Seiji Miyaguchi (宮口精二, Miyaguchi Seiji, 15 November 1913 – 12 April 1985) was a Japanese stage and film actor[1][2][3] who appeared in films of Akira Kurosawa, Yasujirō Ozu, Mikio Naruse, Keisuke Kinoshita, Tadashi Imai and many others.
Seiji Miyaguchi | |
|---|---|
 Seiji Miyaguchi (left) and Michiko Saga on stage in 1966 | |
| Born | 15 November 1913 Tokyo, Japan |
| Died | 12 April 1985 (aged 71) |
| Occupation | Actor |
| Years active | 1933–1984 |
| Awards | Mainichi Film Award for Seven Samurai |
Biography
Born in Tokyo and a graduate of Tokyo Municipal Junior High School, Miyaguchi was a co-founder of the Bungakuza theatre troupe in 1937.[2][3] In 1949, he received the Mainichi Theater Award for his performance in Onna no issho and other plays.[2]
Beginning in 1945, Miyaguchi acted in films as well.[4] Notable performances include Akira Kurosawa's Seven Samurai and Yoshitarō Nomura's Stakeout.[2] In addition, he starred in television productions like the Taikōki series.[3]
Filmography (selected)
Film
- 1945: Sanshiro Sugata Part II – Kohei Tsuzaki
- 1946: Urashima Tarō no kōei
- 1947: Sanbon yubi no otoko
- 1951: The Good Fairy – Editor-in-chief
- 1951: Early Summer – Nishiwaki
- 1951: Fireworks over the Sea – Gunzō Ishiguro
- 1951: Inochi uruwashi – Oshima
- 1952: Ikiru – Yakuza Boss
- 1953: The Last Embrace – Gangster
- 1953: Senkan Yamato
- 1953: An Inlet of Muddy Water – Gen Shichi (Story 3)
- 1954: Seven Samurai – Kyuzo, the master swordsman
- 1954: Taiyo no nai machi
- 1955: Izumi e no michi
- 1956: Early Spring
- 1956: Kyatsu o nigasuna
- 1956: Flowing
- 1956: Ankokugai
- 1956: Punishment Room – Hanya, Katsumi's father
- 1956: Onibi
- 1956: Aru onna no baai – Tomoki Hisamoto
- 1956: Flowing – Namie's uncle
- 1957: Throne of Blood – Phantom samurai
- 1957: Tokyo Twilight – Policeman
- 1957: Aruse
- 1957: Nikui mono
- 1957: Yoru no chō – Customer
- 1957: Kiken na eiyu
- 1957: Jun'ai monogatari – Judge
- 1957: Black River – Kin
- 1958: Stakeout – Yuji Shimooka, the police detective
- 1958: Kuroi kafun – Kitaga
- 1958: Rickshaw Man – Fencing master
- 1958: The Ballad of Narayama – Mata-yan
- 1958: Ryu ni makasero
- 1958: Nemuri Kyōshirō burai hikae: Maken jigoku – Senjuro Takebe
- 1959: The Human Condition – Kyōritsu Ō
- 1959: Saikō shukun fujin – Rintaro Nonomiya
- 1959: Kiku to Isamu – Doctor
- 1959: Farewell to Spring – Akira's father
- 1959: Aruhi watashi wa – Masao Shiroyama
- 1959: Mikkai
- 1959: Jōen – Ōshū Mitani
- 1960: Banana
- 1960: The Twilight Story – Yoshizo
- 1960: The Bad Sleep Well – Prosecutor Okakura
- 1960: 'Minagoroshi no uta' yori kenjū-yo saraba! – Takahashi
- 1961: Enraptured – Prof. Nunokawa
- 1961: Miyamoto Musashi – Bamboo craftsman Kisuke
- 1961: Aitsu to watashi – Kokichi, Saburo's father
- 1961: Kuroi gashū dainibu: Kanryū
- 1962: Karami-ai
- 1962: The Outcast – School master
- 1962: Miyamoto Musashi: Showdown at Hannyazaka Heights – Bamboo craftsman Kisuke
- 1962: Gekkyū dorobo
- 1963: Attack Squadron!
- 1963: Twin Sisters of Kyoto – Takichiro Sada
- 1963: Mushukunin-betsuchō – Usuke
- 1963: Subarashii akujo
- 1963: Alibi – Asakichi Sagawa
- 1963: Mashiroki Fuji no ne – Shūhei Isomura
- 1963: Gobanchō yūgirirō – Sanzaemon
- 1963: Mother – Doctor
- 1963: Hikaru umi – Seiji Tajima
- 1964: Kaze no bushi
- 1964: Pale Flower – Gang leader
- 1964: Nihiki no mesu inu – Detective Tasaka
- 1964: Samurai from Nowhere – Tatewaki Komuro
- 1964: Unholy Desire – Genji Miyata
- 1964: Hadaka no jūyaku – Heikichi Hamanaka
- 1964: Akujo – Daizo Suzuki
- 1964: Ai to shi o mitsumete
- 1964: Kuruwa sodachi – Tsukada
- 1964: Kwaidan – Old man (segment "Chawan no naka")
- 1964: Kenji Kirishima Saburō – Masayuki Mori
- 1965: Gulliver's Travels Beyond the Moon – Prof. Gulliver (voice)
- 1965: Miseinen – Zoku cupola no aru machi – Tatsugorō Ishiguro
- 1965: Samurai Spy – Jinnai-Kazutaka Horikawa
- 1966: Panchi yarō – Wada's Father
- 1967: Taifū to zakuro – Naokichi Kuwata
- 1967: Chikumagawa zesshō
- 1967: Japan's Longest Day – Foreign Minister Shigenori Togo
- 1968: Shachō hanjōki
- 1968: Zoku shacho hanjōki
- 1968: Rio no wakadaishō
- 1968: Admiral Yamamoto – Seiichi Itō
- 1968: Aniki no koibito – Ginsaku Kitagawa
- 1970: The Militarists – Foreign Minister Shigenori Togo
- 1971: To Love Again – Miya's father
- 1972: Tora-san's Dear Old Home – Utako's father
- 1974: The Fossil – Sunami
- 1974: Tora-san's Lovesick – Utako's father
- 1975: Aoi sanmyaku
- 1977: Melodii beloy nochi
- 1980: Tobe ikarosu no tsubasa – Miwa
- 1980: Shōgun (TV Mini-Series) – Muraji
- 1982: The Challenge – Old Man
- 1982: Maboroshi no mizuumi – Yoshikane Nagao
- 1983: Hakujasho – Jikan
- 1984: Ningyo densetsu – Tatsuo
- 1984: Farewell to the Ark – Old man
- 1986: Oedipus no yaiba – Yoshiyama (final film role)
Television
- 1965: Taikōki - Manase Dōsan
- 1972: Shin Heike Monogatari - Fujiwara no Shunzei
- 1976: Kaze to Kumo to Niji to - Musashi no Takeshiba
- 1979: Oretachi wa Tenshi da! (1979) Episode14
- 1983: Tokugawa Ieyasu - Torii Tadayoshi
- 1984: Sanga Moyu - Ichirō Kiyose
Awards and honours
- 1949: Mainichi Theater Award
- 1955: Mainichi Film Concours for Best Supporting Actor Seven Samurai'
- 1983: Medal with Purple Ribbon
In popular culture
A character designed as a caricature of Miyaguchi is regularly featured in the cat-oriented manga Mon-chan and Me, published in Fusosha's popular[5] webzine Joshi Spa! (Women's Spa!).[6]