---
name: "Ken Kensei"
canonical: "https://film.one/person/ken-kensei"
fi1m_id: "ken-kensei"
imdb_id: "nm0448640"
tmdb_id: 1237536
wikidata_id: "Q3544646"
roles: ["Actor"]
born: "1 January 1948"
reviewed_on_fi1m: 3
average_fi1m_score: 69
average_as: "actor"
average_over: 3
updated: "2026-10-07T04:43:25.940921+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."
---

# Ken Kensei

## Identity

Ken Kensei

- **Canonical:** https://film.one/person/ken-kensei
- **Type:** Person
- **Fi1m ID:** ken-kensei
- **IMDb ID:** nm0448640
- **TMDB ID:** 1237536
- **Wikidata ID:** Q3544646
- **Same entity:** https://www.wikidata.org/wiki/Q3544646, https://www.imdb.com/name/nm0448640/, https://www.themoviedb.org/person/1237536

Actor. Born 1 January 1948 in Kochi, Kochi Prefecture, Japan.

## Details

- **Work:** Actor
- **Born:** 1 January 1948, Kochi, Kochi Prefecture, Japan
- **Active:** 1989–2006
- **Also known as:** ケン・ケンセイ, Noboru Kataoka
- **Average Fi1m score:** 69, as actor, over 3 titles
- **Fi1m score by decade:** 1980s 62 (1), 1990s 60 (1), 2000s 84 (1)
- **Score spread:** 1 at 80+, 2 at 60–79, 0 under 60
- **Lead roles:** 0 of 1 acting credits billed first or second
- **Genres:** Action 3, Drama 3, Sport 1, Thriller 1, War 1
- **Screen time:** 7 hours of reviewed films
- **Box office:** $208m across 3 films with figures
- **Elsewhere:** https://www.wikidata.org/wiki/Q3544646, https://www.imdb.com/name/nm0448640/, https://www.themoviedb.org/person/1237536

## Streaming the US now

- **The Roku Channel:** [*Wind*](https://film.one/film/wind.md) (60)

For United States; add `?region=XX` for another country.

## Biography

Ken Kensei, also credited as Noboru Kataoka or ケン・ケンセイ, is a Japanese actor and martial arts instructor. Born in Kochi, Japan, he began studying kendo and iaido at age 15 and moved to the United States at age 24, where he founded the New York City Kendo Club and became its chief instructor. He holds the rank of 7th dan in kendo and is the 20th-generation Menkyo-Kaiden successor of the Muso Jikiden Eishin Ryu iaido style.

Kensei entered acting after casting directors noticed his martial arts demonstrations in 1980. He made his film debut in *Black Rain* (1989) and appeared as Swami in *Wind* (1992). Other credits include *Letters from Iwo Jima* (2006) as Maj. General Hayashi, *Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles III* (1993), *The Hunted* (1995) and *My Sassy Girl* (2008). He has also appeared in television series such as *30 Rock* and produced one feature film.

*Sources: imdb.com, ja.wikipedia.org, watch.plex.tv.*

## On Fi1m (3)

- *Letters from Iwo Jima* (2006), Fi1m 84, as Maj. General Hayashi — [page](https://film.one/film/letters-from-iwo-jima.md)
- *Wind* (1992), Fi1m 60, as Swami — [page](https://film.one/film/wind.md)
- *Black Rain* (1989), Fi1m 62, as Masahiro's Son — [page](https://film.one/film/black-rain.md)

## Complete filmography (17)

Every credit, newest first. Titles without a page can be requested for review on the HTML page.

- *The Next Vigilante* (2013), as Sensei
- *The Ride of Tom & Valkyrie* (2011), as Musashi
- *The Flying Scissors* (2009), as Samurai
- *My Sassy Girl* (2008), as Kendo Instructor
- *Letters from Iwo Jima* (2006), as Maj. General Hayashi — Fi1m 84, [page](https://film.one/film/letters-from-iwo-jima.md)
- *30 Rock* (2006), series, as Asian Businessman — Fi1m 86, [page](https://film.one/tv/30-rock.md)
- *Town & Country* (2001), as Translator
- *I'll Remember April* (1999), as Commander Tashima
- *Bloodmoon* (1997), as Master Welling
- *The Hunted* (1995), as Sujin
- *Dead Funny* (1994), as Yoshi
- *Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles III* (1993), as Honor Guard #4
- *Wind* (1992), as Swami — Fi1m 60, [page](https://film.one/film/wind.md)
- *Other People's Money* (1991), as Japanese Businessman #2
- *Cadillac Man* (1990), as Japanese Buyer #4
- *Black Rain* (1989), as Masahiro's Son — Fi1m 62, [page](https://film.one/film/black-rain.md)
- *Slaves of New York* (1989), as Kiochi

---
© 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/ken-kensei