Biography
Sō Yamamura, also credited as Sō Yamamura or Satoshi Yamamura, was a Japanese actor and film director. Born Koga Hirosada on 24 February 1910 in Tenri, Nara Prefecture, he graduated from the University of Tokyo. After stage work, including co-founding the Bunkaza Theatre Company in 1942, he made his screen debut in 1946 and appeared in more than 100 films between 1947 and 1997. He directed six films, beginning with Kanikōsen in 1953.
Yamamura frequently appeared in films by Yasujirō Ozu, including as Koichi Hirayama in Tokyo Story (1953). He gained international recognition for portraying Admiral Isoroku Yamamoto in Tora! Tora! Tora! (1970) and Mr Sakamoto in Gung Ho (1986). He also worked in television, notably in jidaigeki dramas. Yamamura died on 26 May 2000 in Tokyo.
