Tetsurō Tamba
1922 - 2006Before embarking on his acting career, Tamba worked as an interpreter for the Allied Powers' Supreme Commander. Graduating from Chuo University in 1948, he later joined Shintoho company, making his debut in the film Satsujin Yougishain in 1951.
Tamba's impact on Western audiences extended beyond Bond, with standout performances in films like Bridge to the Sun and The 7th Dawn. He earned acclaim in Japan as well, most notably as the lead in police dramas like Key Hunter and G-Men '75.
His talents weren't confined to the screen alone. Tamba lent his voice to characters like the Cat King in Studio Ghibli's The Cat Returns and graced historical roles in television dramas, leaving an indelible mark on period pieces.
In 2005, Tamba faced health challenges but continued to contribute until the end. Sadly, he passed away in Tokyo at 84 due to pneumonia on September 24, 2006. His legacy lives on through his son, actor Yoshitaka Tamba, while his last appearances in the 2005 Taiga drama Yoshitsune and the 2006 film Sinking of Japan remain a testament to his enduring impact on Japanese cinema and beyond.
大喧嘩
Kōsaku Yamashita
Hashizo Okawa, Tetsurō Tamba
In this gritty tale of gamblers battling in the samurai era, Okawa Hashizo gives perhaps his greatest performance as a gambler returning to his home town. Swearing allegiance to his fiancée’s father, a decent boss, he had taken to the road after a gang fight until things cooled down. While honing his sword skills in his travels, everything in the town had changed and he descended into a virtual hell of violence. Opponents were being slaughtered by a former samurai ‘Bodyguard’ played by Tanba Tetsuro at the height of his amazing career. While these two master swordsmen are fated to meet, before that can even happen they must survive one of the longest, bloodiest swordfights in movie history!
The Great Duel
駆逐艦雪風
Tatsuo Yamada
Isamu Nagato, Shima Iwashita
Yutaro Kida, a worker at the Sasebo Naval Arsenal, volunteers for the navy but finds himself a cook's mate in the galley of a gunboat. But his dream is eventually realized when he is transferred to the new and powerful destroyer Yukikaze which he helped to build. When the Pacific War breaks out Yukikaze performs valiantly in the South Pacific, and while on shore leave, Kida meets and falls in love with Yukiko, younger sister of his commander.
Destroyer Yukikaze
長七郎江戸日記スペシャル 柳生の陰謀
Keiichi Ozawa
Yoshirô Aoki, Shôhei Hino
Rumors are circulating that the shogunate is losing control of some feudal domains. Lord Yagyu Munefuyu is assigned to deal with the problem and the rebellious clans will be crushed! Meanwhile, a former vassal of the Kazama clan is shot and killed. Moments later a second man is killed by a mysterious master swordsman. Matsudaira Choshichiro and his companions arrive at the crime scene and find a new type of repeating gun. The carved seal on the gun stock belong to the Saiga; a ninja clan abolished by the shogunate many years ago. The blame for the murders is placed on the Kazama clan. Are they guilty or is this a wise cunning plan by Lord Yagyu to be able to destroy the Kazama clan? Choshichiro sets out to reveal the truth and try to save the doomed Kazama clan! In his way are the Owari, Lord Yagyu and his ninja assassins, and the mysterious master swordsman! Will Choshichiro prevail against impossible odds...?
Choshichiro's Edo Diaries: The Yagyu Conspiracy
切腹
Masaki Kobayashi
Tatsuya Nakadai, Akira Ishihama
Down-on-his-luck veteran Tsugumo Hanshirō enters the courtyard of the prosperous House of Iyi. Unemployed, and with no family, he hopes to find a place to commit seppuku—and a worthy second to deliver the coup de grâce in his suicide ritual. The senior counselor for the Iyi clan questions the ronin’s resolve and integrity, suspecting Hanshirō of seeking charity rather than an honorable end. What follows is a pair of interlocking stories which lay bare the difference between honor and respect, and promises to examine the legendary foundations of the Samurai code.
Harakiri
Billions
Yukio Noda
Miki Sugimoto, Eiji Gō
A complex drama about power politics in the world of New York high finance. Shrewd, savvy U.S. Attorney Chuck Rhoades and the brilliant, ambitious hedge fund king Bobby "Axe" Axelrod are on an explosive collision course, with each using all of his considerable smarts, power and influence to outmaneuver the other. The stakes are in the billions in this timely, provocative series.
Billions
The Twilight Samurai
Yoji Yamada
Хироюки Санада, Rie Miyazawa
Seibei Iguchi leads a difficult life as a low ranking samurai at the turn of the nineteenth century. A widower with a meager income, Seibei struggles to take care of his two daughters and senile mother. New prospects seem to open up when the beautiful Tomoe, a childhood friend, comes back into he and his daughters' life, but as the Japanese feudal system unravels, Seibei is still bound by the code of honor of the samurai and by his own sense of social precedence. How can he find a way to do what is best for those he loves?
The Twilight Samurai
軍旗はためく下に
Kinji Fukasaku
Sachiko Hidari, Tetsurō Tamba
A war widow determined to clear the name of her disgraced husband, who was court-martialed for desertion and executed. Official records have been destroyed, and the ministry that distributes benefits continues to deny her a pension. Twenty-six years after the war, she seeks out four survivors of her husband's garrison. Each tells a dramatically different story about her husband's conduct, but she is determined to learn the truth.
Under the Flag of the Rising Sun
Kwaidan
Masaki Kobayashi
Michiyo Aratama, Misako Watanabe
Taking its title from an archaic Japanese word meaning "ghost story," this anthology adapts four folk tales. A penniless samurai marries for money with tragic results. A man stranded in a blizzard is saved by Yuki the Snow Maiden, but his rescue comes at a cost. Blind musician Hoichi is forced to perform for an audience of ghosts. An author relates the story of a samurai who sees another warrior's reflection in his teacup.
Kwaidan
