Overview
- His acting studio Mumeijuku confirmed the death on Tuesday, noting the revered performer was 92.
- Kyodo News, citing sources close to him, reported he died from pneumonia in a Tokyo hospital on Saturday.
- Over seven decades he earned more than 100 screen credits, with defining performances in Ran, Harakiri, The Human Condition, Yojimbo, and Kagemusha through collaborations with Akira Kurosawa and Masaki Kobayashi.
- He founded the Mumeijuku acting school in 1975 to train young performers, mentoring future star Koji Yakusho.
- Japan honored him with the Medal with Purple Ribbon in 1996 and the Order of Culture in 2015 for his contributions to the arts.