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Keiji Sada

Keiji Sada

Actor · Died August 17, 1964, aged 37 · Kyoto City, Japan

Keiji Sada was a Japanese actor. He won the award for Best Actor at the 7th Blue Ribbon Awards for Anata Kaimasu (I Will Buy You) and Taifū Sōdōki (Typhoon). He was the father of the actor Kiichi Nakai. Sada is primarily known for starring in Ozu films, especially in the 1950s and most famously Good Morning (1959). He also was a supporting actor in two films of Masaki Kobayashi's Human Condition trilogy. Sada was born in Kyoto in 1926. While a student, he roomed at a boarding house owned by the actor Shuji Sano, and on graduation was offered a position at Shochiku Studios. He was paired with Kinuyo Tanaka for his debut appearance, Keisuke Kinoshita's Phoenix. Sada was killed in a car crash in 1964. His wife and children were unharmed. He was 37.

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Biography from TMDB.

Born
December 9, 1926
Died
August 17, 1964 (aged 37)
From
Kyoto City, Japan
Works as
Actor
Titles
6 on MovieCove · 99 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 73% in 30 days

What are Keiji Sada's films like?

Across a limited sample of 4 MovieCove titles with a thematic analysis, their films lean Bonds and Society.

Themes

share of theme weight
Bonds
48%
Society
23%
Self
20%
Morality
9%
Family bonds4 titles, browse their movies with this themeTradition vs change2 titles, browse their movies with this theme

What they feel like to watch

their average across 4 films
ToneFeelDemandtheir average · filled zone: the category
Light: How heavy the subject matter and outlook get. Browse their light movies.
Tone · Weight
lightdark

Light 3 · Serious 1 · Dark 0

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

Grounded 4 · Stylized 0 · Heightened 0

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

Gentle 3 · Charged 1 · Intense 0

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

Steady 4 · Shifting 0 · Whiplash 0

Some laughs: How much of the runtime is played for laughs. Browse their some laughs movies.
Feel · Humor
noneconstant

Straight-faced 1 · 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 4 · Even-paced 0 · Relentless 0

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

Casual 3 · Engaged 1 · Full focus 0

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

Resolved 3 · Open-ended 0 · Ambiguous 1

Roles they play

3 analyzed roles
Herald
1 of 3
Mentor
1 of 3
Ally
1 of 3

Moods and endings

endings shown from 5 titles

Dominant moods · mentions across their titles

Warm
4
Contemplative
4
Melancholic
2
Bittersweet
2

How their films linger

Bittersweet2 titles, browse their movies with this aftertasteWistful3 titles, browse their movies with this aftertasteFeel-good2 titles, browse their movies with this aftertaste

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 Keiji Sada's films?

As of October 24, 2026, all 6 MovieCove titles stream on a subscription or free service, most on The Criterion Channel (6).

Subscription and free streaming for Keiji Sada'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

99 credits, 6 with a MovieCove page.

  • Sweet Sweat (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(1964)

    as Tatsuoka

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

    Actor

  • Brand of Evil (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(1964)

    as Takazawa Shigeharu

  • Monrō no yōna onna (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(1964)

    Actor

  • To Your Majesty, The Emperor 2 (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(1964)

    as Ryosuke Kurumiya

  • The Night We Danced (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(1963)

    Actor

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

    as Sadahiko Kanemitsu

  • Double Wedding (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(1963)

    as Jiro Okuyama

  • The House Where Flowers Bloom (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(1963)

    Actor

  • Life of a Flower (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(1963)

    Show 39 episodes · as Nagano Shuzen

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

    as Ichirô Hasegawa

  • The Hidden Profile (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(1963)

    Actor

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

    as Yajuro

  • Sing, Young People! (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(1963)

    as Keiji Sada

  • An Autumn Afternoon(1962)

    as Koichi

    Midcredits score: 98th percentile of all films

  • Zoku aizen katsura (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(1962)

    Actor

  • Mama, I Need You! (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(1962)

    Actor

  • Ballad of a Workman (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(1962)

    as Yoshio Nonaka, Torae's husband

  • Secret Love (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(1962)

    Actor

  • Flower in a Storm (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(1962)

    Actor

  • A Roaring Trade (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(1962)

    Actor

  • 京化粧 (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(1961)

    Actor

  • With Wife, Children, and Friends (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(1961)

    as Yonesaku Nihei

  • Immortal Love (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(1961)

    as Takashi

  • As the Clouds Scatter (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(1961)

    as Yoshimi Misaki

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

    Actor

  • Aoi kairyū (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(1961)

    Actor

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

    Actor

  • Hunting Rifle (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(1961)

    as Reiichiro Kadota

  • Late Autumn(1960)

    as Shotaru Goto

    Midcredits score: 97th percentile of all films

  • Blood Is Dry (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(1960)

    as Takashi Kiguchi

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

    as Shunsuke Tatsuno

  • A Woman’s Uphill Slope (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(1960)

    as Saburo Yaoi

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

    Actor

  • Hot Corner Murder (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(1960)

    as Takayama

  • Shu no kafun (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(1960)

    as 武中究二

  • The Human Condition II: Road to Eternity(1959)

    as Kageyama Shôi

    Midcredits score: 99th percentile of all films

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

    Actor

  • Akatsuki no chiheisen (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(1959)

    as Kazuo

  • Umi no Chizu (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(1959)

    as Tonomura

  • High Teen (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(1959)

    Actor

  • Good Morning(1959)

    as Heiichiro Fukui

    Midcredits score: 98th percentile of all films

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

    as Eitarô Makita

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

    as Kageyama

    Midcredits score: 99th percentile of all films

  • People Waiting for Spring (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(1959)

    as Western-style painter Nishiwaki

  • The Invisible Wall (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(1958)

    Actor

  • Equinox Flower(1958)

    as Masahiko Taniguchi

    Midcredits score: 97th percentile of all films

  • Modan dôchû: Sono koi matta nashi (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(1958)

    as Tsurukawa Matsuo

  • Whirlpool of Flowers (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(1958)

    Actor

  • Hibi no haishin (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(1958)

    Actor

  • Hobo Village (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(1958)

    Actor

  • Hanayome no o noroke (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(1958)

    as Denshichi Kumazawa

  • Danger Stalks Near (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(1957)

    as Kaneshige

  • Shūkin ryokō (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(1957)

    Actor

  • Times of Joy and Sorrow (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(1957)

    as Shiro Arisawa

  • Monkey Business (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(1957)

    as Yoshizawa, Diet member

  • When It Rains, It Pours (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(1957)

    as Kazuo

  • A Case of Honor (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(1957)

    Actor

  • Hakuji no hito (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(1957)

    as Goto

  • Typhoon Furor (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(1956)

    Actor

  • I Will Buy You (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(1956)

    as Daisuke Kishimoto

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

    Actor

  • Shochiku Festival: All-Star Lineup – Studio Express / The Birth of an Actress (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(1956)

    Actor

  • 俺は死なない (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(1956)

    Actor

  • Sound of Youth (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(1956)

    Actor

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

    Actor

  • Every Day That New Life (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(1955)

    Actor

  • Bride in the Kitchen (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(1955)

    Actor

  • The Tattered Wings (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(1955)

    as Shunsuke, Fuyuko's brother-in-law

  • Beautiful Days (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(1955)

    as Nakao

  • The Refugee (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(1955)

    as Shaochang

  • Somewhere Beneath the Wide Sky (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(1954)

    as Ryoichi Morita

  • 新婚たくあん夫婦 (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(1954)

    as 目白三平

  • Always in My Heart Part 3 (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(1954)

    Actor

  • The Glorious Days (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(1954)

    Actor

  • Love and Duty (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(1954)

    Actor

  • Young Miss Executive (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(1953)

    Actor

  • Always in My Heart Part 2 (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(1953)

    Actor

  • Always in My Heart (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(1953)

    Actor

  • A Japanese Tragedy (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(1953)

    as Tatsuya

  • Yassamossa (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(1953)

    Actor

  • Hibari's Circus: The Sad Little Dove (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(1952)

    Actor

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

    Actor

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

    Actor

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

    as Tamihiko Kujirai

  • An Angel Dreams Too (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(1951)

    Actor

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

    Actor

  • Carmen Comes Home (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(1951)

    as Mr. Ogawa

  • Home Sweet Home (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(1951)

    as Saburo Uchiyama, Tomoko's boyfriend

  • 愛情の旋風 (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(1951)

    Actor

  • The Inner Palace Conspiracy (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(1951)

    as Shinnosuke Koyanagi

  • Slope of the Ringing Bell Hill: The Third Volume (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(1949)

    Actor

  • Yotsuya Ghost Story Part 2 (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(1949)

    as Kohei

  • Yotsuya Ghost Story Part 1 (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(1949)

    as Kobotoke Kohei

  • Here's to the Young Lady (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(1949)

    as Goro

  • Slope of the Ringing Bell Hill: The Second Volume (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(1949)

    Actor

  • Slope of the Ringing Bell Hill: The First Volume (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(1948)

    Actor

  • The Portrait (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(1948)

    as Nakajima

  • Phoenix (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(1947)

    as Shinichi Yasaka

Career shape

Star power in the 93rd percentile of 239,109 people with a billed film role, over a full career of 99 titles from 1947 to 1964; peak year 1961.

Biggest box office

An Autumn Afternoon (1962)

$27K worldwide

Highest rated

An Autumn Afternoon (1962)

Midcredits 98th

Most popular right now

Late Autumn (1960)

Film career

19471964

Peak 1961 · at the high point of their film career. 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.

  • 1951Screen debut· Carmen Comes Home
  • 1959First top-billed film· Good Morning

By role

only this rolewith another role
Acting99 of 99: 99 only acting, 0 with another role · typical Midcredits score98th

By decade

1940s8 · acting1950s55 · acting1960s36 · acting

Billing

usually 5th · top billed in 13% of 8 roles

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.

How do Keiji Sada's films land?

Their typical MovieCove film has a Midcredits score in the 98th percentile, the median of all 6; across a limited sample of 4 films with reception data, the typical film sits in the 97th percentile for acclaim.

Acclaim · how much people like their films

97thpercentile
Typical film, the median of 4

Approval · how many liked their films

96thpercentile
Typical film, the median of 4

Reach · how many have seen their films

85thpercentile
Typical film, the median of 4

Midcredits score across 6 titles, by percentile

  • 75th and up6

Shape of the crowd

None of their 6 titles divides audiences: 6 are Universally Loved.

  • Universally Loved6

Most loved · actor

The Human Condition I: No Greater Love (1959)

Midcredits 99th · 92% liked

Reviewers score the acting 81/100 in their films, across 4 reviewed titles; fans 82, detractors 43. 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 Keiji Sada work with?

People who share at least 2 of Keiji Sada's MovieCove titles, grouped by what they did on them; Yasujirō Ozu shares the most, 4.

Directors

Writers

Actors

Composers, cinematographers and editors

Producers