Ken Takakura

Ken Takakura

Acting

Ken Takakura (高倉 健, Takakura Ken), born Gouichi Oda (February 16, 1931, in Kitakyūshū, Fukuoka, Japan), was a Japanese actor best known for his brooding style and the stoic presence he brings to his roles. Takakura gained his streetwise swagger and tough-guy persona watching yakuza turf battles over the lucrative black market and racketeering in postwar Fukuoka. This subject was covered in one of his most famous movies, Showa Zankyo-den (Remnants of Chivalry in the Showa Era), in which he played an honorable old-school yakuza among the violent post-war gurentai.

A graduate of Meiji…

Filmography

80
Dearest ★ 6.7 Dearest 2012 Riding Alone for Thousands of Miles ★ 7.1 Riding Alone for Thousands of Miles 2005 The Firefly ★ 7.5 The Firefly 2001 Railroad Man ★ 7.1 Railroad Man 1999 SMAP×SMAP ★ 8.5 SMAP×SMAP 1996 The detective whose path was crossed by a snake The detective whose path was crossed by a snake 1995 47 Ronin ★ 7.4 47 Ronin 1994 Korekara: Umibe no Tabibitotachi Korekara: Umibe no Tabibitotachi 1993 Mr. Baseball ★ 5.8 Mr. Baseball 1992 An Elegy of Tyrole An Elegy of Tyrole 1992 Buddies ★ 6.9 Buddies 1989 Black Rain ★ 6.6 Black Rain 1989 Umi e, See You ★ 10.0 Umi e, See You 1988 Demon ★ 7.6 Demon 1985 Choji Snack Bar ★ 7.8 Choji Snack Bar 1983 Antarctica ★ 7.2 Antarctica 1983 The Longest Tunnel ★ 10.0 The Longest Tunnel 1982 Karate Cop ★ 9.0 Karate Cop 1982 Station ★ 6.3 Station 1981 A Distant Cry from Spring ★ 7.4 A Distant Cry from Spring 1980 The Revolt ★ 7.0 The Revolt 1980 Never Give Up ★ 6.2 Never Give Up 1978 Winter's Flower ★ 6.4 Winter's Flower 1978 Older brother Older brother 1977 The Yellow Handkerchief ★ 7.0 The Yellow Handkerchief 1977 Mount Hakkoda ★ 6.6 Mount Hakkoda 1977 Manhunt ★ 6.2 Manhunt 1976 The International Gang of Kobe ★ 5.7 The International Gang of Kobe 1975 The Bullet Train ★ 6.8 The Bullet Train 1975 Great Jailbreak ★ 7.0 Great Jailbreak 1975 Path of Japanese Chivalry: Story of All-Out Attack ★ 10.0 Path of Japanese Chivalry: Story of All-Out Attack 1975 The Yakuza ★ 7.1 The Yakuza 1974 The Homeless ★ 7.8 The Homeless 1974 Third Generation Boss ★ 8.0 Third Generation Boss 1974 Golgo 13 ★ 5.1 Golgo 13 1973 Yakuza of the Present ★ 7.0 Yakuza of the Present 1973 Japan's Top Gangster ★ 7.0 Japan's Top Gangster 1973 Contemporary Tales of Chivalry: The Traitor Shall Die ★ 7.0 Contemporary Tales of Chivalry: The Traitor Shall Die 1972 New Abashiri Prison Story: Honor and Humanity, Ammunition That Attracts the Storm ★ 10.0 New Abashiri Prison Story: Honor and Humanity, Ammunition That Attracts the Storm 1972 The Pledge ★ 5.8 The Pledge 1972 Lullaby for a Tough Guy ★ 10.0 Lullaby for a Tough Guy 1972 The Kanto Scarlet Cherry Gang ★ 6.8 The Kanto Scarlet Cherry Gang 1972 New Prison Walls of Abashiri: Snowbound Deserter ★ 8.0 New Prison Walls of Abashiri: Snowbound Deserter 1971 The Man ★ 7.0 The Man 1971 Contemporary Tales of Chivalry: Forbidden Love ★ 7.5 Contemporary Tales of Chivalry: Forbidden Love 1971 New Prison Walls of Abashiri: Stormy Cape ★ 5.8 New Prison Walls of Abashiri: Stormy Cape 1971 Patience Has An End ★ 5.9 Patience Has An End 1971 Dagger ★ 7.0 Dagger 1971 Bloodiest Flower ★ 6.0 Bloodiest Flower 1971 The Path of the King ★ 6.5 The Path of the King 1971 New Prison Walls of Abashiri: Stray Wolf in Snow ★ 7.0 New Prison Walls of Abashiri: Stray Wolf in Snow 1970 The Domain: Rising Dragon ★ 10.0 The Domain: Rising Dragon 1970 The Last Kamikaze ★ 7.0 The Last Kamikaze 1970 Brutal Tales of Chivalry 7: Hell Is a Man's Destiny ★ 7.0 Brutal Tales of Chivalry 7: Hell Is a Man's Destiny 1970 New Prison Walls of Abashiri: High Stakes at Abashiri ★ 8.0 New Prison Walls of Abashiri: High Stakes at Abashiri 1970 Yukyo-retsuden ★ 7.5 Yukyo-retsuden 1970 Too Late the Hero ★ 6.4 Too Late the Hero 1970 The Japan Derby Race ★ 7.0 The Japan Derby Race 1970 A Hoodlum At The Risk Of His Life ★ 9.0 A Hoodlum At The Risk Of His Life 1970 House of Gamblers ★ 7.0 House of Gamblers 1970 Brave Red Flower of the North ★ 6.8 Brave Red Flower of the North 1970 Gambler's Legacy ★ 6.7 Gambler's Legacy 1969 New Prison Walls of Abashiri: The Vagrant Comes to a Port Town ★ 6.5 New Prison Walls of Abashiri: The Vagrant Comes to a Port Town 1969 Brutal Tales of Chivalry 6 ★ 9.0 Brutal Tales of Chivalry 6 1969 Memoir of Japanese Assassinations ★ 7.5 Memoir of Japanese Assassinations 1969 New Prison Walls of Abashiri 2 ★ 6.5 New Prison Walls of Abashiri 2 1969 Samurai Geisha ★ 7.5 Samurai Geisha 1969 The Domain: Flower and Dragon ★ 10.0 The Domain: Flower and Dragon 1969 Brothers Serving Time ★ 8.0 Brothers Serving Time 1969 The Biggest Gamble ★ 7.0 The Biggest Gamble 1969 Red Peony Gambler: Second Generation Ceremony ★ 6.6 Red Peony Gambler: Second Generation Ceremony 1969 Brutal Tales of Chivalry 5: Man With The Karajishi Tattoo ★ 7.7 Brutal Tales of Chivalry 5: Man With The Karajishi Tattoo 1969 Red Peony Gambler: Flower Cards Game ★ 7.3 Red Peony Gambler: Flower Cards Game 1969 New Prison Walls of Abashiri ★ 6.5 New Prison Walls of Abashiri 1968 Gambler Biography ★ 6.0 Gambler Biography 1968 The Day the Sun Rose ★ 8.0 The Day the Sun Rose 1968 Hishakaku and Kiratsune: A Tale of Two Yakuza ★ 7.0 Hishakaku and Kiratsune: A Tale of Two Yakuza 1968 Rogue ★ 7.0 Rogue 1968 Red Peony Gambler ★ 7.5 Red Peony Gambler 1968 Histories of the Chivalrous ★ 8.0 Histories of the Chivalrous 1968