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Kunie Tanaka

Born 1932-11-23

Kunie Tanaka (田中 邦衛 Tanaka Kunie, November 23, 1932 - March 24, 2021) was a Japanese actor. He had his first notable role in 1960 as a thug in Akira Kurosawa's The Bad Sleep Well, and worked with the director again on Sanjuro. Tanaka is well known for his roles in Kinji Fukasaku's yakuza films, namely the Battles Without Honor and Humanity series. He also appeared in Masaki Kobayashi's Kwaidan. He has been nominated for five Japanese Academy Awards, winning the Best Supporting Actor statuette for Gakko in 1993. He appeared as the lecherous Shinjiro Ishiyama, nicknamed Aodaishō, the antagonist of the hero, played by Yūzō Kayama, in all of the Wakadaishō series of films. The character Kizaru, from Eiichiro Oda's manga series One Piece, is modeled after Tanaka.

Known for

Sanjuro 1962 · 8.0 The Sword of Doom 1966 · 7.9 The Face of Another 1966 · 7.9 The Human Condition II: Road to Eternity 1959 · 8.5 Dodes'ka-den 1970 · 7.3 The Hidden Blade 2004 · 7.7 Battles Without Honor and Humanity 1973 · 7.4 The Steel Edge of Revenge 1969 · 7.6 Proxy War 1973 · 7.3 Zatoichi Goes to the Fire Festival 1970 · 7.3 Police Tactics 1974 · 7.3 Final Episode 1974 · 7.3 Hitokiri 1969 · 7.4 Zatoichi's Pilgrimage 1966 · 7.2 The Demon 1978 · 7.4 The Sun's Burial 1960 · 6.9 Evil of Dracula 1974 · 6.3 Manhunt 1976 · 6.8 New Battles Without Honor and Humanity 1974 · 6.9 The Last Ronin 2010 · 7.2 A Class to Remember 1993 · 7.0 Fuyu no hana 1978 · 6.7 Tora-san, the Good Samaritan 1971 · 6.9 Otoko wa tsurai yo: Torajiro kurenai no hana 1995 · 7.1 A Class to Remember 3: The New Voyage 1998 · 6.5 Sôshun monogatari 1985 · 6.4 Kobe Kokusai Gang 1975 · 6.2 Kogarashi Monjirô: Kakawari gozansen 1972 · 6.1 Abashiri bangaichi: Dai setsugen no taiketsu 1966