshiro Mifune (1965) Hajime Hana (1966) Bunta Sugawara (1975) Tetsuya Watari (1976) Ken Takakura (1977) Ken Ogata (1978) Tomisaburo Wakayama (1979) Tatsuya Nakadai (1980) Toshiyuki Nagashima (1981) Kiyoshi Atsumi (1982) Ken Ogata (1983) Tsutomu Yamazaki (1984) Kin'ya Kitaōji (1985) Kunie Tanaka (1986) Takanori Jinnai (1987) Hajime Hana (1988) Rentarō Mikuni (1989) Yoshio Harada (1990) Naoto Takenaka (1991) Masahiro Motoki (1992) Hiroyuki Sanada (1993) Eiji Okuda (1994) Hiroyuki Sanada (1995) Koji Yakusho (1996) Koji Yakusho (1997) Takeshi Kitano (1998) Ken Takakura (1999) Yūji Oda (2000) Mansai Nomura (2001) Kōichi Satō (2002) Toshiyuki Nishida (2003) Akira Terao (2004) Hiroyuki Sanada (2005) Ken Watanabe (2006) Ryo Kase (2007) Masahiro Motoki (2008) Shōfukutei Tsurube II (2009) Satoshi Tsumabuki (2010) Yutaka Takenouchi (2011) Hiroshi Abe (2012) Kengo Kora (2013) Tadanobu Asano (2014) Yo Oizumi (2015) Kenichi Matsuyama (2016) Sadao Abe (2017) Hiroshi Tachi (2018) Kiichi Nakai (2019) Tsuyoshi Kusanagi (2020) Junichi Okada (2021) Kazunari Ninomiya (2022) Ryunosuke Kamiki (2023) Makiya Yamaguchi (2024) Satoshi Tsumabuki (2025) v t e Blue Ribbon Award for Best Supporting Actor Chishū Ryū (1951) Daisuke Katō (1952) Eitarō Shindō (1953) Eijirō Tōno (1954) Daisuke Katō (1955) Jun Tatara (1956) Kōji Mitsui (1957) Nakamura Ganjirō II (1958) Shoichi Ozawa (1959) Masao Oda (1960) So Yamamura (1961) Yūnosuke Itō (1962) Chōichirō Kawarasaki (1963) Kō Nishimura (1964) Takahiro Tamura (1965) Katsuo Nakamura (1966) Yoshio Harada (1975) Hideji Ōtaki (1976) Tomisaburo Wakayama (1977) Tsunehiko Watase (1978) Rentarō Mikuni (1979) Tetsurō Tamba (1980) Masahiko Tsugawa (1981) Akira Emoto (1982) Kunie Tanaka (1983) Kaku Takashina (1984) Takeshi Kitano (1985) Kei Suma (1986) Toshiro Mifune (1987) Tsurutaro Kataoka (1988) Eiji Bandō (1989) Toshirō Yanagiba (1990) Masatoshi Nagase (1991) Hideo Murota (1992) George Tokoro (1993) Atsuo Nakamura (1994) Masato Hagiwara (1995) Tetsuya Watari (1996) Masahiko Nishimura (1997) Ren Osugi (1998) Shinji Takeda (1999) Teruyuki Kagawa (2000) Tsutomu Yamazaki (2001) Kanji Tsuda (2002) Tarō Yamamoto (2003) Joe Odagiri (2004) Shinichi Tsutsumi (2005) Teruyuki Kagawa (2006) Tomokazu Miura (2007) Masato Sakai (2008) Eita (2009) Renji Ishibashi (2010) Yūsuke Iseya (2011) Arata Iura (2012) Pierre Taki (2013) Sosuke Ikematsu (2014) Masahiro Motoki (2015) Lily Franky (2016) Yūsuke Santamaria (2017) Tori Matsuzaka (2018) Ryo Yoshizawa (2019) Ryo Narita (2020) Taiga Nakano (2021) Kazuki Iio (2022) Kōichi Satō (2023) Takao Osawa (2024) Jiro Sato (2025) v t e Mainichi Film Award for Best Actor Masayuki Mori (1947) Chishū Ryū (1948) Takashi Shimura (1949) Shin Saburi (1950) Chishū Ryū (1951) Shin Saburi (1952) Ken Uehara (1953) So Yamamura (1954) Hisaya Morishige (1955) Keiji Sada (1956) Toshiro Mifune (1957) Keiju Kobayashi (1958) Eiji Funakoshi (1959) Keiju Kobayashi (1960) Tatsuya Nakadai (1961) Taiji Tonoyama (1962) Keiju Kobayashi (1963) Kō Nishimura (1964) Rentarō Mikuni (1965) Shoichi Ozawa (1966) Kunie Tanaka (1967) Minori Terada (1968) Kiyoshi Atsumi (1969) Hisashi Igawa (1970) Shintaro Katsu (1971) Takeo Chii (1972) Tetsurō Tamba (1973) Rentarō Mikuni (1974) Shin Saburi (1975) Tetsuya Watari (1976) Ken Takakura (1977) Ken Ogata (1978) Tomisaburo Wakayama (1979) Tatsuya Nakadai (1980) Takahiro Tamura (1981) Kō Nishimura (1982) Ken Ogata (1983) Tsutomu Yamazaki (1984) Kin'ya Kitaōji (1985) Eiji Okuda (1986) Masahiko Tsugawa (1987) Hajime Hana (1988) Rentarō Mikuni (1989) Masato Furuoya (1990) Masatoshi Nagase (1991) Kyōzō Nagatsuka (1992) Gorō Kishitani (1993) Eiji Okuda (1994) Koji Yakusho (1995) Koji Yakusho (1996) Yoshio Harada (1997) Masahiro Motoki (1998) Keiju Kobayashi (1999) Tadanobu Asano (2000) Tatsuya Mihashi (2001) Hiroyuki Sanada (2002) Toshiyuki Nishida (2003) Takeshi Kitano (2004) Tadanobu Asano (2005) Kōichi Satō (2006) Taichi Kokubun (2007) Hiroshi Abe (2008) Kenichi Matsuyama (2009) Shinichi Tsutsumi (2010) Mirai Moriyama (2011) Isao Natsuyagi (2012) Ryuhei Matsuda (2013) Go Ayano (2014) Shinya Tsukamoto (2015) Masahiro Motoki (2016) Masaki Suda (2017) Tasuku Emoto (2018) Ryo Narita (2019) Mirai Moriyama (2020) Takeru Satoh (2021) Kenji Sawada (2022) Ryohei Suzuki (2023) v t e Japan Academy Film Prize for Outstanding Performance by an Actor in a Supporting Role Tetsuya Takeda (1978) Tsunehiko Watase (1979) Bunta Sugawara (1980) Tetsurō Tamba (1981) Katsuo Nakamura (1982) Morio Kazama (1983) Morio Kazama (1984) Kaku Takashina (1985) Kaoru Kobayashi (1986) Hitoshi Ueki (1987) Masahiko Tsugawa (1988) Tsurutaro Kataoka (1989) Eiji Bandō (1990) Renji Ishibashi (1991) Masatoshi Nagase (1992) Naoto Takenaka (1993) Kunie Tanaka (1994) Kiichi Nakai (1995) Naoto Takenaka (1996) Naoto Takenaka (1997) Masahiko Nishimura (1998) Chosuke Ikariya (1999) Nenji Kobayashi (2000) Kōichi Satō (2001) Tsutomu Yamazaki (2002) Min Tanaka (2003) Kōichi Satō (2004) Joe Odagiri (2005) Shinichi Tsutsumi (2006) Takashi Sasano (2007) Kaoru Kobayashi (2008) Tsutomu Yamazaki (2009) Teruyuki Kagawa (2010) Akira Emoto (2011) Denden (2012) Hideji Ōtaki (2013) Lily Franky (2014) Junichi Okada (2015) Masahiro Motoki (2016) Satoshi Tsumabuki (2017) Koji Yakusho (2018) Tori Matsuzaka (2019) Ryo Yoshizawa (2020) Ken Watanabe (2021) Ryohei Suzuki (2022) Masataka Kubota (2023) Hayato Isomura (2024) Takao Osawa (2025) Jiro Sato (2026) Authority control databases International ISNI VIAF GND National United States Norway Israel Other Yale LUX --- Adapted from the Wikipedia article [Kunie Tanaka](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Kunie_Tanaka) by Wikipedia contributors ([contributor history](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Kunie_Tanaka?action=history)). 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