
Nobuo Nakamura
ActingAbout Nobuo Nakamura
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.
Career Statistics & Market Influence
Analyzing the cinematic journey of Nobuo Nakamura reveals a career defined by diverse artistic exploration. With a total of 50 major appearances, the actor has established a significant footprint in global cinema.
Genre Dominance: Drama
The majority of Nobuo Nakamura's filmography leans towards the Drama genre. Audience data suggests that viewers respond most favorably to this persona, though their versatility has allowed for successful crossovers into other categories.
The "Box Office" Signature
With a 62% Success Ratio (movies rated above 6.5), Nobuo Nakamura remains a reliable draw for studios. Their peak performance was recorded in The Radish and the Carrot, which continues to be the benchmark for their career rating-wise.
Best Nobuo Nakamura Movies Ranked
Must-watch hits from Nobuo Nakamura's career based on audience ratings.
Complete Filmography & Success Status
Tracking the career evolution and box office verdicts of Nobuo Nakamura.
| Year | Movie | Character | Success | More |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1987 | BU・SU | Customer | Average | Similar → |
| 1985 | Tampopo | Old Gentleman | Super Hit | Similar → |
| 1983 | I Lived, But... | Self | Hit | Similar → |
| 1977 | Lullaby to Kill | Hôan Tatara | Average | Similar → |
| 1976 | A Portrait of Shunkin | Harumatsu(春松検校) | Hit | Similar → |
| 1975 | The Last Song | - | Hit | Similar → |
| 1973 | Submersion of Japan | Japanese Ambassador | Hit | Similar → |
| 1973 | Internal Sleuth | - | Super Hit | Similar → |
| 1973 | The Twilight Years | Fujieda (attorney at law) | Average | Similar → |
| 1972 | Cross-Currents | - | Average | Similar → |
| 1970 | The Militarists | Koichi Kido | Super Hit | Similar → |
| 1970 | The Creature Called Man | Head of N-Bussan | Average | Similar → |
| 1967 | Two in the Shadow | - | Super Hit | Similar → |
| 1967 | Japan's Longest Day | Lord Keeper of the Privy Seal Marquis Koichi Kido | Hit | Similar → |
| 1967 | Thirst for Love | Father-in-Law | Hit | Similar → |
| 1966 | The War of the Gargantuas | Professor Kita | Average | Similar → |
| 1965 | Frankenstein Conquers the World | Dr. Suga | Hit | Similar → |
| 1965 | The Radish and the Carrot | - | Super Hit | Similar → |
| 1964 | Dogora | Doctor Matakata | Hit | Similar → |
| 1963 | High and Low | Ishimaru, National Shoes Design Department Director | Super Hit | Similar → |
| 1962 | An Autumn Afternoon | Shuzo Kawai | Super Hit | Similar → |
| 1962 | A Night to Remember | - | Average | Similar → |
| 1961 | The Last War | Chief Cabinet Secretary Fujikawa | Average | Similar → |
| 1961 | The Other Woman | Kimura | Average | Similar → |
| 1960 | Late Autumn | Shuzo Taguchi | Super Hit | Similar → |
| 1960 | The False Student | Jiro Takagi | Hit | Similar → |
| 1960 | The Bad Sleep Well | Legal Adviser | Super Hit | Similar → |
| 1960 | The Twilight Story | - | Super Hit | Similar → |
| 1959 | The Beast Shall Die | Professor Sugimura | Average | Similar → |
| 1959 | The Cast-Off | Kuga | Average | Similar → |
| 1959 | The Human Condition I: No Greater Love | Honsha Buchô | Super Hit | Similar → |
| 1958 | Equinox Flower | Toshihiko Kawai | Hit | Similar → |
| 1958 | Little Peach | - | Average | Similar → |
| 1957 | Advance Patrol | - | Average | Similar → |
| 1957 | Secret of Naruto | - | Hit | Similar → |
| 1957 | Tokyo Twilight | Sakae Aiba | Super Hit | Similar → |
| 1957 | Night Butterflies | - | Average | Similar → |
| 1957 | Throne of Blood | Phantom samurai | Super Hit | Similar → |
| 1956 | Flowing | Doctor | Hit | Similar → |
| 1956 | Punishment Room | - | Hit | Similar → |
| 1956 | Farewell to Dream | Seiji's father, Haruo | Hit | Similar → |
| 1956 | Early Spring | Arakawa | Super Hit | Similar → |
| 1955 | I Live in Fear | Psychologist | Hit | Similar → |
| 1955 | The Romance of Yushima | - | Average | Similar → |
| 1955 | Beast Man Snow Man | Professor Koizumi | Flop | Similar → |
| 1953 | An Inlet of Muddy Water | - | Average | Similar → |
| 1953 | Tokyo Story | Kurazo Kaneko | Super Hit | Similar → |
| 1952 | Ikiru | Deputy Mayor | Super Hit | Similar → |
| 1952 | Doctor's Day Off | - | Average | Similar → |
| 1946 | A Descendant of Urashima Taro | - | Average | Similar → |
Nobuo Nakamura - Frequently Asked Questions
What is the best movie of Nobuo Nakamura?
According to audience ratings, the best movie starring Nobuo Nakamura is "The Radish and the Carrot" with a rating of 10.0/10.
How many movies has Nobuo Nakamura acted in?
Nobuo Nakamura has been featured in at least 50 major films throughout their career.
What are some other popular movies by Nobuo Nakamura?
Other notable films include "Ikiru", "High and Low", and "Tokyo Story".




