Nobuo Nakamura - Actor Profile

Nobuo Nakamura

Acting
Freshness: Jan 21, 2026
50Total Films
10.0 Highest Rated
Born: Sep 14, 1908
Birth Place: Otaru, Hokkaido, Japan

About 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.

YearMovieCharacterSuccessMore
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".