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Who did Tatsuya Nakadai play in “Sword of Doom”? Japanese actor's career explored after his death at 92

Japanese legend, Tatsuya Nakadai, has passed away at the age of 92. Here's a closer look at his acting career in the wake of his death.
posted by Akanksha Mishra
Tuesday 11/11/2025 at 6:30AM EST
  • Tatsuya Nakadai
    Tatsuya Nakadai

    On Tuesday, November 11, legendary Japanese actor Tatsuya Nakadai passed away at the age of 92. 

    Tatsuya, who was born Motohisa Nakadai, was born and raised in Tokyo, Japan, and had a long and profound acting career, continuing to perform on stage even in his 90s, The Japan News reported. 

    Among some of the most notable films of Nakadai's career include the The Human Condition trilogy, Harakiri, Ran, and The Sword of Doom (Dai-bosatsu Toge in Japanese). 

    In the 1966 Japanese drama film, Nakadai portrayed Ryunosuke Tsuke - a samurai and master swordsman with loose morals.

    In a 2016 interview with RogerEbert.com, Tatsuya Nakadai was asked about his experience of filming the climax of The Sword of Doom on the 50th anniversary of its screening. Recounting his experience, the actor said:

    "In the film, [my character] Ryunosuke commits a murder without a reason. But in Japan, there’s the concept of reincarnation in Buddhism. So if you commit a sin, it will be passed on to the next generation. So Ryunosuke is this man who uses this crazed, almost cursed sword." 

    Nakadai continued:

    "When it comes down to it, the film is very much a “chanbara,” or samurai-swordplay film. As you said, in the last scene, I slashed down about 70 people in a period of three days. So I myself had lost my mind as well. That’s how I felt."

    Tatsuya was 33 years old when the movie was shot. He also recalled making several movies with Sword of Doom's director - Kihachi Okamoto. 

    Okamoto, who was generally popular for making "comedies with a light touch," made this one - which was a tragedy - as the third adaptation of a well-known Japanese novel by Kaizan Nakazato. 

    Tatsuya Nakadai wasn't signed to a single studio in his acting career

    Further in his interview with RogerEbert.com, Tatsuya Nakadai was asked about his decision not to sign exclusively with any studio and its impact on the roles he chose. In response, Nakadai said:

    "I come from a theatrical background... I didn’t join any contracts with any film studios; I was very much a free agent. But the reason I did that was: if I joined a contract with any particular film studio, it restricted me to film, and I wouldn’t be able to do any theater. So at the time, I was a freelancer. This allowed me to be invited to very different, diverse projects from a variety of filmmakers."

    ​Besides his own acting endeavors, Tatsuya Nakadai also founded an acting school, Mumeijuku, to train young actors. The school has produced talented actors like Mayumi Wakamura and Koji Yakusho. 

    For his incredible working in the field of films and theaters, Nakadai has received several accolades, including the Yomiuri Theater Awards. In 2015, he was honored with the Order of Culture - the highest award in Japan awarded for outstanding contributions to literature, art, and other cultural fields. 

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    TOPICS: Tatsuya Nakadai