--- name: "Toshirō Mifune" canonical: "https://film.one/person/toshiro-mifune" fi1m_id: "toshiro-mifune" imdb_id: "nm0001536" tmdb_id: 7450 wikidata_id: "Q37001" roles: ["Actor"] born: "1 April 1920" died: "24 December 1997" reviewed_on_fi1m: 5 average_fi1m_score: 91 average_as: "actor" average_over: 5 updated: "2026-09-25T07:47:35.687887+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." --- # Toshirō Mifune ## Identity Toshirō Mifune - **Canonical:** https://film.one/person/toshiro-mifune - **Type:** Person - **Fi1m ID:** toshiro-mifune - **IMDb ID:** nm0001536 - **TMDB ID:** 7450 - **Wikidata ID:** Q37001 - **Same entity:** https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Toshiro_Mifune, https://www.wikidata.org/wiki/Q37001, https://www.imdb.com/name/nm0001536/, https://www.themoviedb.org/person/7450 Actor. Born 1 April 1920 in Qingdao, China. Died 24 December 1997. ## Details - **Work:** Actor - **Born:** 1 April 1920, Qingdao, China - **Died:** 24 December 1997 - **Active:** 1950–1963 - **Also known as:** Toshiroh Mifune, Mifune Toshirō - **Frequently works with:** [Akira Kurosawa](https://film.one/person/akira-kurosawa.md), [Hideo Oguni](https://film.one/person/hideo-oguni.md), [Ryuzo Kikushima](https://film.one/person/ryuzo-kikushima.md), [Shinobu Hashimoto](https://film.one/person/shinobu-hashimoto.md), [Takashi Shimura](https://film.one/person/takashi-shimura.md), [Isuzu Yamada](https://film.one/person/isuzu-yamada.md), [Minoru Chiaki](https://film.one/person/minoru-chiaki.md), [Sōjirō Motoki](https://film.one/person/sojiro-motoki.md) - **BAFTA Film Awards:** 1 BAFTA nomination - **Average Fi1m score:** 91, as actor, over 5 titles - **Fi1m score by decade:** 1950s 92 (3), 1960s 89 (2) - **Fi1m against the critics:** 91 to 85 across 5 titles - **Score spread:** 5 at 80+, 0 at 60–79, 0 under 60 - **Lead roles:** 5 of 5 acting credits billed first or second - **Genres:** Drama 5, Crime 2, Mystery 2, Thriller 2, Action 1, History 1 - **Screen time:** 11 hours of reviewed films - **Box office:** $916m across 5 films with figures - **Elsewhere:** https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Toshiro_Mifune, https://www.wikidata.org/wiki/Q37001, https://www.imdb.com/name/nm0001536/, https://www.themoviedb.org/person/7450 ## Streaming the US now - **HBO Max:** [*Seven Samurai*](https://film.one/film/seven-samurai.md) (95), [*Rashomon*](https://film.one/film/rashomon.md) (92), [*High and Low*](https://film.one/film/high-and-low.md) (90), [*Yojimbo*](https://film.one/film/yojimbo.md) (88), [*Throne of Blood*](https://film.one/film/throne-of-blood.md) (88) For United States; add `?region=XX` for another country. ## Fi1m on Toshirō Mifune > Toshirō Mifune makes an outsider's unease visible in the way he moves. We rate the force and humour of his acting highly, though the performances can keep insisting long after we have understood. In *Seven Samurai* (1954), Toshirō Mifune's Kikuchiyo makes the company feel less settled whenever he becomes its centre. His performance is large, theatrical and often funny, with enough vigour to threaten to take over the picture. We rate that disruptive energy highly, even when the emphasis becomes tiring. Mifune makes being an outsider something we can see in a body, rather than something the dialogue needs to explain. There is little risk of confusing Kikuchiyo with any of the men around him. The partnership with Akira Kurosawa began with *Drunken Angel* (1948) and ran to sixteen films. *Rashomon* (1950), in which Mifune played the bandit Tajômaru, brought him international recognition. But the ferocious outsider was not the only part he could play: the laconic ronin of *Yojimbo* (1961) gives us a useful counterweight to Kikuchiyo. The distinction matters, because physical inventiveness need not mean constant commotion. Kurosawa's films gave him room for restrained dramatic acting as well as explosive action. *Seven Samurai* also shows how much the ensemble matters to his acting. We laughed at Kikuchiyo's theatrical excess, because his vigour keeps unsettling the company around him. The other men remain recognisable, and Mifune's force does not reduce them to background figures. Yet Kurosawa sometimes lets him keep insisting on a point we have already understood; the director who gets so much out of him occasionally needs to call a halt. That is a real reservation about the performance in a film we would recommend to almost anyone. *Red Beard* (1965) was the last of the Kurosawa collaborations, followed by international roles in the 1970s and *Shogun* (1980). That later turn should not obscure how much variety there already was within the partnership. Mifune could play authority as well as defiance, and convey vulnerability through an otherwise ferocious performance. For a first encounter, we would still choose *Seven Samurai*, where the company gives his exuberance something to work against. Then try *Yojimbo* before deciding that restraint was beyond him. ## Biography Toshirō Mifune was a Japanese actor. He was born on 1 April 1920 in Qingdao, China, and died on 24 December 1997 in Mitaka, Tokyo. Mifune made his screen debut in 1947. He appeared in 16 films directed by Akira Kurosawa, beginning with *Drunken Angel* (1948). His roles for Kurosawa include Tajōmaru in *Rashomon* (1950), Kikuchiyo in *Seven Samurai* (1954), Washizu in *Throne of Blood* (1957), the ronin in *Yojimbo* (1961) and *Sanjuro* (1962), and Niide in *Red Beard* (1965). Mifune also worked with directors including Hiroshi Inagaki and Kenji Mizoguchi. His other notable films include *High and Low* (1963) and *The Hidden Fortress* (1958). *Sources: britannica.com, en.wikipedia.org, imdb.com, bfi.org.uk.* ## On Fi1m (5) - *High and Low* (1963), Fi1m 90, as Kingo Gondo — [page](https://film.one/film/high-and-low.md) - *Yojimbo* (1961), Fi1m 88, as Sanjuro Kuwabatake / The Samurai — [page](https://film.one/film/yojimbo.md) - *Throne of Blood* (1957), Fi1m 88, as Taketoki Washizu — [page](https://film.one/film/throne-of-blood.md) - *Seven Samurai* (1954), Fi1m 95, as Kikuchiyo — [page](https://film.one/film/seven-samurai.md) - *Rashomon* (1950), Fi1m 92, as Tajômaru — [page](https://film.one/film/rashomon.md) ## Complete filmography (175) Every credit, newest first. Titles without a page can be requested for review on the HTML page. - *Final Cut: Ladies and Gentlemen* (2012), as (archive footage) - *Picture Bride* (1995), as The Benshi - *Deep River* (1995), as Tsukada - *Shadow of the Wolf* (1992), as Kroomak - *Journey of Honor* (1991), as Ieyasu Tokugawa - *Strawberry Road* (1991), as Taoka - *Heaven and Earth: Dawn Episode* (1990), as Nagao Tamekage - *Death of a Tea Master* (1989), as Rikyu Sen-no - *cf Girl* (1989), as Shūichirō Hase - *The Demon Comes in Spring* (1989), as Kukkune no jî - *Princess from the Moon* (1987), as Taketori-no-Miyatsuko - *The Retired Samurai* (1987), as Hikozaemon Ōkubo - *Tora-san Goes North* (1987), as Junkichi Ueno - *The Shatterer* (1987), as Murai - *The Ballad of the Sea of Genkai* (1986), as Kyūbei Matsufuji - *No More God, No More Love* (1985), as Kōzō Kanzaki - *The Miracle of Joe, the Petrel* (1984), as Fisherman - *Okita Soji: Swordsman of Fire* (1984), as Shūsai Kondō - *Burning Mountain River* (1984), series, as Otsuichi Amo - *Secret of the Forbidden Valley* (1983), Actor - *The Women of Osaka Castle* (1983), as Tokugawa Ieyasu - *Lowly Ronin 6: Betrayal at Yatate Pass* (1983), as Sûrônin Hinoki Sajûrô - *Battle Anthem* (1983), as Admiral Heihachiro Togo - *Lowly Ronin 5: The Teenage Orphan Girl* (1983), as Sûrônin Rakuyôjûrô - *Lowly Ronin 4: Living Hell* (1983), as Sanjuro Hinoki - *The Brave Man Says Little* (1983), series, Actor - *Theater Of Life* (1983), as Hyōtarō Aonari - *Domineering* (1982), as Masao Tadokoro - *Lowly Ronin 2: The Spray of Blood* (1982), as Sanjuro Hinoki - *The Challenge* (1982), as Toru Yoshida - *The Lowly Ronin 3: Duel at Dawn* (1982), Actor - *Ten Duels of Young Shingo: Chapter 2* (1982), as Tamon Umei - *Lowly Ronin* (1981), as Sanjuro Hinoki - *Tuesday Suspense Theater* (1981), series, Actor - *The Bushido Blade* (1981), as Shogun's Commander - *Ten Duels of Young Shingo: Chapter 1* (1981), as Tamon Umei - *Inchon* (1981), as Saito-San - *Sekigahara* (1981), series, as Sakon Shima - *Shogun* (1980), as Lord Yoshi Toranaga - *Shōgun* (1980), series, as Lord Yoshi Toranaga - *Port Arthur* (1980), as Emperor Meiji - *1941* (1979), as Cmdr. Akiro Mitamura - *Onmitsu Doshin: The Edo Secret Police* (1979), as Sadanobu Matsudaira · Associate Producer - *The Adventures of Kosuke Kindaichi* (1979), as Kindaichi of 11th Generation in "The Woman in the Eye" - *Winter Kills* (1979), as Keith - *The 47 Ronins of Ako* (1979), series, as Tachibana Sakon - *Lord Mito* (1978), as Sakuzaemon Okumura - *The Fall of Ako Castle* (1978), as Tsuchiya Michinao - *Japanese Godfather: Conclusion* (1978), as Kosuke Oishi - *Love and Faith* (1978), as Taiko Hideyoshi - *Shag* (1978), as Captain Takeo Murata · Executive Producer - *Shogun's Samurai: The Yagyu Clan Conspiracy* (1978), as Yoshinao Tokugawa - *Falcons of Edo* (1978), series, as Kanbei Uchiyama - *Japanese Godfather: Ambition* (1977), as Kosuke Oishi - *Proof of the Man* (1977), as Yohei Kori - *Midway* (1976), as Admiral Isoroku Yamamoto - *Ronin in a Lawless Town* (1976), series, as Mr. Danna - *Paper Tiger* (1975), as Ambassador Kagoyama - *Ronin of the Wastelands* (1972), series, as Kujuro Toge · Associate Producer - *Red Sun* (1971), as Kuroda Jubei - *Morning for Two* (1971), Producer - *Epic Chushingura* (1971), series, as Oishi Kuranosuke - *The Militarists* (1970), as Adm. Isoroku Yamamoto - *The Walking Major* (1970), as Kinugasa Tadao - *Incident at Blood Pass* (1970), as Yojimbo · Producer - *The Ambitious* (1970), as Shojiro Goto - *Zatoichi Meets Yojimbo* (1970), as Yojimbo/Sasa - *Shinsengumi: Assassins of Honor* (1969), as Isami Kondo · Producer - *Red Lion* (1969), as Gonzo · Producer - *Battle of the Japan Sea* (1969), as Admiral Heihachiro Togo - *Safari 5000* (1969), as Yūichirō Takase - *Samurai Banners* (1969), as Kansuke Yamamoto · Producer - *Hell in the Pacific* (1968), as Captain Tsuruhiko Kuroda - *The Day the Sun Rose* (1968), as Kumaza - *Admiral Yamamoto* (1968), as Admiral Isoroku Yamamoto - *The Sands of Kurobe* (1968), as Kitagawa - *Japan's Longest Day* (1967), as War Minister General Korechika Anami - *Samurai Rebellion* (1967), as Isaburo Sasahara · Producer - *Grand Prix* (1966), as Izō Yamura - *The Mad Atlantic* (1966), as Heihachirô Murakami · Executive Producer - *Adventure in Kigan Castle* (1966), as Osami · Associate Producer - *The Sword of Doom* (1966), as Toranosuke Shimada - *Rise Against the Sword* (1966), as Abare Gōemon - *Fort Graveyard* (1965), as Sergeant Kosugi · Associate Producer - *The Retreat from Kiska* (1965), as Omura - *Sanshiro Sugata* (1965), as Shogoro Yano - *Red Beard* (1965), as Dr. Kyojio Niide ("Red Beard") - *Samurai Assassin* (1965), as Tsuruchiyo Niiro - *Whirlwind* (1964), as Lord Akashi - *Samurai Pirate* (1963), as Sukezaemon Naya, aka 'Luzon' [Sinbad, in US version] - *Legacy of the 500,000* (1963), as Takeichi Matsuo · Director, Associate Producer - *High and Low* (1963), as Kingo Gondo — Fi1m 90, [page](https://film.one/film/high-and-low.md) - *Attack Squadron* (1963), as Lt. Colonel Senda - *Chûshingura* (1962), as Genba Tawaraboshi - *Three Gentlemen Return from Hong Kong* (1962), as Zhang Zhizhang - *Tatsu* (1962), as Tatsu - *Sanjuro* (1962), as Sanjûrô Tsubaki / The ronin - *The Important Man* (1961), as Ánimas Trujano - *The Youth and His Amulet* (1961), as Fudo-Myo (Immovable Bright King) - *Yojimbo* (1961), as Sanjuro Kuwabatake / The Samurai — Fi1m 88, [page](https://film.one/film/yojimbo.md) - *The Masterless 47 – Part II* (1961), Actor - *Daredevil in the Castle* (1961), as Mohei - *The Masterless 47* (1960), as Kazuo Momoi - *The Bad Sleep Well* (1960), as Kôichi Nishi - *Man Against Man* (1960), as Kaji - *The Storm of the Pacific* (1960), as Admiral Tamon Yamaguchi - *The Gambling Samurai* (1960), as Kunisada Chuji - *The Last Gunfight* (1960), as Detective Saburo Fujioka - *The Three Treasures* (1959), as Prince Yamato Takeru - *Desperado Outpost* (1959), as Battalion Commander - *Saga of the Vagabonds* (1959), as Rokuro Kai - *Samurai Saga* (1959), as Heihachiro Komaki - *The Big Boss* (1959), as Kashimura - *The Hidden Fortress* (1958), as General Rokurota Makabe - *Theater of Life* (1958), Actor - *All About Marriage* (1958), as Acting teacher - *Yaji and Kita on the Road* (1958), as Toshinoshin Taya - *The Rickshaw Man* (1958), as Matsugorō Tomishima - *Holiday in Tokyo* (1958), as Tenkai's nephew Jirō - *Yagyu Secret Scrolls: Ninjitsu - Part II* (1958), as Tasaburo - *Downtown* (1957), as Yoshio Tsuruishi - *The Lower Depths* (1957), as Sutekichi the Thief - *A Dangerous Hero* (1957), as Kawada - *Yagyu Secret Scrolls* (1957), as Tasaburō Kasumi - *Good Luck to These Two* (1957), as Toshio Maruyama - *A Man in the Storm* (1957), as Saburō Watari - *Throne of Blood* (1957), as Taketoki Washizu — Fi1m 88, [page](https://film.one/film/throne-of-blood.md) - *Rebels on the High Sea* (1956), as Matsuo Tokuzō - *Scoundrel* (1956), as Kanji - *A Wife's Heart* (1956), as Kenkichi - *Settlement of Love* (1956), as Shuntarō Ōhira - *The Underworld* (1956), as Chief Inspector Kumada - *Rainy Night Duel* (1956), as Masahiko Koseki - *Samurai III: Duel at Ganryu Island* (1956), as Musashi Miyamoto a.k.a. Takezo - *I Live in Fear* (1955), as Kiichi Nakajima - *Samurai II: Duel at Ichijoji Temple* (1955), as Musashi Miyamoto a.k.a. Takezo - *No Time for Tears* (1955), as Mitsuo Yano - *All is Well 2* (1955), as Daikichi Risshun - *All is Well* (1955), as Daikichi Risshun - *A Man Among Men* (1955), as "Buick" Maki - *The Black Fury* (1954), as Eiichi Tsuda - *The Surf* (1954), as Skipper of the Utashima-maru - *Samurai I: Musashi Miyamoto* (1954), as Musashi Miyamoto a.k.a. Takezo - *Seven Samurai* (1954), as Kikuchiyo — Fi1m 95, [page](https://film.one/film/seven-samurai.md) - *The Eagle of the Pacific* (1953), as 1st Lieutenant Tomonaga - *Sunflower Girl* (1953), as Ippei Hitachi - *The Last Embrace* (1953), as Shinkichi / Hayakawa - *My Wonderful Yellow Car* (1953), as Matsumura - *The Man Who Came to Port* (1952), as Gorō Niinuma - *Swift Current* (1952), as Shunsuke Kosugi - *Tokyo Sweetheart* (1952), as Kurokawa - *Sword for Hire* (1952), as Sasa Hayatenosuke - *Kin no tamago: Golden Girl* (1952), Actor - *The Life of Oharu* (1952), as Katsunosuke - *Foghorn* (1952), as Chiyokichi - *Vendetta of a Samurai* (1952), as Mataemon Araki - *Who Knows a Woman's Heart* (1951), as Mizuno - *The Life of a Horse Trader* (1951), as Yonetaro Katayama - *Sasaki Kojiro* (1951), as Miyamoto Musashi - *Meeting of the Ghost of Apres-Guerre* (1951), as Kenji Kawakami - *Pirates* (1951), as Tora - *The Idiot* (1951), as Denkichi Akama - *Elegy* (1951), as Prosecutor Daisuke Toki - *Beyond Love and Hate* (1951), as Gorō Sakata - *Rashomon* (1950), as Tajômaru — Fi1m 92, [page](https://film.one/film/rashomon.md) - *Wedding Ring* (1950), as Takeshi Ema - *Scandal* (1950), as Ichirô Aoye - *Conduct Report on Professor Ishinaka* (1950), as Teisaku Nagasawa - *Escape from Prison* (1950), as Shinkichi - *Stray Dog* (1949), as Det. Murakami - *Jakoman and Tetsu* (1949), as Tetsu - *The Quiet Duel* (1949), as Dr. Kyoji Fujisaki - *Drunken Angel* (1948), as Matsunaga - *These Foolish Times* (1947), as Genzaburo Onō, Gang Boss - *Snow Trail* (1947), as Eijima ## Gallery - ![Toshirō Mifune](https://film.one/media/person/59903/gallery-968b822314bd.jpg) Toshirō Mifune — 映画世界社 (Eiga Sekai Publications, Inc.), Public domain, via Wikimedia Commons (https://thumb.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/thumb/a/ad/Toshiro_Mifune_1954_Scan10003_160913.jpg/1280px-Toshiro_Mifune_1954_Scan10003_160913.jpg?utm_source=commons.wikimedia.org&utm_campaign=imageinfo&utm_content=thumbnail) - ![Tokyo (1971)](https://film.one/media/person/59903/gallery-1139240684eb.jpg) Tokyo (1971) — wilford peloquin, CC BY 2.0, via Wikimedia Commons (https://thumb.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/thumb/b/b9/71-1565_Tokyo_1971.jpg/1280px-71-1565_Tokyo_1971.jpg?utm_source=commons.wikimedia.org&utm_campaign=imageinfo&utm_content=thumbnail) - ![Poster for the American theatrical release of Admiral Yamamoto (1968)](https://film.one/media/person/59903/gallery-52ee997cad16.jpg) Poster for the American theatrical release of Admiral Yamamoto (1968) — Toho International, Public domain, via Wikimedia Commons (https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/e/ef/Admiral_Yamamoto_poster.jpg?utm_source=commons.wikimedia.org&utm_campaign=imageinfo&utm_content=thumbnail_unscaled) - ![『用心棒』（1961年）](https://film.one/media/person/59903/gallery-fedff15955c9.jpg) 『用心棒』（1961年） — Unknown photographer, Public domain, via Wikimedia Commons (https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/8/81/Akira-Kurosawa-2.jpg?utm_source=commons.wikimedia.org&utm_campaign=imageinfo&utm_content=thumbnail_unscaled) - ![Toshirō Mifune](https://film.one/media/person/59903/gallery-9ba3455d075e.jpg) Toshirō Mifune — Image via TMDB - ![Toshirō Mifune](https://film.one/media/person/59903/gallery-2656e62e2a74.jpg) Toshirō Mifune — Image via TMDB - ![Toshirō Mifune](https://film.one/media/person/59903/gallery-0ffac5efd7fb.jpg) Toshirō Mifune — Image via TMDB - ![『椿三十郎』（1962年）](https://film.one/media/person/59903/gallery-b255a3a4c47a.jpg) 『椿三十郎』（1962年） — Unknown photographer, Public domain, via Wikimedia Commons (https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/6/6e/Akira-Kurosawa-3.jpg?utm_source=commons.wikimedia.org&utm_campaign=imageinfo&utm_content=thumbnail_unscaled) - ![『生きものの記録』 (1955)](https://film.one/media/person/59903/gallery-82f3f100c020.jpg) 『生きものの記録』 (1955) — 朝日新聞社, Public domain, via Wikimedia Commons (https://thumb.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/thumb/7/73/Asahigraph-1955-11-30-1.jpg/1280px-Asahigraph-1955-11-30-1.jpg?utm_source=commons.wikimedia.org&utm_campaign=imageinfo&utm_content=thumbnail) - ![Toshirō Mifune](https://film.one/media/person/59903/gallery-5442a2f31b1c.jpg) Toshirō Mifune — Image via TMDB - ![Toshirō Mifune](https://film.one/media/person/59903/gallery-d477618be3f1.jpg) Toshirō Mifune — Image via TMDB - ![Toshirō Mifune](https://film.one/media/person/59903/gallery-a7c9b447197f.jpg) Toshirō Mifune — Image via TMDB ## Awards ### BAFTA Film Awards — 0 won, 1 nominated - 1955: Best Actor in a Leading Role (nominated) ### Primetime Emmy Awards — 0 won, 1 nominated - 1980: Primetime Emmy Award (nominated) ### Other awards — 9 won, 1 nominated - Order of the Sacred Treasure, 3rd class 1993: Order of the Sacred Treasure, 3rd class (won) - Chevalier des Arts et des Lettres 1989: Chevalier des Arts et des Lettres (won) - Blue Ribbon Awards for Best Supporting Actor 1988: Blue Ribbon Awards for Best Supporting Actor (won) - Japan Academy Film Prize 1987: Japan Academy Film Prize (nominated) - Medal with Purple Ribbon 1986: Medal with Purple Ribbon (won) - Blue Ribbon Awards for Best Actor 1966: Blue Ribbon Awards for Best Actor (won), for *Red Beard* - Volpi Cup for Best Actor 1965: Volpi Cup for Best Actor (won), for *Red Beard* - Blue Ribbon Awards for Best Actor 1962: Blue Ribbon Awards for Best Actor (won), for *Yojimbo* - Volpi Cup for Best Actor 1961: Volpi Cup for Best Actor (won), for *Yojimbo* - Blue Ribbon Awards for Best Actor 1952: Blue Ribbon Awards for Best Actor (won) *From Wikidata, which records wins more completely than nominations.* --- © 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/toshiro-mifune