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Seiji Miyaguchi

Seiji Miyaguchi

Actor · Died April 12, 1985, aged 71 · Tokyo, Japan

Seiji Miyaguchi (宮口 精二 Miyaguchi Seiji, November 15, 1913–April 12, 1985) was a Japanese actor who appeared in such films as Akira Kurosawa's Seven Samurai (as Kyuzo, the master swordsman) despite the actor's confession to have never handled a sword before the role, Ikiru as a yakuza boss from "restaurant row," and Masaki Kobayashi's Kwaidan. He died of lung cancer. Description above from the Wikipedia article Seiji Miyaguchi, licensed under CC-BY-SA, full list of contributors on Wikipedia.

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Biography from TMDB.

Born
November 15, 1913
Died
April 12, 1985 (aged 71)
From
Tokyo, Japan
Works as
Actor
Titles
21 on MovieCove · 117 credits in all
Links
IMDb (opens in a new tab)TMDB (opens in a new tab)Wikidata (opens in a new tab)

Known for

TMDB popularity, last 38 days to Oct 27Down 21% in 30 days

What are Seiji Miyaguchi's films like?

Across their 11 MovieCove titles with a thematic analysis, their films lean Bonds and Survival.

Genres

Drama6 titlesTypical Midcredits score: 79th percentile
: browse their Drama movies
Action3 titlesTypical Midcredits score: 83rd percentile, at or above their average across these genres
: browse their Action movies

Their MovieCove films by primary genre. The badge is the typical Midcredits score of the genre's films, the median percentile; an up arrow marks a genre at or above their average across these genres.

Themes

share of theme weight
Bonds
21%
Survival
21%
Morality
19%
Power
16%
Self
13%
Society
8%
Ideas
1%
Romantic love3 titles, browse their movies with this themeIdentity2 titles, browse their movies with this themeJustice3 titles, browse their movies with this themeOppression2 titles, browse their movies with this themeSurvival2 titles, browse their movies with this themeGrief2 titles, browse their movies with this themeSacrifice2 titles, browse their movies with this themeLoyalty2 titles, browse their movies with this theme

What they feel like to watch

their average across 11 films
ToneFeelDemandtheir average · filled zone: the category
Dark: How heavy the subject matter and outlook get. Browse their dark movies.
Tone · Weight
lightdark

Light 0 · Serious 2 · Dark 9

Stylized: How far its world departs from everyday reality. Browse their stylized movies.
Tone · Style
naturalisticheightened

A split, not a type: Grounded 7 · Stylized 1 · Heightened 3

Intense: How hard the emotional peaks hit while you watch. Browse their intense movies.
Feel · Intensity
gentleintense

Gentle 0 · Charged 5 · Intense 6

Shifting: How much it swings between very different feelings. Browse their shifting movies.
Feel · Swings
steadyswings

A split, not a type: Steady 6 · Shifting 3 · Whiplash 2

Straight-faced: How much of the runtime is played for laughs. Browse their straight-faced movies.
Feel · Humor
noneconstant

Straight-faced 10 · Some laughs 1 · Funny 0

Slow burn: How fast it moves from scene to scene. Browse their slow burn movies.
Demand · Pace
slowrelentless

Slow burn 7 · Even-paced 4 · Relentless 0

Engaged: How much focus it asks of you — look away and lose the thread? Browse their engaged movies.
Demand · Attention
casualfull focus

Casual 1 · Engaged 6 · Full focus 4

Heavy: How much it costs you emotionally; whether you need recovery time. Browse their heavy movies.
Demand · Emotional cost
easyheavy

Easy watch 0 · Affecting 3 · Heavy 8

Open-ended: How much is left for you to interpret. Browse their open-ended movies.
Demand · Resolution
resolvedambiguous

A split, not a type: Resolved 6 · Open-ended 2 · Ambiguous 3

Roles they play

2 analyzed roles

Moods and endings

endings are an aggregate; no title is named

Dominant moods · mentions across their titles

Melancholic
10
Tense
8
Dread
5
Contemplative
2
Cold
1
Other
3

How their films linger

Thought-provoking6 titles, browse their movies with this aftertasteHaunting6 titles, browse their movies with this aftertasteBittersweet4 titles, browse their movies with this aftertasteUnsettling4 titles, browse their movies with this aftertaste

How their films end

  • Happy1
  • Bittersweet4
  • Tragic4
  • Ambiguous2

AI-generated from each title's plot synopsis and cast list, with extra plot summaries, reviews and Parents Guide notes for titles the model may not know, and the model's own knowledge of the ones it recognizes. Only analyzed titles count, so this covers part of the filmography; the feel axes count films only for now.

Where can I watch Seiji Miyaguchi's films?

As of October 24, 2026, 11 of their 21 MovieCove titles stream on a subscription or free service, most on The Criterion Channel (10).

Subscription and free streaming for Seiji Miyaguchi's titles on MovieCove; rent and buy are not counted. Titles are listed by Midcredits score, highest first, at most 12 per service; a dashed chip is a producer credit or a minor one, such as a thanks. A service opens the browse page, which counts movies only, so its number can differ.

Filmography

117 credits, 21 with a MovieCove page; 1 appearance as themselves is hidden until asked for.

  • Farewell to the Ark(1984)

    as Old man

    Midcredits score: 83rd percentile of all films

  • Antonio Gaudí (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(1984)

    as Boada (voice)

  • Mermaid Legend(1984)

    as Tatsuo

    Midcredits score: 80th percentile of all films

  • White Snake Enchantment(1983)

    as Jikan

    Midcredits score: 36th percentile of all films (provisional, few ratings)

  • Maboroshi no mizuumi(1982)

    as Yoshikane Nagao

    Midcredits score: 30th percentile of all films (provisional, few ratings)

  • The Challenge(1982)

    as Old Man

    Midcredits score: 48th percentile of all films

  • Shogun(1980)

    Show 5 episodes · as Muraji

    Midcredits score: 91st percentile of all shows

  • Special Crime Investigation Front (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(1977)

    Show 2 episodes · Actor

  • Melodies of a White Night (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(1976)

    Actor

  • The Fossil (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(1975)

    as Sunami

  • Aoi sanmyaku (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(1975)

    as Mr. Okamoto

  • Tora-san's Lovesick (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(1974)

    as 高见

  • Tora-san's Dear Old Home (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(1972)

    as 修吉

  • To Love Again (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(1971)

    Actor

  • Hajimete no Tabi (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(1971)

    Actor

  • The Militarists (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(1970)

    as Shinegori Togo

  • My Brother, My Love (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(1968)

    as Ginsaku Kitagawa

  • Admiral Yamamoto (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(1968)

    as Ito

  • Young Guy in Rio (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(1968)

    Actor

  • Five Gents and a Chinese Merchant (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(1968)

    as Den'nosuke Kakishima

  • Five Gents and Karate Grandpa (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(1968)

    as Den'nosuke Kakishima (Atsuko's Father, Wealthy Man in Takamatsu)

  • Pomegranate Time (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(1967)

    as Naokichi Kuwata

  • Japan's Longest Day(1967)

    as Foreign Minister Shigenori Togo

    Midcredits score: 94th percentile of all films

  • River of Forever (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(1967)

    Actor

  • Punch Guy (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(1966)

    Actor

  • Samurai Spy (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(1965)

    as Jinnai-Kazutaka Horikawa

  • The Start of Life (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(1965)

    as Tatsugoro Ishiguro

  • Start Here (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(1965)

    as Old Man

  • Gulliver's Travels Beyond the Moon (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(1965)

    as Dr. Gulliver (voice)

  • Song of Farewell (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(1965)

    as Masao Nomura

  • The Dedicated Gunman (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(1965)

    Actor

  • Kwaidan(1964)

    as Old Man (segment "In a Cup of Tea")

    Midcredits score: 97th percentile of all films

  • The Radish and the Carrot (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(1965)

    Actor

  • The Enforcer (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(1964)

    Actor

  • Raised in a Palace (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(1964)

    as Tsukada

  • Fumiko's Five Benefactors (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(1964)

    as Detective (uncredited)

  • The World's Most Beautiful Swindlers(1964)

    as Detective (segment "Les Cinq Bienfaiteurs de ...") (uncredited)

    Midcredits score: 24th percentile of all films

  • Night Scandal (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(1964)

    as Daizo Suzuki

  • The Naked Executive (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(1964)

    as Heikichi Hamanaka

  • Intentions of Murder (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(1964)

    as Genji Miyata

  • Our Happiness Alone (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(1964)

    Actor

  • Night Scandal in Japan (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(1964)

    as Detective Tasaka

  • Pale Flower (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(1964)

    as Funada

  • Samurai from Nowhere (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(1964)

    as Tatewaki Komuro

  • Warrior of the Wind (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(1964)

    Actor

  • Mother (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(1963)

    as Doctor

  • A House in the Quarter(1963)

    as Sanzaemon Katagiri

    Midcredits score: 64th percentile of all films (provisional, few ratings)

  • The White Peaks of Mt. Fuji (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(1963)

    as Shūhei Isomura

  • Youth After School (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(1963)

    as Shinkichi Yamaguchi

  • La Fée Diabolique (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(1963)

    Actor

  • Escape from Hell (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(1963)

    as Usuke

  • Twin Sisters of Kyoto (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(1963)

    as Takichiro Sada

  • Attack Squadron (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(1963)

    as Onishi

  • Anything For Success (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(1962)

    Actor

  • Miyamoto Musashi: Showdown at Hannyazaka Heights (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(1962)

    as Bamboo craftsman Kisuke

  • Jun'ai monogatari kusa no mi (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(1962)

    Actor

  • The Broken Commandment (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(1962)

    as School master

  • The Inheritance (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(1962)

    as Yoshida

  • Structure of Hate (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(1961)

    Actor

  • That Guy and I (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(1961)

    Actor

  • Miyamoto Musashi(1961)

    as Bamboo craftsman Kisuke

    Midcredits score: 83rd percentile of all films

  • Enraptured (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(1961)

    Actor

  • Get 'em All (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(1960)

    as Takahashi

  • The War Without Weapons (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(1960)

    as Mochizuki

  • The Last Trump Card (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(1960)

    as Yoshimura

  • The Bad Sleep Well(1960)

    as Public Prosecutor Okakura

    Midcredits score: 98th percentile of all films

  • Deep River Melody (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(1960)

    Actor

  • The Twilight Story (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(1960)

    Actor

  • Irohanihoheto (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(1960)

    Actor

  • Banana (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(1960)

    Actor

  • Goodbye to Glory (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(1960)

    as Hikocho

  • Ah Special Attack Corps (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(1960)

    Actor

  • A Secret Rendezvous (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(1959)

    as Yuichiro

  • Tokyo Omnibus (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(1959)

    Actor

  • Someday I'll Know (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(1959)

    as Masao Shiroyama

  • Farewell to Spring (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(1959)

    as Akira's father

  • Kiku and Isamu: Two Siblings Born in Japan (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(1959)

    Actor

  • Jōen (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(1959)

    Actor

  • The Most Valuable Wife (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(1959)

    as Rintaro Nonomiya

  • The Human Condition I: No Greater Love(1959)

    as Kyôritsu Ô

    Midcredits score: 99th percentile of all films

  • Accomplice (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(1958)

    Actor

  • The Spell of the Hidden Gold (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(1958)

    as Senjuro Takebe

  • In Self-Defense (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(1958)

    Actor

  • The Ballad of Narayama(1958)

    as Matayan

    Midcredits score: 97th percentile of all films

  • The Rickshaw Man (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(1958)

    Actor

  • Monthly Salary: 13,000 Yen (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(1958)

    Actor

  • Stakeout (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(1958)

    as Yuji Shimooka, the police detective

  • Black River (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(1957)

    as Kin

  • The Story of Pure Love (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(1957)

    Actor

  • A Dangerous Hero (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(1957)

    as Sasai

  • Night Butterflies (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(1957)

    Actor

  • Akuma no kao (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(1957)

    Actor

  • Hateful Things (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(1957)

    Actor

  • Untamed Woman (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(1957)

    as Sotaro, Oshima's older brother

  • Tokyo Twilight(1957)

    as Policeman

    Midcredits score: 98th percentile of all films

  • Throne of Blood(1957)

    as Phantom samurai

    Midcredits score: 98th percentile of all films

  • Flowing (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(1956)

    as Namie's Uncle

  • In Case of One Woman (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(1956)

    as Tomoki Hisamoto

  • Will-o'-the-Wisp (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(1956)

    Actor

  • Punishment Room(1956)

    Actor

    Midcredits score: 78th percentile of all films

  • The Underworld (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(1956)

    Actor

  • Early Spring(1956)

    as Yuzo Miura

    Midcredits score: 97th percentile of all films

  • Samurai of the Great Earth (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(1956)

    Actor

  • Kokoro ni hana no saku hi made (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(1955)

    Actor

  • Frame of Snow (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(1955)

    as Ishiyama (Engineer)

  • The Street Without Sun (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(1954)

    as Okimi's father

  • Seven Samurai(1954)

    as Kyuzo

    Midcredits score: 99th percentile of all films

  • An Inlet of Muddy Water (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(1953)

    Actor

  • The Last Embrace (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(1953)

    as Gangster

  • Ikiru(1952)

    as Yakuza Boss

    Midcredits score: 99th percentile of all films

  • Beauty of Life (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(1951)

    Actor

  • Fireworks Over the Sea (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(1951)

    as Gunzo Ishiguro

  • Early Summer(1951)

    as Nishiwaki

    Midcredits score: 96th percentile of all films

  • The Good Fairy (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(1951)

    as Assistant editor

  • Three-Fingered Detective (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(1947)

    Actor

  • A Descendant of Urashima Taro (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(1946)

    Actor

  • Sanshiro Sugata, Part Two (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(1945)

    as Kohei Tsuzaki

Career shape

Star power in the 97th percentile of 239,109 people with a billed film role, over a full career of 117 titles from 1945 to 1984; peak year 1984.

Biggest box office

Seven Samurai (1954)

$1.1M worldwide

Highest rated

The Human Condition I: No Greater Love (1959)

Midcredits 99th

Most popular right now

Seven Samurai (1954)

Film career

MilestoneBreakout
19451984

Peak 1984 · their film career is on the way up. Top draw in 1 MovieCove title. Film roles by billing, audience size and rating; 25+ votes. A show carries a single first-air date, so shows are not on the curve.

  • 1945Screen debut· Sanshiro Sugata, Part Two
  • 1954Breakout· Seven Samurai
  • 1967First top-billed film· Japan's Longest Day
  • 1980Career best· Shōgun

By role

only this rolewith another role
Acting117 of 117: 117 only acting, 0 with another role · typical Midcredits score94th

By decade

1940s3 · acting1950s42 · acting1960s56 · acting1970s9 · acting1980s7 · acting

Billing

usually 8th · top billed in 5% of 21 roles
4560

Counts from TMDB across their full career, self appearances out; a title counts in every role they held on it. The ring is the typical Midcredits score (the median percentile) of the role's titles that are on MovieCove, shown from 5 scored. Billing is TMDB cast order for roles with 25+ votes, billed in the top 30; the columns are the share of top-billed roles in each era, 5-year spans from the year on the label, merged until each holds at least 5 roles.

How do Seiji Miyaguchi's films land?

Their typical MovieCove film has a Midcredits score in the 95th percentile, the median of all 20; across their 11 films with reception data, the typical film sits in the 85th percentile for acclaim.

Acclaim · how much people like their films

85thpercentile
Typical film, the median of 11

Approval · how many liked their films

80thpercentile
Typical film, the median of 11

Reach · how many have seen their films

56thpercentile
Typical film, the median of 11

Midcredits score across 21 titles, by percentile

  • 75th and up16
  • 50th to 74th1
  • 25th to 49th3
  • Below 25th1

Shape of the crowd

12 of their 21 titles are Universally Loved.

  • Universally Loved12
  • Cult Classic1
  • Crowd Pleaser5
  • Mixed3

Most divisive · actor

Maboroshi no mizuumi (1982)

80th percentile spread · 32% rated it 4 or lower

Most loved · actor

The Human Condition I: No Greater Love (1959)

Midcredits 99th · 92% liked

Reviewers score the acting 86/100 in their films, across 5 reviewed titles; fans 88, detractors 62. The element that speaks to their work as an actor.

Percentiles are each film's standing among all films on MovieCove; the typical film is the median, so one outlier cannot drag it. Percentiles and reviewer scores count the films IMDb credits them on, for now; the Midcredits score bands, the shape of the crowd and the two cards count their MovieCove titles, shows included (a show ranked among shows), appearances as themselves left out. A descriptor is the shape of a title's IMDb rating distribution against the catalog; "most divisive" needs a spread wider than half of all titles, and a card names only a principal credit: a craft role, and on a show a crew role or a run of episodes, never a courtesy credit or a one-off guest spot.

Who does Seiji Miyaguchi work with?

People who share at least 2 of Seiji Miyaguchi's MovieCove titles, grouped by what they did on them; Shinobu Hashimoto shares the most, 3.

Writers

Actors

Composers

Producers