Biography
Kokuten Kōdō (also credited as Kokuten Kodo or Kuninori Kōdō) was a Japanese film actor. Born on 29 January 1887 in Takasago, Hyogo, he began his career on the stage in shinpa dramas in 1901 before entering film in the 1920s. He appeared in more than eighty films between 1923 and 1959, frequently cast in supporting roles as elderly men.
Kōdō worked with director Akira Kurosawa on several productions, including Seven Samurai (1954) as Gisaku, the village elder, Throne of Blood (1957) as a military commander, and The Hidden Fortress (1958). He also appeared in Godzilla (1954) as an elder of Odo Island and in other films such as Stray Dog (1949) and Early Summer (1951). He died on 22 January 1960.
