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Nobuo Nakamura

Nobuo Nakamura

Actor · Died July 5, 1991, aged 82 · Otaru, Hokkaido, Japan

Nobuo Nakamura  (中村伸郎 Nakamura Nobuo, September 14, 1908–July 5, 1991 ) was a Japanese actor, who made notable appearances in the films of Akira Kurosawa and Yasujiro Ozu in the 1950s and 1960s. Perhaps his most famous roles were those of the callous deputy mayor in Kurosawa's Ikiru (1952), and the hairdresser's henpecked husband in Ozu's Tokyo Story (1953). Nakamura is famous for many notable performances in theatre. In 1937, he founded the Bungakuza company  along with Haruko Sugimura, Seiji Miyaguchi, and Masayuki Mori. Nakamura played Polonius in Hamlet, Herod in Wilde's Salome, Aleksandr Vladimirovich Serebryakov in Chekov's Uncle Vanya, and Krapp in Krapp's Last Tape. He also appeared in Macbeth, The Merchant of Venice, and The Cherry Orchard . In the 1950s and 1960s, he played major roles in Yukio Mishima's plays such as Rokumeikan, My Friend Hitler, and so on. In 1963, Nakamura left Bungakuza company and founded the NLT company with Mishima. His most famous and successful role is considered to be The Professor in Ionesco's The Lesson. He performed The Lesson for the first time in 1972 and had played The Professor every Friday night at a small theatre in Shibuya, Tokyo until 1983. Description above from the Wikipedia article Nobuo Nakamura, licensed under CC-BY-SA,full list of contributors on Wikipedia.

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Biography from TMDB.

Born
September 14, 1908
Died
July 5, 1991 (aged 82)
From
Otaru, Hokkaido, Japan
Works as
Actor
Titles
20 on MovieCove · 107 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 15% in 30 days

What are Nobuo Nakamura's films like?

Across their 9 MovieCove titles with a thematic analysis, their films lean Bonds and Survival.

Genres

Action3 titlesTypical Midcredits score: 53rd percentile
: browse their Action movies
Drama2 titlesTypical Midcredits score: 98th percentile, at or above their average across these genres
: browse their Drama movies
Horror2 titlesTypical Midcredits score: 20th percentile
: browse their Horror 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
29%
Survival
17%
Society
17%
Morality
16%
Self
9%
Power
7%
Ideas
6%
Family bonds5 titles, browse their movies with this themeSacrifice2 titles, browse their movies with this themeSurvival2 titles, browse their movies with this themeViolence2 titles, browse their movies with this themeClass2 titles, browse their movies with this theme

What they feel like to watch

their average across 9 films
ToneFeelDemandtheir average · filled zone: the category
Grounded: How far its world departs from everyday reality. Browse their grounded movies.
Tone · Style
naturalisticheightened

Grounded 8 · Stylized 1 · Heightened 0

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

Gentle 1 · Charged 4 · Intense 4

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

A split, not a type: Steady 4 · Shifting 5 · Whiplash 0

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

Straight-faced 6 · Some laughs 3 · Funny 0

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

Slow burn 6 · Even-paced 3 · 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 4 · Engaged 4 · Full focus 1

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

A split, not a type: Easy watch 2 · Affecting 3 · Heavy 4

Resolved: How much is left for you to interpret. Browse their resolved movies.
Demand · Resolution
resolvedambiguous

Resolved 5 · Open-ended 3 · Ambiguous 1

Roles they play

1 analyzed role

Moods and endings

endings are an aggregate; no title is named

Dominant moods · mentions across their titles

Tense
6
Melancholic
6
Contemplative
5
Thrilling
2
Warm
2
Other
5

How their films linger

Bittersweet5 titles, browse their movies with this aftertasteHaunting4 titles, browse their movies with this aftertasteThought-provoking3 titles, browse their movies with this aftertasteFun2 titles, browse their movies with this aftertasteWistful2 titles, browse their movies with this aftertaste

How their films end

  • Bittersweet6
  • Tragic3

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 Nobuo Nakamura's films?

As of October 24, 2026, 15 of their 20 MovieCove titles stream on a subscription or free service, most on The Criterion Channel (15).

Subscription and free streaming for Nobuo Nakamura'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

107 credits, 20 with a MovieCove page; 1 appearance as themselves is hidden until asked for.

  • No Life King (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(1989)

    Actor

  • BU・SU (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(1987)

    as Customer

  • Tampopo(1985)

    as Old Gentleman

    Midcredits score: 99th percentile of all films

  • The Tale of Saikaido (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(1983)

    Actor

  • Kemono Michi (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(1982)

    Show 3 episodes · Actor

  • The Trading Company (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(1980)

    Show 4 episodes · as Mikio Hamashima

  • Golden Partners (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(1979)

    as Watsuji

  • The White Tower (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(1978)

    Show 31 episodes · as 東貞蔵

  • Lullaby to Kill (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(1977)

    as Hôan Tatara

  • A Portrait of Shunkin (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(1976)

    as Harumatsu(春松検校)

  • The Last Song (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(1975)

    Actor

  • Tidal Wave (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(1975)

    as Japanese Ambassador

  • Submersion of Japan(1973)

    as Japanese Ambassador

    Midcredits score: 40th percentile of all films

  • Internal Sleuth (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(1973)

    Actor

  • The Twilight Years (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(1973)

    as Fujieda (attorney at law)

  • Cross-Currents (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(1972)

    Actor

  • 君は海を見たか (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(1971)

    Actor

  • Maboroshi no Satsui (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(1971)

    Actor

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

    as Koichi Kido

  • The Creature Called Man (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(1970)

    as Head of N-Bussan

  • Sky Scraper! (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(1969)

    Actor

  • Futari no Koibito (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(1969)

    Actor

  • The Night of the Seagull (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(1968)

    Actor

  • 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 Fujikawa

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

    as Fujikawa (Atlas Motors President)

  • Two in the Shadow (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(1967)

    Actor

  • Sodachi zakari (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(1967)

    Actor

  • Japan's Longest Day(1967)

    as Lord Keeper of the Privy Seal Marquis Koichi Kido

    Midcredits score: 94th percentile of all films

  • Thirst for Love (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(1967)

    as Father-in-Law

  • NET Playhouse (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(1966)

    Show 1 episode · as Dr. Baba

  • 3 Raccoon Dogs (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(1966)

    as Ryūtarō Ōsato

  • The War of the Gargantuas(1966)

    as Professor Kita

    Midcredits score: 53rd percentile of all films

  • That Complicated Guy (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(1966)

    as Kensaku Suga

  • Five Gents on the Spot (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(1966)

    as Nobuo Tomioka

  • The White Rose of Hong Kong (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(1965)

    as Kazumasa Nagahara

  • Frankenstein vs. Baragon(1965)

    as Dr. Suga

    Midcredits score: 36th percentile of all films

  • You Can If You Try (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(1965)

    Actor

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

    Actor

  • Female (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(1964)

    Actor

  • Dogora (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(1964)

    as Doctor Matakata

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

    as Serizawa, executive

  • 3 Gents in the Snow Country (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(1964)

    Actor

  • High and Low(1963)

    as Ishimaru, National Shoes Design Department Director

    Midcredits score: 99th percentile of all films

  • An Autumn Afternoon(1962)

    as Shuzo Kawai

    Midcredits score: 98th percentile of all films

  • A Night to Remember (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(1962)

    Actor

  • Mount Hakone (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(1962)

    Actor

  • Whirlpool of Love (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(1962)

    Actor

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

    Actor

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

    Actor

  • Okoto and Sasuke (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(1961)

    as Shunsho Kengyo

  • The Last War (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(1961)

    as Chief Cabinet Secretary Fujikawa

  • The Other Woman (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(1961)

    as Kimura

  • Blind Devotion (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(1961)

    as Wataru Kamogawa

  • The Legendary Hell (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(1960)

    as Masabumi Gotō

  • Late Autumn(1960)

    as Shuzo Taguchi

    Midcredits score: 97th percentile of all films

  • The False Student (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(1960)

    as Jiro Takagi

  • The Bad Sleep Well(1960)

    as Legal Adviser

    Midcredits score: 98th percentile of all films

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

    Actor

  • Just Barely (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(1960)

    Actor

  • The Lost Alibi (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(1960)

    as Takeda

  • Leader of the Bomb Girls (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(1959)

    Actor

  • Pilgrimage at Night (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(1959)

    as Father

  • The Rokumeikan (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(1959)

    Actor

  • The Beast Shall Die (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(1959)

    as Professor Sugimura

  • Vagabond Employee: Revenge (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(1959)

    as Executive Watanabe

  • The Cast-Off (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(1959)

    as Kuga

  • A Woman's Heart (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(1959)

    Actor

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

    as Honsha Buchô

    Midcredits score: 99th percentile of all films

  • The Days of Evil Women (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(1958)

    Actor

  • Equinox Flower(1958)

    as Toshihiko Kawai

    Midcredits score: 97th percentile of all films

  • Flower's Yearning (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(1958)

    as Hishikawa Kao

  • Little Peach (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(1958)

    Actor

  • Advance Patrol (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(1957)

    Actor

  • Secret of Naruto (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(1957)

    Actor

  • The Shadow Daughter (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(1957)

    as Yamagishi

  • Half Human(1958)

    as Prof. Tanaka

    Midcredits score: 3rd percentile of all films

  • Tokyo Twilight(1957)

    as Sakae Aiba

    Midcredits score: 98th percentile of all films

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

    Actor

  • Throne of Blood(1957)

    as Phantom samurai

    Midcredits score: 98th percentile of all films

  • Engagement Ring (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(1956)

    as Yasuyuki Kawaguchi (Tokio’s father)

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

    as Doctor

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

    Actor

  • Punishment Room(1956)

    Actor

    Midcredits score: 78th percentile of all films

  • Gendai no yokubô (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(1956)

    Actor

  • The Lady Was Pawn (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(1956)

    Actor

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

    Actor

  • Farewell to Dream (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(1956)

    as Seiji's father, Haruo

  • Early Spring(1956)

    as Arakawa

    Midcredits score: 97th percentile of all films

  • I Live in Fear(1955)

    as Psychologist

    Midcredits score: 90th percentile of all films

  • The Romance of Yushima (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(1955)

    Actor

  • Beast Man Snow Man (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(1955)

    as Professor Koizumi

  • Hahabue kobue(1955)

    Actor

  • Yukiko (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(1955)

    Actor

  • Inhibited Love (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(1955)

    Actor

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

    Actor

  • Tomoshibi (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(1954)

    Actor

  • Itsuko to sono haha (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(1954)

    as Nomura, Chairman

  • One Night of Love (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(1954)

    as Koizumi

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

    Actor

  • Tokyo Story(1953)

    as Kurazo Kaneko

    Midcredits score: 98th percentile of all films

  • The Blue Revolution (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(1953)

    Actor

  • Sunflower Girl (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(1953)

    Actor

  • Ikiru(1952)

    as Deputy Mayor

    Midcredits score: 99th percentile of all films

  • Doctor's Day Off (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(1952)

    Actor

  • Freedom School (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(1951)

    Actor

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

    Actor

Career shape

Star power in the 96th percentile of 239,109 people with a billed film role, over a full career of 107 titles from 1946 to 1989; peak year 1963.

Biggest box office

Submersion of Japan (1973)

$38M worldwide

Highest rated

High and Low (1963)

Midcredits 99th

Film career

MilestoneBreakout
19461989

Peak 1963 · fewer prominent film roles lately. 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.

By role

only this rolewith another role
Acting107 of 107: 107 only acting, 0 with another role · typical Midcredits score97th

By decade

1940s1 · acting1950s45 · acting1960s41 · acting1970s14 · acting1980s6 · acting

Billing

usually 11th · top billed in 0% of 18 roles
525762

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 Nobuo Nakamura's films land?

Their typical MovieCove film has a Midcredits score in the 97th percentile, the median of the 19 of 20 with a score; across their 9 films with reception data, the typical film sits in the 74th percentile for acclaim.

Acclaim · how much people like their films

74thpercentile
Typical film, the median of 9

Approval · how many liked their films

80thpercentile
Typical film, the median of 9

Reach · how many have seen their films

79thpercentile
Typical film, the median of 9

Midcredits score across 19 titles, by percentile

  • 75th and up15
  • 50th to 74th1
  • 25th to 49th2
  • Below 25th1

Shape of the crowd

13 of their 19 titles are Universally Loved.

  • Universally Loved13
  • Universally Panned1
  • Crowd Pleaser3
  • Mixed2

Most divisive · actor

Frankenstein vs. Baragon (1965)

66th percentile spread · 33% rated it 4 or lower

Most loved · actor

The Human Condition I: No Greater Love (1959)

Midcredits 99th · 92% liked

Reviewers score the acting 65/100 in their films, across 8 reviewed titles; fans 73, detractors 39. 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.

Is Nobuo Nakamura's work okay for kids?

Across a limited sample of up to 3 MovieCove titles with content scores.

Their medianMedian of all films
Frightening / Intense3 titlesmedian 50 · moderateMedian of all films: 39

Severity 0–100 from the Content Guide. Categories with under 10 votes on a title are not counted.

Who does Nobuo Nakamura work with?

People who share at least 2 of Nobuo Nakamura's MovieCove titles, grouped by what they did on them; Tomoyuki Tanaka shares the most, 5.

Directors

Writers

Actors

Composers, cinematographers and editors

Producers