{{Short description|Japanese filmmaker (1949–2025)}} {{Infobox person | name = Masato Harada | native_name = 原田 眞人 | native_name_lang = ja | image = Harada Masato "The World of Harada Masato" at Opening Ceremony of the 28th Tokyo International Film Festival (22241828180).jpg | caption = | birth_name = | birth_date = {{birth date|1949|7|3}} | birth_place = Numazu, Shizuoka Prefecture, Japan | death_date = {{death date and age|2025|12|8|1949|7|3}} | death_place = Tokyo, Japan | other_names = | occupation = {{hlist|Film director|screenwriter|film editor|critic|actor}} | years_active = 1979–2025 | spouse = {{marriage|Mizuho Fukuda|1976}} | children = Eugene Harada | website = | module = {{Infobox Chinese | child = yes | kanji = 原田 眞人 | hiragana = はらだ まさと | katakana = ハラダ マサト | romaji = Harada Masato }} }}

{{nihongo|'''Masato Harada'''|原田 眞人|Harada Masato|July 3, 1949 – December 8, 2025}} was a Japanese film director, screenwriter, critic and occasional actor. He was nominated five times for the Japan Academy Film Prize for Best Director, among other accolades.

==Early life and education== Harada was born in Numazu, Shizuoka Prefecture and graduated from Higashi High School. In 1972, he went to London to learn English. He then attended Tokyo Visual Arts College and Pepperdine University.<ref name=":0">『ガンヘッド コンプリーション』ホビージャパン〈ホビージャパンMOOK1372〉、2024年3月29日（原著2013年）。ISBN 978-4-7986-3483-8。</ref>

During the latter part of the decade, he lived in Los Angeles, where he was a US correspondent for ''Kinema Junpo'' and ''Takarajima'' magazines, writing criticism and news about the American film industry.<ref>{{Cite web |last=村上幸将 |title=映画監督の原田眞人さん死去 石原裕次郎賞3度、「日本のいちばん長い日」で天皇真正面から描く - おくやみ : 日刊スポーツ |url=https://www.nikkansports.com/entertainment/news/202512130000123.html |access-date=2026-03-19 |website=nikkansports.com |language=ja}}</ref> He cited American filmmakers Howard Hawks,<ref name="Harada">{{cite web|first=Robin|last=Gatto|url=http://www.midnighteye.com/interviews/masato_harada.shtml|title=Midnight Eye interview: Masato Harada|website=Midnight Eye|date=August 15, 2001}}</ref> Sam Peckinpah,<ref>{{Cite web |date=2015-09-27 |title=生涯監督作は14本…トラブルメーカー、サム・ペキンパーを映画監督の原田眞人が振り返る｜シネマトゥデイ |url=https://www.cinematoday.jp/news/N0076796 |access-date=2026-03-19 |website=シネマトゥデイ |language=ja}}</ref> and Don Siegel as influences, and befriended Hawks after meeting him at the San Sebastián International Film Festival.<ref name=":0" />

==Career== Harada made his directorial debut in 1979, with ''Farewell, Movie Friend: Indian Summer''. For several years, he worked as an English-to-Japanese subtitle and dubbing translator, including for two ''Star Wars'' films (''The Empire Strikes Back'' and ''Return of the Jedi''), ''Good Morning, Vietnam'', ''Full Metal Jacket'', and the DVD release of ''A Clockwork Orange''.<ref name="Harada" />

He collaborated and showcased his works in Europe and US. His theatrical film credits included ''Gunhed'' (1989), ''Kamikaze Taxi'' (1995), ''Bounce Ko Gals'' (1997), ''Densen Uta'' (2007), ''Climber's High'' (2008), ''Chronicle of My Mother'' (2011), ''The Emperor in August'' (2015), and ''Sekigahara'' (2017). Among other accolades, he was nominated for the Japan Academy Film Prize for Best Director five times. His 2001 film ''Inugami'' was nominated for the Golden Bear at the Berlin International Film Festival.

He was best known to foreign audiences for his acting roles as Omura in Edward Zwick's ''The Last Samurai'' and as Mita in Ronny Yu's ''Fearless''. In both roles, he portrayed the villain who wants Japan to westernize under the Meiji Restoration in the meantime trying to remove the old ways.<ref>{{cite web|first=Nick|last=Schager|url=http://www.slantmagazine.com/film/review/the-last-samurai/828|title=The Last Samurai - Film Review|publisher=Slant Magazine|date=December 4, 2003}}</ref>

Harada also taught international relations at Nihon University.

==Personal life== He married journalist Mizuho Fukuda in 1976.<ref>{{cite web|url=https://www.sansebastianfestival.com/2008/awards_and_jury_members/offical_selection_jury_members/1/662/in|title=MASATO HARADA|publisher=San Sebastian Festival|date=2008|accessdate=1 February 2024}}</ref> They had a son, actor Eugene Harada.<ref name=":0" />

=== Death === Harada died in a Tokyo hospital on December 8, 2025, at the age of 76.<ref>{{cite news |title=映画監督の原田眞人さん死去 76歳 社会派の作品多く手がける |url=https://news.web.nhk/newsweb/na/na-k10015003091000 |access-date=13 December 2025 |publisher=NHK One |date=13 December 2025}}</ref>

==Filmography==

===Director=== * ''Farewell, Movie Friend: Indian Summer'' (1979) * ''Uindii'' (1984) * ''Paris/Dakar 1500'' (1986) * ''The Heartbreak Yakuza'' (1987) * ''Gunhed'' (1989) * ''Tuff 5'' (1992) * ''Painted Desert'' (1993) * ''Kamikaze Taxi'' (1995) * ''Rowing Through'' (1996) * ''Bounce Ko Gals'' (1997) * ''Spellbound'' (1999) * ''Inugami'' (2001) * ''The Choice of Hercules'' (2002) * ''Bluestockings'' (2005) * ''Densen Uta'' (2007) * ''The Shadow Spirit'' (2008) * ''Climber's High'' (2008) * ''Chronicle of My Mother'' (2011) * ''Return'' (2013) * ''Kakekomi'' (2015) * ''The Emperor in August'' (2015) * ''Sekigahara'' (2017) * ''Killing for the Prosecution'' (2018) * ''Baragaki: Unbroken Samurai'' (2021) * ''Hell Dogs'' (2022)<ref>{{cite web |url= https://natalie.mu/eiga/news/455652|title= 岡田准一がヤクザ組織に潜入、原田眞人の監督作「ヘルドッグス」来秋公開|access-date= December 1, 2021|work= Natalie}}</ref> * ''Bad Lands'' (2023)<ref>{{cite web |url= https://eiga.com/movie/99597/|title= BAD LANDS バッド・ランズ|access-date= May 30, 2023|work= eiga.com}}</ref>

===Actor=== * ''The Last Samurai'' (2003) – Mr. Omura * ''Fearless'' (2006) – Mr. Mita

==References== {{Reflist}}

==External links== * {{IMDb name|id=0361735|name=Masato Harada}} * {{jmdb name|id=0097790|name=Masato Harada}}

{{Masato Harada}} {{Navboxes |title = Awards |list = {{Hochi Film Award for Best Director}} {{Nikkan Sports Film Award for Best Director}} {{Mainichi Film Award for Best Screenplay}} }} {{Authority control}}

{{DEFAULTSORT:Harada, Masato}} Category:1949 births Category:2025 deaths Category:Japanese film directors Category:People from Numazu Category:Japanese subtitlers

{{Japan-film-director-stub}} {{Japan-film-actor-stub}} Category:Japanese male screenwriters Category:Japanese male film actors Category:Japanese film critics Category:Pepperdine University alumni Category:Nihon University people Category:Artists from Tokyo