Akira Nagoya
Acting
Biography
Akira Nagoya was a Japanese actor, voice actor and narrator who specialized in playing comical roles. He's well know for playing Yūtarō Asahina in the Tokusatsu superhero series Ultraman Taro. After graduating from junior high school in 1949, he entered the Tokyo Broadcasting Company (NHK) training school as a third-year student. His classmates included Hisashi Katsuta and Kazue Takahashi, who later became active as voice actors. In 1959, he joined the Bungakuza theatre company; in 1963, he participated in the founding of the theatre company Kumo. When Kumo disbanded in 1975, he moved on to work as a freelance theatre artist, appearing on stages such as Jijinkai and Komatsuza.
Born: December 8, 1930
Place of Birth: Chiyoda, Tokyo, Japan
Known For
Return of Ultraman
In a fight between two giant monsters named Takkong and Zazahn, young race car driver Hideki Go is killed while trying to rescue a little boy and a dog from the falling rubble. His valiant sacrifice is noted by everyone, even his friends and the new defense force MAT, but an unseen being also takes notice. Looking over Go is the "New Ultraman", who is so touched by Go's actions that he decides to combine his life force with that of Hideki, thus bringing him back to life. Hideki Go then joins the MAT and fights alongside them and Ultraman against monsters and alien invaders.
Ultraman Taro
Kotaro Higashi trained to be a boxer, but after an icident with Astromons, he was killed. However, his body was brought to Nebula M-78 where Mother of Ultra saved his life by joining him with Ultraman Taro. Taro had spent many years training, honing his skills based on those of the other Ultra Brothers to become strong. The two returned to earth as a new kaiju era was beginning.
High and Low
A Yokohama shoe executive faces a wrenching choice when kidnappers mistakenly seize his chauffeur’s son but demand the ransom anyway.
Princess Mononoke
Ashitaka, a prince of the disappearing Emishi people, is cursed by a demonized boar god and must journey to the west to find a cure. Along the way, he encounters San, a young human woman fighting to protect the forest, and Lady Eboshi, who is trying to destroy it. Ashitaka must find a way to bring balance to this conflict.
The Twilight Story
In this Japanese drama, a village girl goes to Tokyo and becomes a sex worker to support her ailing mother. While there she meets an unmarried teacher (at least he says he's unmarried) and falls in love.
Sweet Sweat
This film by Toyoda depicts the hard life of an unmarried mother in Tokyo. Umeko (Machiko Kyo), at 36, is working in a bar, struggling valiantly to keep her family together. Her 17-year-old daughter Takeko becomes increasingly upset by her mother's constant drinking and yakuza boyfriend, and runs away from home. Kyo's performance was highly praised.
Time and Tide
An antique shop "Jidaiya" sells time not antiques. One day a lady run into this shop with a cat.
A Portrait of Shunkin
Okoto is blind since childhood. Her young servant Sasuke is in love of her. One day Koto is badly scarred on her face. In order to preserve the memory of her once beautiful face, Sasuke takes away his own sight.
Free and Easy
Densuke Hamazaki is an office worker at Suzuki Construction and gets transferred to the main Tokyo office. After settling in to his surrounding along with his wife Eri, Densuke befriends an elderly man named Ichinosuke Suzuki. Ichinosuke is a lonely and old man who learns to enjoy life again through his friendship with Densuke. Meanwhile, Densuke is completely unaware that Ichinosuke is the boss of his construction company. The two men become friends through their shared passion for fishing.
A Wanderer's Notebook
Considered one of the finest late Naruses and a model of film biography, A Wanderer’s Notebook features remarkable performances by Hideko Takamine – Phillip Lopate calls it “probably her greatest performance” – and Kinuyo Tanaka as mother and daughter living from hand to mouth in Twenties Tokyo. Based on the life and career of Fumiko Hayashi, the novelist whose work Naruse adapted to the screen several times, A Wanderer’s Notebook traces her bitter struggle for literary recognition in the first half of the twentieth century – her affairs with feckless men, the jobs she took to survive (peddler, waitress, bar maid), and her arduous, often humiliating attempts to get published in a male-dominated culture.
Filmography
as Homeless Man
as Director Hatano
as Cowherd (voice)
as Kii Koya Bunzaemon
as Narrator (voice)
as Forensic Examiner
as Daigoro Sagami
as Ryuukichi
as Shoichi Takahashi (Director of Tokyo Fujimi Zoo)
as Tamba
as Pastor Wakayama
as Jyoushuu Tora
as Shusuke Tamba
as Furuya
as Iwasaki
as Katsu-san
as Takada
as Sakio Hanamori
as Zensuke(善助)
as Section Chief Akazawa
as Captain Yutaro Asahina
as Narrator
as Ichiro
as Narrator
as Hayato's Father (voice)
as Sailor (voice)
as Narrator
as Shanghai Dragon
as 駅手・伊東栄吉
as Gen Kudo
as Totsuka
as Nezu
as Ichikawa Daisuke
as Jiro
as Saiga
as Detective Yamamoto
as Shimamura
as Driver