Isao Kimura

Isao Kimura
Isao Kimura as Yusa in Stray Dog
Born	(1923-06-22)June 22, 1923 Senda, Hiroshima, Japan
Died	July 4, 1981(1981-07-04) (aged 58) Tokyo, Japan
Other names	Kō Kimura
Occupation	Actor

Isao Kimura (木村 功, Kimura Isao, June 22, 1923 – July 4, 1981), also known as Kō Kimura, was a Japanese actor. He appeared in several films directed by Akira Kurosawa. The first was Stray Dog (1949) as Yusa the criminal. Perhaps his most notable collaboration with Kurosawa was in Seven Samurai as the youngest of the samurai, Katsushiro. During his career he also appeared in several films directed by Mikio Naruse as well as appearing in the famous Lone Wolf and Cub film series. In addition to a film career spanning almost thirty years, Kimura founded and directed an acting company which ultimately went bankrupt. He died of esophageal cancer.

Selected filmography

• Hawai Mare oki kaisen (1942) – Kurata
• The Love of the Actress Sumako (1947)
• Stray Dog (1949) – Yusa the criminal
• Angry Street (1950) – Joji
• Elegy (1951)
• Nakinureta ningyô (1951)
• Dokkoi ikiteru (1951)
• Dancing Girl (1951) – Nozu
• Yamabiko gakkô (1952)
• Boryoku (1952)
• Ikiru (1952) – Intern
• Shinkû chitai (1952) – Kitani
• Onna hitori daichi o yuku (1953)
• Pu-san (1953)
• Seven Samurai (1954) – Katsushiro Okamoto
• Okuman choja (1954) – Koroku Tate
• Ashizuri misaki (1954)
• Ningen gyorai kaiten (1955)
• Ofukuro (1955)
• Uruwashiki saigetsu (1955)
• Asunaro monogatari (1955) – Kashima
• Kyatsu o nigasuna (1956) – Takeo Fujisaki
• Tengoku wa doko da (1956)
• Boshizô (1956) – Shimizu
• Throne of Blood (1957) – Phantom samurai
• The Rice People (1957) – Senkichi
• Bibô no miyako (1957)
• Jun'ai monogatari (1957) – Doctor at Segawa Hospital
• Anzukko (1958) – Ryokichi Urushiyama – the husband
• Kisetsufu no kanatani (1958)
• Summer Clouds (1958) – Okawa
• Kêdamonô no torû michi (1959)
• Onna to kaizoku (1959) – Koshichi
• Hahakogusa (1959) – Yoshihiko Takayama
• Keishichô monogatari: Iryûhin nashi (1959)
• Shiroi gake (1960)
• Yôtô monogatari: hana no Yoshiwara hyakunin-giri (1960)
• Ikinuita jûroku-nen: Saigo no Nippon-hei (1960) – Takano, Army officer
• Kênju yaro ni gôyojin (1961)
• Miyamoto Musashi (1961) – Hon'iden Matahachi
• Machi (1961) – News paper editor
• Hachi-nin me no teki (1961) – Kutsuda
• Knightly Advice (1962)
• Nippon no obaachan (1962) – Taguchi
• Gan no tera (1962) – Atsumichi Uda
• Watakushi-tachi no kekkon (1962)
• Miyamoto Musashi: Showdown at Hannyazaka Heights (1962) – Hon'iden Matahachi
• Seki no yatappe (1963)
• High and Low (1963) – Detective Arai
• Bushido, Samurai Saga (1963) – Hirotaro Iguchi
• Miyamoto Musashi: Nitôryû kaigen (1963) – Hon'iden Matahachi
• Miyamoto Musashi: The Duel at Ichijoji (1964) – Hon'iden Matahachi
• Assassination (1964) – Tadasaburô Sasaki
• Ware hitotsubu no mugi naredo (1964)
• Yoru no henrin (1964) – Saitô
• Bakumatsu zankoku monogatari (1964)
• Miyamoto Musashi: Ganryû-jima no kettô (1965) – Hon'iden Matahachi
• Akutô (1965) – Shioya Hangan
• Tange Sazen: Hien iaigiri (1966) – Yagyu Genzaburo
• Aogeba tôtoshi (1966)
• The Affair (1967) – Mitsuhuru
• Tabiji (1967) – Eikichi
• Flame and Women (1967) – Shingo, Ibuki
• Black Lizard (1968) – Detective Kogoro Akechi
• Affair In The Snow (1968) – Kazuo Imai
• Snow Country (1969) – Shimamura
• Secret Information (1969) – Goro Izawa
• Sakariba nagashi uta: Shinjuku no onna (1970) – Funaki
• Tenkan no abarembo (1970) – Hanpeita Takechi
• Confessions Among Actresses (1971) – Director Nose
• Lone Wolf and Cub: White Heaven in Hell (1974) – Tsuchigumo Hyoei
• Pastoral: To Die in the Country (1974) – Film Critic
• Nagisa no shiroi ie (1978) – Toshihiko Kurahashi

External links

• Isao Kimura at IMDb
• Isao Kimura at the Japanese Movie Database (in Japanese)