Toshirō Mifune
Date of birth: 1920-04-01
Place of birth: Qingdao, China
Known for: Acting
Also known as: Toshiroh Mifune, Mifune Toshirō
Biography
Toshirō Mifune (April 1, 1920 - December 24, 1997) was a Japanese actor who is widely regarded as one of the greatest actors in the history of Japanese cinema. He was born in Qingdao, China, but was raised in Japan. Mifune's career spanned over 50 years, during which he collaborated extensively with renowned director Akira Kurosawa, creating some of the most iconic films in Japanese cinema. Mifune gained international recognition for his performances in Kurosawa's films, particularly in samurai films. He portrayed strong, dynamic, and often rebellious characters, bringing a raw intensity to his roles. Some of his notable collaborations with Kurosawa include "Rashomon" (1950), "Seven Samurai" (1954), "Yojimbo" (1961), and "The Hidden Fortress" (1958), which inspired George Lucas's "Star Wars." Apart from his work with Kurosawa, Mifune appeared in numerous other films, showcasing his versatility as an actor. He played roles in various genres, including dramas, comedies, and war films. Some of his other notable films include "The Throne of Blood" (1957), "High and Low" (1963), and "Red Beard" (1965). Mifune's charismatic presence, powerful performances, and ability to convey complex emotions made him an iconic figure in Japanese cinema. He received international recognition and awards for his contributions to the film industry, including several honors at the Venice Film Festival and a lifetime achievement award from the Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences.
Movie Credits
The Hidden Fortress
1958-12-28
In feudal Japan, during a bloody war between clans, two cowardly and greedy peasants, soldiers of a
Rashomon
1950-08-26
Four people recount different versions of the story of a man's murder and the rape of his wife.
Throne of Blood
1957-01-15
Returning to their lord's castle, samurai warriors Washizu and Miki are waylaid by a spirit who pred
Red Beard
1965-03-04
Aspiring to an easy job as personal physician to a wealthy family, Noboru Yasumoto is disappointed w
Grand Prix
1966-12-21
The most daring drivers in the world have gathered to compete for the 1966 Formula One championship.
Incident at Blood Pass
1970-04-21
In the Edo period, a nameless ronin accepts an assignment to go to a mountain pass and wait. Near th
Stray Dog
1949-10-17
A bad day gets worse for young detective Murakami when a pickpocket steals his gun on a hot, crowded
1941
1979-12-14
In the days after the attack on Pearl Harbor, panic grips California, where a military officer leads
I Live in Fear
1955-11-22
An aging foundry patriarch, gripped by terror of nuclear annihilation, tries to uproot his family to
Samurai II: Duel at Ichijoji Temple
1955-07-12
After years on the road establishing his reputation as Japan's greatest fencer, Takezo returns to Ky
Samurai I: Musashi Miyamoto
1954-09-25
Struggling to elevate himself from his low caste in 17th century Japan, Miyamoto trains to become a
Samurai III: Duel at Ganryu Island
1956-01-03
A humble and simple Takezo abandons his life as a knight errant. He's sought as a teacher and vassal
Midway
1976-06-18
This war drama depicts the U.S. and Japanese forces in the naval Battle of Midway, which became a tu
Sanjuro
1962-01-01
Toshiro Mifune swaggers and snarls to brilliant comic effect in Kurosawa's tightly paced, beautifull
The Bad Sleep Well
1960-09-19
In this loose adaptation of "Hamlet," illegitimate son Kôichi Nishi climbs to a high position within
Red Sun
1971-09-15
In 1870, Japanese ambassador Sakaguchi and his entourage travel by train to Washington to deliver a
The Idiot
1951-05-23
A gentle, war-shattered ex-soldier, Kinji Kameda, arrives in wintry Hokkaidō and is pulled into a vo
Hell in the Pacific
1968-12-19
During World War II, a shot-down American pilot and a marooned Japanese navy captain find themselves
Yojimbo
1961-04-25
A nameless ronin, or samurai with no master, enters a small village in feudal Japan where two rival
The Lower Depths
1957-10-01
Residents of a rundown boardinghouse in 19th-century Japan, including a mysterious old man and an ag
Drunken Angel
1948-04-27
In postwar Tokyo, a blunt, alcohol-soaked doctor diagnoses a swaggering young yakuza with tuberculos
Scandal
1950-04-26
A celebrity photograph sparks a court case as a tabloid magazine spins a scandalous yarn over a pain
Samurai Rebellion
1967-05-27
The mother of a feudal lord's only heir is kidnapped away from her husband by the lord. The husband
Death of a Tea Master
1989-10-07
Years after the death of legendary tea master Rikyu, his disciple Honkakubo attempts to resolve the
High and Low
1963-03-01
A Yokohama shoe executive faces a wrenching choice when kidnappers mistakenly seize his chauffeur’s
Winter Kills
1979-05-11
The younger brother of an assassinated US President is led down a rabbit hole of conspiracies and de
Zatoichi Meets Yojimbo
1970-01-15
Zatoichi treks to a village that has always been a favorite spot of his, only to discover that it’s
The Rickshaw Man
1958-04-21
A poor rickshaw driver finds himself helping a young woman and her son after the woman's husband die
The Life of Oharu
1952-04-17
In 17th century Edo Period Japan, a noblewoman's banishment for her love affair with a lowly page si
The Quiet Duel
1949-03-19
A young army surgeon, Kyoji Fujisaki, accidentally contracts syphilis during a WWII field operation.
Chûshingura
1962-11-03
After their lord is tricked into committing ritual suicide, forty-seven samurai warriors await the c
Shinsengumi: Assassins of Honor
1969-12-05
Near the end of the nineteenth century, as the balance of power shifts from Shogunate towards the Em
Japan's Longest Day
1967-08-03
Following the detonation of the atomic bombs on Hiroshima and Nagasaki, the Japanese military and th
The Challenge
1982-07-23
Rick, a down-and-out American boxer, is hired to transport a sword to Japan, unaware that the whole
Shadow of the Wolf
1992-03-05
In the 1930s, Agaguk lives his traditional Inuit life. But one day, there is a murder in the tribe a
Samurai Pirate
1963-10-26
An adventurous and daring sailor sets sail to the castle of an ailing king to stop an evil premier,
Samurai Banners
1969-03-01
Kansuke Yamamoto is a samurai who dreams of a country united, peaceful from sea to sea. He enters th
Home-Brewed Tatsu
1962-04-29
1962 Japanese movie
The Sword of Doom
1966-02-25
Ryunosuke, a gifted swordsman plying his trade during the turbulent final days of Shogunate rule, ha
The Fall of Ako Castle
1978-10-28
This is the story of "The Forty-Seven Ronin." Based on historical events in 1701-2, the movie tells
Attack Squadron
1963-01-03
Lt. Col. Senda resists the idea of sending Japanese fighter pilots on suicide missions. He believes
Princess from the Moon
1987-09-26
Two poor, married farmers have recently lost their only child; after a freak visitation, they pry op
Adventure in Kigan Castle
1966-04-28
Osami, a soldier-of-fortune from Japan, joins with priest Ensai in a quest for the ashes of the grea
Samurai Assassin
1965-01-03
Japan, 1860. The men of the Mito clan, victims of the Ansei purge, anxiously prowl around the Sakura
Yaji and Kita on the Road
1958-04-29
Two residents of Edo city Yaji and Kita make a journey to the temple of Ise, as part of a religious
Vendetta of a Samurai
1952-01-03
Mataemon Araki, a renowned swordsman, helps a young man find vengeance.
cf Girl
1989-10-07
The film is an adaptation of the novel of the same title by Takashi Kitajima.
Red Lion
1969-10-10
Japan, February 1868. As the Tokugawa shogunate declines and the power of Emperor Meiji grows, Gonzo
Desperado Outpost
1959-10-06
When Sergeant Okubo's brother is murdered at a Japanese outpost in Northern China during the Second
Paper Tiger
1975-11-05
A somewhat prim and proper Englishman is hired as the tutor to the son of the Japanese ambassador. H
Battle of the Japan Sea
1969-08-01
Japan and Russia clash in what comes to be known as the Russo-Japanese War. An attempt by the Japane
Snow Trail
1947-08-05
Three bank robbers, Eijima, Nojiri, and Takasugi, flee the police and escape into the mountains. At
Yagyu Secret Scrolls
1957-04-14
In the Tokugawa Era, the clan of Lord Yagyu has hidden away three scrolls containing clan secrets wh
The Important Man
1961-11-03
Animas Trujano is a colorful but irresponsible Indian in a small Mexican village. He hopes above all
The Bushido Blade
1981-06-19
A steel samurai blade that was to be given to the American ambassador by the Emperor of Japan is sto
Inchon
1981-05-04
Gen. Douglas MacArthur leads a Korean War campaign, and the war tests a married couple's relationshi
Yagyu Secret Scrolls: Ninjitsu - Part II
1958-01-03
In the Tokugawa Era, the clan of Lord Yagyu has hidden away three scrolls containing clan secrets wh
Fort Graveyard
1965-09-18
Charged with insubordination for punching a superior, Sergeant Kosugi is shipped to China in the las
The Sands of Kurobe
1968-03-01
Kitagawa is an engineer charged with construction of a gigantic tunnel through the Japan Alps for th
The Last Gunfight
1960-01-03
Japanese police detective Saburo Fujioka is suspected of corruption, demoted, and sent to the city o
Samurai Saga
1959-04-28
Edmund Rostand's play Cyrano de Bergerac, transplanted to Japan. A poet-warrior with an oversized no
Whirlwind
1964-01-03
Set at the end of the Siege of Osaka this film follows the exploits of several members of the defeat
Lowly Ronin
1981-10-30
Reprising his role from the popular TV series "Koya no Suronin" (The Lowly Ronin), Mifune Toshiro s
Lowly Ronin 2: The Spray of Blood
1982-10-29
Reprising his role from the popular TV series "Koya no Suronin" (The Lowly Ronin), Mifune Toshiro s
The Three Treasures
1959-11-01
The legend of the birth of Shintoism. In Fourth Century Japan, the Emperor's son Ouso expects to suc
Wedding Ring
1950-07-01
A jewelry store president begins to fall for the doctor treating her husband's illness.
Daredevil in the Castle
1961-01-03
During the raging war between the Toyotomi and Tokugawa clans, the swordsman Mohei (whose family has
All About Marriage
1958-05-26
Ultra-perky model likes single freedom but feels ryosai kenbo ("good wife, wise mother") pressure, e
Love and Faith
1978-06-03
Sen Rikyu is a ceremonial tea master who advises warlord Hideyoshi in sixteenth-century feudal Japan
The Ambitious
1970-02-14
The story of Ryoma Sakamoto, considered to be the architect behind the downfall of the Tokugawa shog
Grand Prix: Challenge of the Champions
1966-12-21
A short making of feature about the 1966 John Frankenheimer movie Grande Prix
Rebels on the High Sea
1956-08-08
A film by Hiroshi Inagaki.
The Mad Atlantic
1966-07-13
Captain Murakami takes over as skipper of the Azuma Maru, replacing the well-liked former captain. M
A Dangerous Hero
1957-07-30
A film by Hideo Suzuki.
A Man in the Storm
1957-02-05
Judo expert Saburô Watari fights his judo master, Tsujido, while simultaneously in conflict with a k
Settlement of Love
1956-03-28
Living in a house that has lost its man to the war a year earlier are the widow and her child. Four
The Masterless 47
1960-12-25
Part one of The Masterless 47.
All is Well 2
1955-02-20
All is Well
1955-01-29
Three Gentlemen Return from Hong Kong
1962-06-01
Proof of the Man
1977-10-08
When an American is murdered in a Japanese inn, Tokyo police detective Munesue follows the trail of
Holiday in Tokyo
1958-04-15
May Kawaguchi is a famous Japanese fashion designer. Returning to Tokyo from her home in New York, s
Journey of Honor
1991-04-27
The son of a besieged Shogun in war-torn 17th century Japan travels to Spain to buy weaponry from th
Shogun's Samurai
1978-01-21
Following the death of the second Tokugawa shogun, it is revealed that he was poisoned by retainers
Escape from Prison
1950-01-04
Safari 5000
1969-07-19
A Japanese racing driver for Nissan named Godai (Yujiro Ishihara) have a rivalry with a French driv
Sasaki Kojiro
1951-10-26
Director Hiroshi Inagaki's early version of the life and death of famed swordsman Sasaki Kojiro. Ota
Secret of the Forbidden Valley
1983-11-10
A thrilling historical drama in which a ronin played plays an active role in redeeming the name of
Admiral Yamamoto
1968-08-14
As Japan joins in a political pact with Nazi Germany and fascist Italy, Admiral Isoroku Yamamoto is
A Wife's Heart
1956-05-03
Kiyoko (Takamine Hideko) and her husband want to open a coffee shop. She becomes increasingly close
Rise Against the Sword
1966-01-15
Farmer Abare Goemon is confronted by brigand-like samurai. He raises an army of farmers to fight the
The Retired Samurai
1987-09-10
Japan's greatest jidaigeki star, Mifune Toshiro is Shogun's Advisor Okubo Hikozaemon who must be coa
Deep River
1995-04-01
A group of Japanese tourists try to forget their pasts and find themselves in India.
Picture Bride
1995-05-05
Riyo, an orphaned 17-year old, sails from Yokohama to Hawaii in 1918 to marry Matsuji, a man she has
The Demon Comes in Spring
1989-04-15
Island villagers find a young woman and young man swept ashore near their remote village in northeas
Port Arthur
1980-08-02
Depicts the bloody siege of the fortress of Port Arthur, one of the most strongly fortified position
Shag
1978-03-31
Shiro Akitsu goes on a relentless search for his abducted 7-year-old daughter, with the aid of an Ai
The Storm of the Pacific
1960-04-26
Lt. Koji Kitami is a navigator-bombardier in Japan's Naval Air Force. He participates in the Japanes
The Day the Sun Rose
1968-11-23
Shinkichi, a peasant employed as a cloth-dyer, has a dream: in the midst of the civil war which rava
Lowly Ronin 4: Living Hell
1983-02-18
The "lowly ronin" meets a child who is being chased by men that killed his father before his eyes. F
The Eagle of the Pacific
1953-10-21
Admiral Isoroku Yamamoto, a brilliant tactician, is a loyal subject of the emperor, despite his grav
Battle Anthem
1983-06-04
The story of Japan's victory in the battle of Tsushima Strait.
The Big Boss
1959-01-15
Ryuta and Mineo Komatsu are brothers, both yakuza (gangsters). Mineo, although complicit in crime, e
No More God, No More Love
1985-03-23
Released after seven years in prison, an inveterate thug goes from strength to ruthless strength as
The Ballad of the Sea of Genkai
1986-01-15
A young woman's life is turned upside down when her husband suddenly disappears, leaving behind nume
The Militarists
1970-09-11
Conduct Report on Professor Ishinaka
1950-01-22
Three humorous love stories set in rural Japan.
The Gambling Samurai
1960-03-28
Chuji Kunisada returns to his home village to find that Jubei Matsui, the corrupt magistrate, has be
Domineering
1982-10-29
When the patriarch of Japan's most powerful yakuza family is shot, his wife is left to pick up the p
Saga of the Vagabonds
1959-08-09
Lord Taro must deliver a money chest but is robbed by brigands led by Jibu. One of Jibu's men, Rokur
Mifune: The Last Samurai
2016-12-02
An account of the life and work of legendary Japanese actor Toshirō Mifune (1920-97), the most promi
Tora-san Goes North
1987-08-15
When his travels take him to rural Hokkaido, Tora-san helps a cantankerous old veterinarian (Mifune)
The Women of Osaka Castle
1983-11-03
A television drama aired on November 3, 1983 as a special project to celebrate the 25th anniversary
Okita Soji: Swordsman of Fire
1984-04-02
The Life of a Horse Trader
1951-12-07
The tale of Katakana Yonetaro aka "The Shark," a rough-and-tumble horse trader in Japan's northernmo
Lowly Ronin 5: The Teenage Orphan Girl
1983-04-08
When the 'Lowly Ronin' helps an orphaned teenage girl avoid being turned into a prostitute, she then
The Shatterer
1987-06-13
Following the opening of a Japanese auto factory in Sicily, the head of the company is kidnapped by
Beyond Love and Hate
1951-01-11
A young man, convicted of a crime and imprisoned in the penitentiary, comes to believe that his wife
The Last Embrace
1953-03-11
Yukiko Nogami is rescued during a mountain blizzard by handsome forester Shinkichi, and the two subs
No Time for Tears
1955-05-10
Coach Shimamura of the hapless Sparrows baseball team is pleased to obtain a hot new pitcher named O
Foghorn
1952-03-03
A Japanese woman, the mistress of an American, falls in love with her servant.
The Underworld
1956-02-26
Yakuza boss Furuya leans more and more on his protege Takao Shoji, though Shoji has become romantica
Man Against Man
1960-08-14
Kikumori runs a cabaret on the docks, while his friend Kaji operates transport boats. When a gang of
The Retreat from Kiska
1965-07-04
In 1943, the Aleutian island of Kiska was fortified by a small contingent of Japanese soldiers. When
Sword for Hire
1952-05-22
Soldiers Hayate and Yaheiji secretly escape from their besieged castle. Hayate has left behind his l
Theater Of Life
1983-01-29
Adaptation of Shiro Ozaki's novel.
Akira Kurosawa: It Is Wonderful to Create: 'The Hidden Fortress'
2002-10-25
Documentary made by Toho for the Masterworks reissue of all of its Kurosawa films. This one focuses
The Youth and His Amulet
1961-09-17
Gen is a lonely orphan boy. His sole sense of companionship comes from an imaginary friend, the god
The Miracle of Joe, the Petrel
1984-04-28
In Okinawa, a Japanese-Filipino gangster named Joe kills an Okinawan mobster. Joe temporarily escape
Lord Mito
1978-12-23
One of Japan’s most popular historical characters, former Vice-Shogun Tokugawa Mitsukuni, whose trav
Japanese Godfather: Conclusion
1978-09-09
The three-film saga comes to a conclusion as three leaders of the underworld battle it out to determ
Tokyo Sweetheart
1952-07-15
Following the Second World War, the lives of various people in a poverty-stricken area of Tokyo are
Legacy of the 500,000
1963-04-18
During World War II, Japan sends gold to the Phillipines. After the war, the gold is lost in the bay
The Adventures of Kosuke Kindaichi
1979-07-14
Obayashi's take on the famous Kosuke Kindaichi series, made popular partly thanks to the numerous mo
Lowly Ronin 6: Betrayal at Yatate Pass
1983-08-05
Accused of being a spy for a rival clan by Nanbu Clan samurai who then attack him, the 'Lowly Ronin'
Onmitsu Doshin: The Edo Secret Police
1979-12-01
A group of warriors decide to unite to help the oppressed masses. Disguised as ordinary people, they
The Lowly Ronin 3: Duel at Dawn
1982-05-07
After saving a young Lord from an assassination attempt the Lowly Ronin finds that he is now a wante
Strawberry Road
1991-04-27
Hisa Ishii and his brother Akira emigrate from Japan to the United States. They settle in rural Cali
Down Town
1957-10-29
A woman struggles to raise her young son on her own in postwar Japan, finding companionship with a k
The Masterless 47 – Part II
1961-02-25
The Man Who Came to Port
1952-11-27
An Ishiro Honda film.
Good Luck to These Two
1957-02-19
A young man and woman are determined to marry despite opposition from her parents.
Japanese Godfather: Ambition
1977-10-29
An ambitious Kansai yakuza don moves in on Tokyo using financial and political tactics, sparking con
Seven Samurai
1954-04-26
A samurai answers a village's request for protection after he falls on hard times. The town needs pr
Scoundrel
1956-05-10
Theater of Life
1958-11-23
1958 Theater of Life adaptation.
Swift Current
1952-10-23
The film follows a young civil engineer, played by Toshiro Mifune, who is assigned to the Tase Dam c
My Wonderful Yellow Car
1953-01-15
Sunflower Girl
1953-03-26
Young Setsuko Fujino begins a new job at Tokyo Chemical Company. She likes her boss, Ippei Hitachi,
Heaven and Earth: Dawn Episode
1990-04-20
Some of the greatest battles during the Age of Civil Wars were fought between the Uesugi and Takeda
A Man Among Men
1955-01-03
Gangsters Ken and Maki are rivals in the ticket-scalping game. They make an uneasy truce, but Ken wr
Sanshiro Sugata
1965-05-29
Remake of Akira Kurosawa's films "Sanshiro Sugata and "Sanshiro Sugata Part II". A young man, Sanshi
These Foolish Times
1947-10-12
The Walking Major
1970-06-06
U.S. Army Captain Clark Allen gains attention by walking back and forth, the length of Japan, gambli
Ten Duels of Young Shingo: Chapter 1
1981-05-15
The classic tale of the shogun's illegitimate son Aoi Shingo is told in three parts as he strives to
Ten Duels of Young Shingo: Chapter 2
1982-02-26
Brings Shingo face to face against Yagyu Tajima, the Shogun’s fencing instructor in a match that cou
Jakoman and Tetsu
1949-07-11
In a village subsisting on it herring fishery, a one-eyed criminal named Jakoman terrorizes the inha
Pirates
1951-07-13
Meeting of the Ghost of Apres-Guerre
1951-08-03
In a small town, according to the homecoming of Professor Ishinaka, the youth culture group was over
Who Knows a Woman's Heart
1951-12-21
Ikeuchi was captain of the K - University ice hockey team. The daughter Shikotsuko of Ginza 's weste
The Black Fury
1954-11-30
A narcotics investigator for the harbor police, Eiichi Tsuda, is driven by thoughts of vengeance for
Rainy Night Duel
1956-01-29
Masahiko Koseki, a judo master, gets in several fights as a result of protecting a young woman. Desp
The Surf
1954-10-20
Lonely youth Shinji meets Hatsue, a pretty pearl diver, on the beach and the two fall in love. But S
Elegy
1951-02-22
Wataru Naohiko who has the prosecutor general as his father became a young composer and its symphony
Kin no tamago: Golden Girl
1952-05-14
Once an average and seemingly ordinary Tokyo girl, she suddenly finds herself as a TV star owing to
Final Cut: Ladies and Gentlemen
2012-02-04
A film where anything can happen - the hero and the heroine changes their faces, age, look, names, a