--- name: "Bokuzen Hidari" canonical: "https://film.one/person/bokuzen-hidari" fi1m_id: "bokuzen-hidari" imdb_id: "nm0383091" tmdb_id: 34377 wikidata_id: "Q1992367" roles: ["Actor"] born: "20 February 1894" died: "26 May 1971" reviewed_on_fi1m: 2 average_fi1m_score: 94 average_as: "actor" average_over: 2 updated: "2026-09-17T17:22:31.872588+00:00" licence: "© Fi1m Ltd. Written by AI under a human editor; checked against sources before publication. Quote with attribution and a link to the canonical URL." --- # Bokuzen Hidari ## Identity Bokuzen Hidari - **Canonical:** https://film.one/person/bokuzen-hidari - **Type:** Person - **Fi1m ID:** bokuzen-hidari - **IMDb ID:** nm0383091 - **TMDB ID:** 34377 - **Wikidata ID:** Q1992367 - **Same entity:** https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Bokuzen_Hidari, https://www.wikidata.org/wiki/Q1992367, https://www.imdb.com/name/nm0383091/, https://www.themoviedb.org/person/34377 Actor. Born 20 February 1894 in Tokorozawa, Saitama, Japan. Died 26 May 1971. ## Details - **Work:** Actor - **Born:** 20 February 1894, Tokorozawa, Saitama, Japan - **Died:** 26 May 1971 - **Active:** 1952–1954 - **Also known as:** Бокудзэн Хидари - **Average Fi1m score:** 94, as actor, over 2 titles - **Elsewhere:** https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Bokuzen_Hidari, https://www.wikidata.org/wiki/Q1992367, https://www.imdb.com/name/nm0383091/, https://www.themoviedb.org/person/34377 ## Streaming the US now - **HBO Max:** [*Seven Samurai*](https://film.one/film/seven-samurai.md) (95), [*Ikiru*](https://film.one/film/ikiru.md) (92) For United States; add `?region=XX` for another country. ## Fi1m on Bokuzen Hidari > Bokuzen Hidari gives timid, careworn men their due, with an expressive face and a shrewd sense of the sadness in comedy. We rate his supporting work highly, while recognising how often the casting repeats itself. In *Seven Samurai* (1954), Bokuzen Hidari's timid farmer Yohei makes the prospect of fighting seem properly frightening. We felt protective of him, because Hidari gives the fear enough weight that we cannot simply dismiss the man as a coward. His melancholy face helps us take that fear seriously in an adventure with plenty else to occupy us. Toshiro Mifune can be overemphatic here; Hidari's vulnerability gives us a quieter reason to care about what happens. In *Ikiru* (1952), he plays Ohara, and his drunken performance brings humour and resignation to a drama led by Takashi Shimura. Shimura makes the fear of wasted time painfully ordinary, and Hidari's comic contribution belongs in that company. We value the way he lets a man seem ridiculous without making his sadness irrelevant. The film's satire sometimes keeps explaining what we have already understood, but the humour and pathos of this small part need no such assistance. His film career began around 1949–1950 and remained centred on supporting comic and character parts. With Kurosawa, *The Idiot* (1951) gave him Karube, while *The Lower Depths* (1957) cast him as Kahei the Pilgrim, both within literary adaptations. By *Red Beard* (1965), the credit was simply Patient A. Kurosawa cast him seven times, and that continuing collaboration gives us a useful way into a much larger body of supporting work, without requiring us to treat every appearance as a major performance. The reservation is how often the casting returns him to meek, bumbling or elderly men. That makes the work less varied than we might wish, and familiarity can encourage us to stop looking at what the actor is doing. Hidari deserves attention without our pretending that every small part is the film's secret centre. Start with *Seven Samurai*, and give its frightened farmer some of the attention usually reserved for the fighters. ## Biography Bokuzen Hidari (20 February 1894 – 26 May 1971) was a Japanese actor. He was born in Kotesashi Village, now part of Tokorozawa in Saitama Prefecture, and died in Tokyo. He appeared in many films, often in supporting roles. Notable credits include Yohei in *Seven Samurai* (1954), Ohara in *Ikiru* (1952), Karube in *The Idiot* (1951), the Landowner in *I Live in Fear* (1955), Kahei the Pilgrim in *The Lower Depths* (1957), Patient A in *Red Beard* (1965), the Old Farmer in *Gamera, the Giant Monster* (1965), Sakusan in *Three Outlaw Samurai* (1964), Kyubei in *Zatoichi's Flashing Sword* (1964), and a drunk in *Scandal* (1950). *Sources: en.wikipedia.org, imdb.com.* ## On Fi1m (2) - *Seven Samurai* (1954), Fi1m 95, as Yohei — [page](https://film.one/film/seven-samurai.md) - *Ikiru* (1952), Fi1m 92, as Ohara — [page](https://film.one/film/ikiru.md) ## Complete filmography (235) Every credit, newest first. Titles without a page can be requested for review on the HTML page. - *Follow the Girls* (1971), as Shima-san - *Kaiun ryokō* (1971), Actor - *Live and Learn* (1971), as Janitor - *New Shameless School* (1971), as Alfata Jinbei - *Life is a Battle* (1970), Actor - *The Little Hero* (1970), Actor - *Oh, My Comrade!* (1970), Actor - *Shameless School: Tackle Kiss* (1970), Actor - *Fear of Sex* (1970), Actor - *Get Your Sky, Young Guy* (1970), Actor - *Shameless School: Health Check in the Nude* (1970), as Jinbei - *Love Fantasia* (1970), Actor - *Three Pretty Devils* (1970), as Old man - *The Walking Major* (1970), as Boilerman - *Brothers of Capones* (1970), Actor - *Kikeki: onna mo tsurai wa* (1970), Actor - *Shameless School* (1970), as Jinbei - *Rebel Against Glory* (1970), Actor - *Rainbow Over Paris* (1970), as Koji Minagawa - *Five Gents and a Kuniang* (1970), as Aso Chairman - *Tora-san, His Tender Love* (1970), as Toku - *Konto 55: Grand Outer Space Adventure* (1969), Actor - *Shinjuku Plaza* (1969), Actor - *Woman* (1969), Actor - *Red Lion* (1969), as Gohei - *Monstrous! Who Am I?!* (1969), Actor - *Record of a Girls' High School Doctor: Pregnancy 2* (1969), Actor - *Madcap Mixup* (1969), as Police chief - *Our Wasteland* (1969), Actor - *Season of Tears* (1969), Actor - *Yokai Monsters: Along with Ghosts* (1969), as Jinbei - *Brutal Tales of Chivalry 5: Man With The Karajishi Tattoo* (1969), Actor - *A Comedy in Front of the Station: Pier* (1969), Actor - *Sex and Life* (1969), Actor - *Dorobō Sodachi Dorobōi* (1968), Actor - *Young Guy in Rio* (1968), Actor - *Prison Boss* (1968), Actor - *New Year Trip* (1968), Actor - *Two in the Shadow* (1967), Actor - *Traveling in Party* (1967), Actor - *Young Guy in the South Pacific* (1967), as Arita Hidezo - *Song of Love* (1967), Actor - *Zoku izuko e* (1967), Actor - *Last Days of the Tokugawa Regime: Tenamonya Confusion* (1967), Actor - *Big Wind from Tokyo* (1966), as Obata Seiichi - *Opium Plateau: Hell Squad, Charge!* (1966), Actor - *Ohana han: Dai ni bu* (1966), as Gosuke - *Ohana han* (1966), as Gosuke - *A Comedy in Front of the Station: Manga* (1966), as Clerk at "Iyami-yu" - *Gamblers' Luck* (1966), Actor - *Black Tight Killers* (1966), as Momochi - *Hi No Taiko* (1966), Actor - *Secret Club 000* (1965), Actor - *Gamera, the Giant Monster* (1965), as Old Farmer - *Masseur War Story* (1965), Actor - *The Black Gambler: Murderous Dice* (1965), as Takichi - *Retirement of a Train Engineer* (1965), Actor - *The Abalone Gals* (1965), Actor - *Sanshiro Sugata* (1965), as Priest - *Red Beard* (1965), as Patient A - *Hospital in Front of the Train Station* (1965), Actor - *Heavenly Gods in Front of the train Station* (1964), Actor - *Red Diamond* (1964), Actor - *The Rabble* (1964), Actor - *Zatoichi's Flashing Sword* (1964), as Kyubei - *Three Outlaw Samurai* (1964), as Sakusan - *3 Gents in the Snow Country* (1964), Actor - *Samurai from Nowhere* (1964), Actor - *Hail the 3 Gents* (1964), as Kuroda (President of Taisho Paper) - *Jolly Barbers* (1963), Actor - *A Lawless Outpost* (1963), Actor - *Gang Loyalty and Vengeance* (1963), Actor - *Young Master Yakuza: Edoite Goblin* (1963), Actor - *Young Swordsman* (1963), as Otsuka Kihei - *Young Guy in Hawaii* (1963), as 古屋老人 - *Siege of Fort Bismarck* (1963), Actor - *The Sunshine Girl* (1963), Actor - *A Devil of a Gentleman* (1963), Actor - *Tale of Ａ Company Boss Pt.５* (1963), Actor - *Girls Born in August* (1963), Actor - *Street of Wandering Men* (1963), Actor - *恋と出世に強くなれ！* (1963), as 杉本 - *Onsen Geisha* (1963), as Ichisuke - *A Fishmonger's Tour* (1963), Actor - *Beyond the Green Hills* (1963), Actor - *Case of a Young Lord 10: The Mystery of the Spider Lady* (1962), Actor - *Danger Pays* (1962), as Sakamoto, the Expert - *My Hobo* (1962), Actor - *Curry Rice* (1962), Actor - *Aitsu bakari ga naze moteru* (1962), Actor - *Ponkotsu oyaji* (1962), Actor - *Local Reporter* (1962), Actor - *Shin kitsune to tanuki* (1962), Actor - *A Comedy in Front of the Station: Onsen* (1962), Actor - *College Champ* (1962), Actor - *This Madding Crowd* (1962), Actor - *Red Bud and White Flower* (1962), Actor - *Breakthrough Course of Women in Trouble* (1962), Actor - *Otoko no Uta* (1962), Actor - *Pride of the Campus* (1962), as Prof. Ishiwaki - *次郎長社長と石松社員 威風堂々* (1962), Actor - *Nippon no obaachan* (1962), Actor - *Wakai yatsura no kaidan* (1961), Actor - *Awamori-kun nishi-e iku* (1961), Actor - *Boss Takes to the Road* (1961), Actor - *The Youth and His Amulet* (1961), Actor - *The Story of a Salesman: Every Man Has a Dream* (1961), Actor - *An Urban Affair* (1961), as Kinnosuke Togura - *20 Duels of Young Shingo, Part 2* (1961), Actor - *Sir Galahad in Campus* (1961), as Prof. Ishiwaki - *Sararīman yajikita dōchū* (1961), Actor - *The Age of Lawless Moneymaking* (1961), Actor - *Tange Sazen and the Princess* (1961), Actor - *Playboy President* (1961), as Chairman Yokoyama - *Hijō no otoko* (1961), Actor - *Invitation to the Enchanted Town* (1961), Actor - *痛快太郎* (1961), Actor - *Botchan yarō seizoroi* (1961), Actor - *The Human Vapor* (1960), as Jiya - *The Angry Sea* (1960), Actor - *Mighty Shosuke* (1960), Actor - *Dare yori mo kimi o aisu* (1960), Actor - *Volunteering for Villainy* (1960), Actor - *The Sun's Burial* (1960), Actor - *Oshichi's Vegetable Store: The No.1 Girl at the Edo Festival* (1960), Actor - *Lord Mito: All Star Version* (1960), Actor - *My Friend Death* (1960), Actor - *Salaryman Sampei Meijiro: Sighing Husband* (1960), Actor - *I Will Never Forget* (1960), Actor - *お嬢さん三度笠* (1960), Actor - *Kirai Kirai Kirai* (1960), Actor - *Salaryman Idea Book: Man of Worrisome Episodes* (1960), as University Staff - *New Third Class Executive: Travel, Women and Drinking* (1960), as Clerk at Haruyoshi Inn - *The Three Treasures* (1959), as God Amenominaka - *Four Hours of Terror* (1959), as Old man - *Ripe and Marriageable* (1959), as Salesman - *Age of Nudity* (1959), as Gen-ji - *The White Road Across the River* (1959), Actor - *Red Pants* (1959), Actor - *The Bell of Love* (1959), Actor - *Souls in the Moonlight III* (1959), as Doan - *Fox and Raccoon* (1959), as Hidematsu Yasufuku - *A Whistle in My Heart* (1959), Actor - *3 Dolls in College* (1959), Actor - *A Young Boss Tries Really Hard* (1959), as Kōbei - *Echo Mountain* (1959), Actor - *Tange Sazen: Mystery of the Twin Dragons* (1959), Actor - *The Young Boss is Third Generation* (1958), as Kōbei, Yukichi’s Grandfather - *The Naked General* (1958), Actor - *The Invisible Wall* (1958), Actor - *I Am Three People* (1958), Actor - *Hana no yukyo-den* (1958), Actor - *The Child Writers* (1958), as Nakahara - *Diary of an Elegant Hot Spring* (1958), as Village Head Akamatsu - *Otora-san's Ghostly Rascals* (1958), Actor - *The Hotelman's Holiday* (1958), as Teacher - *Botchan* (1958), as Janitor - *Yaji and Kita on the Road* (1958), Actor - *The Rickshaw Man* (1958), Actor - *Souls in the Moonlight II* (1958), as Doan - *Secret of The Golden Spell* (1958), as Tamaru Mondonosho - *Family Safety* (1958), Actor - *A Bridge for Two Alone* (1958), Actor - *The Princess of Badger Palace* (1958), as Awa-no-Kami - *Island of Fury* (1958), Actor - *Fancy Talker* (1958), Actor - *Makeraremasen katsumadewa* (1958), Actor - *The Girl in the Target* (1957), Actor - *Travel Romances* (1957), Actor - *The Lower Depths* (1957), as Kahei the Pilgrim - *First Love Story* (1957), as Mr. Hashimoto - *The Men of Toho-ku* (1957), Actor - *Hadaka no Machi* (1957), Actor - *Souls in the Moonlight* (1957), as Doctor Doan - *On Wings of Love* (1957), as Heikichi Kobayashi - *The Chieko Story* (1957), as Gohei - *Untamed Woman* (1957), as Old man - *Turtledove* (1957), Actor - *Yagyu Secret Scrolls* (1957), Actor - *Story of a Detective's Assistant* (1957), as Heikichi, Heikurō's father - *Kingoro's Pure Diary: Comic Yakuza Story* (1957), Actor - *The Lonely Swordsman (Part 1)* (1956), Actor - *Typhoon Furor* (1956), Actor - *Sisters at the Hot Springs* (1956), Actor - *Easy-Going Married Couple* (1956), Actor - *Symphony for Worn-Out Shoes* (1956), Actor - *The Legend of the White Serpent* (1956), Actor - *Gendai no yokubô* (1956), Actor - *Outlaw island* (1956), Actor - *Record of a Crafty Gentleman* (1956), Actor - *The Fencing Collegian* (1956), Actor - *Meteor Karate Strike* (1956), Actor - *The Bride Carries On* (1956), Actor - *Hanayome no tameiki* (1956), Actor - *Utae! Seishun Harikiri Musume* (1955), Actor - *Rikidozan: Man of Fury* (1955), Actor - *Forever a Woman* (1955), as Hide's Husband - *I Live in Fear* (1955), as Landowner - *Policeman's Diary, Part 2* (1955), Actor - *Subarashiki shōtai* (1955), Actor - *A Hole of My Own Making* (1955), Actor - *Yukiko* (1955), Actor - *The Wolves* (1955), Actor - *Shōnen shikeishū* (1955), Actor - *House of Many Pleasures* (1955), as Florist - *Love Never Fails* (1955), Actor - *All is Well* (1955), as Hikoichi Okubo - *Lovetide* (1955), as Factory owner (uncredited) - *The Valley Between Love and Death* (1954), Actor - *Surprising 53 Stations of the Tokaido* (1954), Actor - *Ditch* (1954), Actor - *関八州勢揃い* (1954), Actor - *Seven Samurai* (1954), as Yohei — Fi1m 95, [page](https://film.one/film/seven-samurai.md) - *Shinkon noroke bushi* (1953), Actor - *The Man Who Came to Port* (1952), as Kan-jii - *Haha no nai ko to ko no nai haha to* (1952), as Shiro's grandpa - *恐妻時代* (1952), Actor - *Ikiru* (1952), as Ohara — Fi1m 92, [page](https://film.one/film/ikiru.md) - *Today is Payday* (1952), as Section chief - *Beauty and the Thief* (1952), Actor - *Escape from the City of Death* (1952), Actor - *Love's Zephir Along the Tokaido* (1952), as Genji - *Miss Hanaogi and Santa* (1952), Actor - *Foghorn* (1952), Actor - *Vendetta of a Samurai* (1952), Actor - *The Life of a Horse Trader* (1951), as Gosaku - *Miki, the Swordman* (1951), Actor - *The Blue Pearl* (1951), as Riu's father - *Wagtail Tune* (1951), Actor - *The Idiot* (1951), as Karube - *The White Orchid* (1951), Actor - *Elegy* (1951), Actor - *Umon's Detective Stories: The One-Eyed Wolf* (1951), Actor - *Tenpo Suikoden - Otone's Night Fog* (1950), as Peasant - *Scandal* (1950), as Drunk --- © Fi1m Ltd. Written by AI under a human editor; checked against sources before publication. Quote with attribution and a link to the canonical URL. Canonical: https://film.one/person/bokuzen-hidari