Tetsuro Tamba
Tetsuro Tamba (July 17, 1922 – September 24, 2006) was a distinguished Japanese actor known for his versatile talent across five decades. Recognized globally for his portrayal of Tiger Tanaka in the iconic 1967 James Bond film "You Only Live Twice," Tamba's cinematic journey was a remarkable blend of cultural bridges. Before embarking on his acting career, Tamba worked as an interpreter for the Allied Powers' Supreme Commander. Graduating from Chuo University in 1948, he later joined Shintoho company, making his debut in the film Satsujin Yougishain in 1951. Tamba's impact on Western audiences extended beyond Bond, with standout performances in films like Bridge to the Sun and The 7th Dawn. He earned acclaim in Japan as well, most notably as the lead in police dramas like Key Hunter and G-Men '75. His talents weren't confined to the screen alone. Tamba lent his voice to characters like the Cat King in Studio Ghibli's The Cat Returns and graced historical roles in television dramas, leaving an indelible mark on period pieces. In 2005, Tamba faced health challenges but continued to contribute until the end. Sadly, he passed away in Tokyo at 84 due to pneumonia on September 24, 2006. His legacy lives on through his son, actor Yoshitaka Tamba, while his last appearances in the 2005 Taiga drama Yoshitsune and the 2006 film Sinking of Japan remain a testament to his enduring impact on Japanese cinema and beyond.
Known For
Credits
- 2006 · The Exotic Locations of 'You Only Live Twice' as Tiger Tanaka (archive footage)
- 2005 · Yoshitsune as Minamoto no Yorimasa (Gen-ji)
- 2004 · Order Made ~Shiawase Iro no Shinshi Fuku Mise~ as
- 2003 · Yumemiru Budo as
- 2003 · Gozu as
- 2003 · T.R.Y. as
- 2002 · Best Ever Bond as Tiger Tanaka (archive footage) (uncredited)
- 2002 · Bond Girls Are Forever as Tiger Tanaka (archive footage) (uncredited)
- 2002 · The Twilight Samurai as Tozaemon Iguchi
- 2002 · Deadly Outlaw: Rekka as Sanada
- 2002 · The Cat Returns as Cat King (voice)
- 2002 · Graveyard of Honor as Tetsuji Tokura
- 2002 · The Happiness of the Katakuris as Granpa Jinpei Katakuri
- 2002 · Shura Group as
- 2002 · Toshiie and Matsu as Tarozaemon Iguchi
- 2000 · Sakuya: The Slayer of Demons as Old Master
- 1999 · The Veteran Trio as Inui Sanshiro
- 1999 · Crayon Shin-chan: Explosion! The Hot Spring's Feel Good Final Battle as Tamba (voice)
- 1998 · Screwed as Landlord
- 1997 · Kaseifu wa mita! as
- 1995 · Hashiran ka! as 前田米吉
- 1995 · Gokenin Zankuro as
- 1994 · Coming Home as Shirota Fukuzo
- 1993 · 新幹線物語'93夏 as 黒木哲也
- 1992 · Hanshichi Torimonochō as
- 1992 · Taira no Kiyomori as
- 1991 · The Great Shogunate Battle as
- 1991 · Yakuza Warfare as
- 1991 · Riki-Oh: The Story of Ricky as Master Zhang
- 1991 · Heat Wave as Denkichi Tsuzaki
- 1990 · Yonimo Kimyou na Monogatari Tokubetsuhen as
- 1990 · Aurora Borealis as Tsuneiro Kamisaka
- 1990 · 13 Assassins as
- 1990 · HOTEL as Ohara Tetsutaro
- 1989 · Four Days of Snow and Blood as Jinzaburi Shinzaki
- 1989 · The Political Game as
- 1989 · Yakuza Ladies 3 as Takeo Sakanishi
- 1989 · 長七郎江戸日記スペシャル 長七郎 大奥まかり通る as
- 1989 · Shogun's Shadow as Hotta Masamori
- 1988 · Tokugawa Ieyasu – TBS Warlord Special as
- 1988 · Tokyo Pop as Mr. Dota
- 1988 · A Taxing Woman's Return as Sadohara
- 1987 · Tabaruzaka as
- 1987 · Night Train as Isaburo Tamura
- 1986 · Byakkotai as Jinbo Kuranosuke
- 1986 · Be Free! as Keizo Hasegawa
- 1986 · April Fish as Panapora Chief Handa
- 1986 · Cabaret as Yakuza boss
- 1986 · Inochi as Takahara Masamichi
- 1986 · Tokugawa Chronicles: Ambition of the 3 Branches as Naruse Hayatonosho
- 1985 · Sanada Taiheiki as Sanada Masayuki
- 1985 · Love: Starting on a Journey as
- 1984 · The Story of a Man Among Men as
- 1984 · Kōgen ni ressha ga hashitta as
- 1984 · Fireflies in the North as Ishikura
- 1984 · Zero as Admiral Isoroku Yamamoto
- 1984 · 水曜ドラマ 宮本武蔵 as 平田無二斎
- 1983 · A Madcap Corporation as
- 1983 · The Geisha as Kochi Notable
- 1983 · Battle Anthem as Yamamoto
- 1982 · Marco Polo as Vasaio
- 1982 · To Trap a Kidnapper as
- 1982 · Suspicion as Kanetaka Okamura
- 1982 · Onimasa: A Japanese Godfather as Uichi Suda, The Big Boss
- 1982 · Matsudaira Ukon Jikencho as
- 1981 · Call from Darkness as Sugibayashi
- 1981 · The Imperial Navy as Jisaburo Ozawa
- 1981 · The Bushido Blade as Lord Yamato
- 1981 · Samurai Reincarnation as Muramasa
- 1980 · Shogun's Ninja as Tozawa Hakuunsai
- 1980 · Port Arthur as Gentaro Kodama
- 1979 · The Shogun Assassins as Kato Kiyomasa
- 1979 · Dead Angle as
- 1979 · Hunter in the Dark as Okitsugu Tanuma
- 1978 · The Fall of Ako Castle as Yanagisawa
- 1978 · Never Give Up as General Wada
- 1978 · August without Emperor as Army General Mikami
- 1978 · Monument to Holy Service as
- 1978 · Bandits vs. Samurai Squadron as Kichibei
- 1978 · The Incident as Lawyer Kikuchi
- 1978 · Message from Space as Ernest Noguchi
- 1978 · Shogun's Samurai as Ogasawara Gensinsai
- 1978 · Ōgon no Hibi as Imai Sōkyū
- 1977 · Sugata Sanshiro as Iinuma
- 1977 · Mount Hakkoda as Colonel Kojima
- 1977 · The Alaska Story as Arashuk
- 1976 · Zero Fighter as Captain Saito
- 1976 · The Corporation as
- 1976 · Human Revolution II as
- 1975 · The International Gang of Kobe as Rinsei
- 1975 · Company Buggers as
- 1975 · The Bullet Train as Sunaga
- 1975 · All Men Are Brothers as Lu Chun I
- 1974 · The Executioner II: Karate Inferno as Shugi
- 1974 · The Castle of Sand as Detective Eitaro Imanishi
- 1974 · Prophecies of Nostradamus as Dr. Nishiyama
- 1974 · Zero Woman: Red Handcuffs as Nagumo
- 1974 · Violent Streets as Shimamura Kansai
- 1973 · Submersion of Japan as Prime Minister Yamamoto
- 1973 · Wild Cop 2 as
- 1973 · Battles Without Honor and Humanity: Proxy War as Tatsuo Akashi
- 1973 · The Human Revolution as
- 1973 · Japan's Top Gangster as Noboru Yamaguchi
- 1973 · Quarreling with Yakuza as
- 1973 · Bohachi Bushido: Code of the Forgotten Eight as Shino
- 1973 · Battles Without Honor and Humanity as
- 1972 · Shadow Hunters 2: Echo of Destiny as Kagemetsuke
- 1972 · Shadow Hunters as
- 1972 · The Water Margin as Jade Unicorn, Lu Chun I
- 1972 · Under the Flag of the Rising Sun as Sergeant Katsuo Togashi
- 1971 · Silence as Cristóvão Ferreira
- 1971 · The Wolves as Genryu Asakura
- 1971 · The Battle of Okinawa as Lieutenant General Isamu Cho
- 1970 · Men and War I: Prelude to Destiny as
- 1969 · The 5-Man Army as Samurai
- 1969 · Goyokin as Rokugo Tatewaki
- 1968 · Black Lizard as Kuroki
- 1968 · Snake Woman's Curse as Commander
- 1968 · Blackmail Is My Life as
- 1967 · Game of Chance 3 as
- 1967 · Hawk of the Harbour as
- 1967 · Portrait of Chieko as Kotaro Takamura
- 1967 · You Only Live Twice as Tiger Tanaka
- 1967 · Organized Violence as
- 1966 · Tokyo Drifters as
- 1966 · The Kii River as Shintani Kosaku
- 1966 · Sazen Tange and The Secret of the Urn as Lord Tsushima Yagyu
- 1965 · Samurai Spy as Sakon Takatani
- 1965 · The Gambler as
- 1965 · Ankoku gai jingi as
- 1965 · Kwaidan as Warrior (segment "Hoichi the Earless")
- 1964 · Gamblers and Racketeers as
- 1964 · Samurai from Somewhere as
- 1964 · Revenge as Shume Okuno
- 1964 · The 7th Dawn as Ng
- 1964 · Assassination as Hachiro Kiyokawa
- 1964 · Samurai from Nowhere as Gunjuro Ohba
- 1964 · Three Outlaw Samurai as Sakon Shiba
- 1963 · 13 Assassins as Doi Ōkō Toshi
- 1963 · Gang Loyalty and Vengeance as Gu Shimizu
- 1963 · Element of Surprise as
- 1963 · Tokyo Untouchable: Escape as Goro Kawamoto
- 1963 · Gang and G-Men Part 2 as 手塚徹
- 1962 · Operation Diamond as Kazuo Kasami
- 1962 · Umineko ga tonde as
- 1962 · A Flame at the Pier as
- 1962 · Harakiri as Hikokuro Omodaka
- 1962 · Gang vs. Gang as
- 1962 · Zankokuna tsuki as
- 1962 · The Challenge as Takayama
- 1962 · All Rascals as
- 1962 · South Pacific Waves Are High as
- 1961 · Bridge to the Sun as Jiro
- 1961 · Pigs and Battleships as Slasher Tetsuji
- 1961 · Daredevil in the Castle as Sadamasa Ishikawa
- 1960 · Get 'em All as Tanabe
- 1960 · Female Slave Ship as
- 1959 · The Pacific War and the International Military Tribunal as
- 1956 · Kuronekokan ni Kieta Otoko as
- 1955 · Twilight Saloon as Morimoto
- Future · Shura Group Part 2 as
- 2006 · Teruo Ishii Fan Club as
- 2005 · Demon Pond as
- 2004 · The Thousand Year Fire as
- 2004 · Capone: Roppongi Renkin no Teio as
- 2003 · Yakuza Demon as Michitane Tendou
- 2003 · A Case of Murder by the Atami Station Taxi Stand as
- 2002 · Shura Group Part 1 as
- 2001 · Ino Tadataka: Meridian dreams as
- 2001 · The Making Of The Katakuris as
- 2001 · Blind Beast vs Dwarf Killer as
- 2000 · A Class to Remember IV: Fifteen as Tetsuo Hatake
- 2000 · The Stupid Teacher as Utaemon Baba
- 1999 · Japanese Hell as Asu Shino
- 1999 · Jubaku: Spellbound as Tajiro Kawakami
- 1997 · The Peking Man as Osone
- 1994 · Tetsuro Tamba’s Great Spiritual World 3: Amazing Reincarnation Story That Ran Around the Whole as
- 1994 · Psychic: Traveler to the Unknown as
- 1993 · The Supernormal II as
- 1991 · Minamoto Yoshitsune as
- 1991 · The Tale of Genji as
- 1991 · The Hitman Blood Smells Like Roses as
- 1991 · Kim's War as
- 1991 · Female Neo-Ninjas as Time Patrol leader
- 1990 · 1750 Days of Turbulence as
- 1990 · School Be-In Bully as Ryotaro Sakurazawa
- 1990 · Tetsuro Tamba's Great Spirit World 2: I was surprised when I died!! as Ryo Okamoto
- 1989 · Tokyo: The Last War as
- 1989 · Tetsuro Tamba's Great Spirit World: What Happens When You Die as 吉野博士
- 1987 · There Goes Benio, the Smart Girl as
- 1987 · Twilight of the Cockroaches as Grandpa (voice)
- 1987 · You're My Destiny as
- 1987 · Ronin on a Mission as Ōishi Kuranosuke
- 1987 · Shinran: Path to Purity as
- 1987 · Tokyo Blackout as Nakata
- 1986 · The White Tiger Battalion as
- 1985 · Vendetta of Obligation as
- 1985 · The Last True Yakuza as Kazumasa Tashiro
- 1985 · The Sound of the Waves as
- 1984 · Nezumi Kozō kaitō den as
- 1984 · Kukai as
- 1984 · Choshichiro's Edo Diaries: The Yagyu Conspiracy as Yagyu Munefuyu
- 1983 · L・O・V・I・N・G as
- 1983 · The Tale of Saikaido as
- 1983 · The Duel in the forbidden territory as
- 1983 · Samon’s Hell Revenge: Unauthorised Jutte Records 2 - The Assassination of the Shogun as
- 1982 · The Imperial Japanese Empire as Hideki Tojo
- 1982 · The Villain from Edo Kochiyama Soshun as
- 1981 · The Wild Daisy as Gozaburo Saito
- 1981 · Flames of Blood as
- 1980 · Drive for the Future as Akiji Nishikawa
- 1980 · The Sand Boat as
- 1980 · Battles Without Honor and Humanity: The Complete Saga as Tatsuo Akashi
- 1980 · The Way to The Gold Medals as President Sakakibara
- 1979 · Nichiren as
- 1977 · High Seas Hijack as Captain Munekata
- 1977 · Flickering Flames as
- 1976 · Murderer! as Nīto Kouken
- 1976 · Seven Nights in Japan as Terrorist Leader (uncredited)
- 1976 · The Classroom of Terror as
- 1976 · Operation Plazma in Osaka as
- 1975 · Conflagration as Captain Munekata
- 1975 · 雪夫人繪圖 as
- 1974 · Karafuto 1945 Summer as
- 1974 · Secret Prophecies of Nostradamus as Himself
- 1973 · The Ando Gang Documentary Film as
- 1973 · The School Deviate Waru as
- 1972 · Informal Dress as
- 1972 · Yakuza Skirmishes as
- 1972 · New Abashiri Prison Story: Honor and Humanity, Ammunition That Attracts the Storm as
- 1972 · Shōwa Gokudōshi as
- 1972 · Organized Crime: Killer's Glory as
- 1971 · Troops of Darkness as
- 1971 · The Armed Organization as
- 1971 · The Gambler's Counterattack as Chief Inspector
- 1971 · King of Pornography as
- 1970 · Postwar Secrets as Kuroki
- 1970 · Cherry Blossoms in the Air - The Suicide Raiders - Oh, Buddies! as
- 1970 · The Scandalous Adventures of Buraikan as Soshun Kochiyama
- 1970 · Crimson Bat - Oichi: Wanted, Dead or Alive as Hyoe
- 1970 · Rise and Fall of Chivalry as
- 1969 · Japan's Violent Gangs: The Boss and the Killers as
- 1969 · Red Peony Gambler: Biographies of a Gambling Room as
- 1969 · Lone Rebel as
- 1969 · The Private Police as
- 1969 · Penitentiary Brothers as
- 1969 · Sky Scraper! as
- 1968 · The Young Eagles of the Kamikaze as
- 1968 · The Bad Boss as
- 1968 · The Code of Man as
- 1968 · Gambler's Farewell as Tetsuji Kasai
- 1968 · Army Intelligence as Lieutenant Colonel Akiyama
- 1967 · The Return of the Filthy Seven as
- 1967 · King of the Gang as
- 1967 · Organized Violence II as Police Inspector Kitagawa
- 1967 · Once and For All as
- 1967 · Gamblers: The Dragon Tattoo as
- 1967 · Abashiri Prison: Duel in Hokkaido as
- 1967 · Dissolution Rites as Sakai
- 1966 · Spycatcher J3: SOS Close Shave as J1 (TULIP Japan Branch Chief)
- 1966 · Greatest Boss of the Showa Era as
- 1966 · Thirst for Love as Kosuke Aso
- 1965 · Blood of Revenge as Yutaro Nomura
- 1965 · Blood and Law as
- 1965 · The Domain: Kanto Legends of Chivalry as
- 1965 · Abashiri Prison as Tsumaki
- 1965 · Tale of Ninja Duty as Mumyo Tsunataro
- 1964 · Detective as
- 1964 · The Great Duel as
- 1964 · The Shogun's Vault as
- 1964 · Homicide as Lieutenant Aikawa
- 1964 · An Outlaw as
- 1964 · Destroyer Yukikaze as
- 1964 · Jakoman and Tetsu as Jakoman
- 1964 · The Kingdom of Jirocho 3 as
- 1964 · Tokyo Gang Vs. Hong Kong Gang as
- 1963 · Tange Sazen as
- 1963 · Futari dake no toride as
- 1963 · Kizu-darake no futeki-sha as
- 1963 · Eleven Gangsters as
- 1962 · Uragirimono wa jigoku daze as
- 1962 · Gang vs. G-Men as Toru Tezuka
- 1962 · Tokyo Untouchable as Goro Kawamoto
- 1962 · Hell's Kitchen as
- 1962 · Four Sisters as Masao Igarashi
- 1962 · G-Men in the Pacific as Mizuhara
- 1962 · Tales of Young Genji Kuro 3 as
- 1962 · Kuro to aka no hanabira as
- 1961 · Greed in Broad Daylight as Miyahara
- 1961 · The Yellow Climate as
- 1961 · Dai shinrin ni mukatte tatsu as
- 1961 · Mist and Shadows as Yusuke Komiya
- 1961 · Red Flowers of Hell as
- 1961 · Kaachan as
- 1960 · The Gambling Samurai as Fumizo Mitsuki
- 1960 · Zero sen no jorō gun as
- 1959 · Kingorō no kaigun taishô as
- 1959 · Mukeisatsu as
- 1959 · Rajo to satsujin-meiro as Senba
- 1958 · Kyōen Kobanzame as
- 1958 · Underwater Murder as
- 1958 · Quick on the Trigger as
- 1958 · Emperor & Empress Meiji and the Sino-Japanese War as Keisuke Otori
- 1958 · A Wicked Woman as Ihei Ôsawa
- 1957 · Queen of Asia as
- 1957 · Hibari no san'yaku: Zoku Kei tsuya yuki no jôhenge as
- 1957 · Hibari no san'yaku: Kei tsuya yuki no jôhenge as
- 1957 · The Ghost of Kasane as Jinjûrô Ômura
- 1957 · 剣聖 暁の三十六番斬り as
- 1957 · Emperor Meiji and the Great Russo-Japanese War as Rear Admiral Shimamura
- 1957 · Mysterious Clouds: Legend of Satomi's Heroic Deed as Aboshi Samajirô
- 1956 · 鬼姫競艶録 as
- 1956 · The Ceiling at Utsunomiya as Kurozumi Tenzen
- 1956 · 金語楼の雷社長 as
- 1956 · Admiral Yamamoto and the Allied Fleets as
- 1956 · The Prosecutor and His Sister as
- 1956 · Kingoro's Soldier as
- 1956 · Speed King as
- 1956 · The Fencing Collegian as
- 1955 · 花眞珠 as
- 1955 · Mysterious Pygmy as
- 1955 · The Sacrifice of the Human Torpedoes as
- 1954 · Submarine Ro Hasn't Surfaced as
- 1954 · Hanran as Captain Koda