Minoru Chiaki
April 28, 1917 – November 1, 1999 was a Japanese actor who appeared in eleven of Akira Kurosawa's films, including Rashomon, Seven Samurai, Throne of Blood, and The Hidden Fortress. He was also one of Kon Ichikawa's favourite actors. He attended, but did not graduate from, Chuo University.
Also recorded as Chiaki Minoru
Minoru Chiaki

Daiei Studios · Proof of publication with copyright notice Worthpoint: front, back · Public domain
- Name
- Minoru Chiaki
- Birth Name
- Katsuji Sasaki
- Born
- 28 April 1917
- Birthplace
- Onnenai, Nakagawa, Kamikawa, Hokkaidō, Japan
- Died
- 1 November 1999
- Place of death
- Fuchu, Tokyo, Japan
- Occupation
- Actor
- Spouse
- Fumie Sasaki
- Nationality
- Japan · Empire of Japan
- Honours
- Blue Ribbon Awards for Best Actor
- Languages
- Japanese
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Documentary summary
April 28, 1917 – November 1, 1999 was a Japanese actor who appeared in eleven of Akira Kurosawa's films, including Rashomon, Seven Samurai, Throne of Blood, and The Hidden Fortress. He was also one of Kon Ichikawa's favourite actors. He attended, but did not graduate from, Chuo University.
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Note VALÉORINE
Minoru Chiaki (1917–1999) was an actor and film actor, of Japanese and Japanese nationality. The actor was born in Bifuka and died in Fuchū.
Languages used include Japanese. Honours include Blue Ribbon Awards for Best Actor, Hochi Film Award and Mainichi Film Awards, among others.
Composed from admitted, traceable facts · 29 September 2026
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wikidata · Q975630 · wikipedia · Minoru Chiaki
In this article
Biography
Biography
Later in his career, he appeared as a secondary actor in many Toei films. In 1986, he won the Best Actor at the Japan Academy Prize ceremony for his performance in Gray Sunset (1985). He died of cardiac and pulmonary failure at age 82. His son Katsuhiko Sasaki is also an actor.

Crop of Minoru Chiaki from a press photo for the 1950 film Rashomon
Daiei Studios · Proof of publication with copyright notice Worthpoint: front, back

『 七人の侍 』
『日本映画』1953年8月号、世界映画社 "The Nihon Eiga", August 1953 issue.
Key facts
Key facts
• Name — Minoru Chiaki • Native Name — 千秋 実 • Birth Name — Katsuji Sasaki • Born — 28 April 1917 • Birthplace — Onnenai, Nakagawa, Kamikawa, Hokkaidō, Japan • Died — 1 November 1999 • Place of death — Fuchu, Tokyo, Japan • Occupation — Actor • Spouse — Fumie Sasaki • Children — Katsuhiko Sasaki • Years Active — 1949–1999
Television
Television
• Kunitori Monogatari (1973) – Oda Nobuhide • Edo no Kaze (1975) • Sekigahara (1981) – Yamauchi Kazutoyo
Places
Named by the record
Places
Only places the record itself states, plotted where the house gazetteer settles their coordinates. Nothing is inferred from a name or a nationality.
Bifuka.
Birth place
Fuchū.
Death place
Film
• Stray Dog (1949) – Girlie Show director • Rashōmon (1950) – Priest • Nanairo no hana (1950) – Tahei Izumi • Koi no Oranda-zaka (1951) – Suekichi • The Idiot (1951) – Mutsuo Kayama, the secretary • Araki Mataemon: Kettô kagiya no tsuji (1952) • Mōjū tsukai no shōjo (1952) • Bijo to touzoku (1952) – Takeichi no Takamaru • Kyô wa kaisha no gekkyûbi (1952) – Chief of General Affairs • Ikiru (1952) – Noguchi • Mogura yokochô (1953) • Seven Samurai (1954) – Heihachi Hayashida, one of the samurai • Shunkin monogatari (1954) – Teizo • Kakute yume ari (1954) – Sensuke Nasu • Saizansu nitôryû (1954) – Kojirô Sasaki / Daijirô – His son / Danjûrô – Travelling actor • Godzilla Raids Again (1955) – Kobayashi • Ryanko no Yatarô (1955) – Gozematsu • Kaettekita wakadan'na (1955) – Igarashi • I Live in Fear (1955) – Jiro Nakajima • Jirochô yûkyôden: amagi garasu (1955) • Samurai III: Duel at Ganryu Island (1956) – Sasuke the boatman • Kyûketsu-ga (1956) – Sango Kawase • A Wife's Heart (1956) – Zenichi • Narazu-mono (1956) – Sobei • Gendai no yokubô (1956) – Mikami • Oshidori no mon (1956) • Oshaberi shacho (1957) • Throne Of Blood (1957) – Yoshiaki Miki • Ujô (1957) - Kenkichi Tanabe • Sanjûrokunin no jôkyaku (1957) – Motohashi – Drug Salesman • Hikage no musume (1957) • Tôhoku no zunmu-tachi (1957) – Tasuke • The Lower Depths (1957) – Tonosama – the former Samurai • Hadairo no tsuki (1957) – Umekichi Ishikura • Ninjutsu suikoden inazuma kotengu (1958) • Futari dake no hashi (1958) – Kaikichi Ishida • Anzukko (1958) – Saburo Yoshida • Uguisu-jô no hanayome (1958) • Hana no bojô (1958) – Fukuzô Yanami • The Hidden Fortress (1958) – Tahei • Oshaberi okusan (1959) • Sengoku gunto-den (1959) – Jibu • Naniwa no koi no monogatari (1959) • Anyakôro (1959) – Nobuyuki Tokito • The Human Condition (1959) – Onodera Heichô • Sâtsu rarete tama ruka (I) (1960) • Mito Komon 3: All Star Version (1960) • Case of a Young Lord 8 (1960) – Sasajima Toshizo • Shinran (1960) – Seizenbo • Yôtô monogatari: hana no Yoshiwara hyakunin-giri (1960) – Jôsuke • Shirakoya Komako (1960) – Matashirô • Zoku shinran (1960) • Yatarô gasa (1960) – Kichitaro • Gen to fudômyô-ô (1961) • Hadakakko (1961) – Sandwich man • Ashita aru kagiri (1962) • The Inheritance (1962) - Junichi Fujii • Amakusa Shirô Tokisada (1962) – Sôho Tanaka • Love Under the Crucifix • Chiisakobe (1962) – Dairoku • Kigeki: Detatoko shôbu – 'Chinjarara monogatari' yori (1962) – Tarô Yamada • Hibari Chiemi no Yaji Kita Dochu (1963) • Hibari Chiemi no oshidori senryô gasa (1963) • High and Low (1963) – Journalist • Uogashi no sempû musume (1963) • Gobanchô yûgirirô (1963) – Takematsu • Brave Records of the Sanada Clan (1963) – Yukimura Sanada • Rojingai no kaoyaku (1963) – Fujimura Genzaemon • The Body (1964) – Sasaki • Samé (1964) – Shirosa • Kono sora no aru kagiri (1964) – Ryûtarô Nogami • Taking The Castle (1965) – Sanai • Hiya-meshi to Osan to Chan (1965) – Nakagawa (episode 1) • Zero faita dai kûsen (1966) • The Face of Another (1966) – Apartment Superintendent • Lake of Tears (1966) – Kidayu Momose • Hatamoto yakuza (1966) • Ai no Sanka (1967) – The Ship-master • Sei no kigen (1967) – Girl's father • Nippon ichi no danzetsu otoko (1969) – Shimizu • Yoru no isoginchaku (1970) – Pastor • Karafuto 1945 Summer Hyosetsu no mon (1974) – Planter • Kyojin-gun monogatari: Susume eikô e (1977) • Tokugawa ichizoku no houkai (1980) • Gray Sunset (Hana Ichimonme) (1985) – Fuyukichi Takano • Don Matsugorô no daibôken (1987) – Amenomori Seikai (final film role)
Primary material
Documents and archives
reference work
- “Minoru Chiaki”, English Wikipedia, consulted as further reading
Reputable secondary · Wikipedia
- Wikidata, structured authority record Q975630: Minoru Chiaki
Reputable secondary · Wikidata
authority file
- VIAF cluster 76524208 for Minoru Chiaki, aggregating national library name authorities.
General reference · OCLC
Honours
• Order of the Sacred Treasure, 4th Class, Gold Rays with Rosette (1989)
Notes from the source article
Cited by Wikipedia
Notes from the source article
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References
Citations
References
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reference work
Secondary witnessauthority file
Secondary witnessreference work
Secondary witness
The Encyclopedia exists whether or not anything is for sale. Corrections are recorded rather than overwritten, and every version of this record is kept. Published 15 August 2026.
Elsewhere in Film memorabilia
37,408 published records in this field, each with its sources named.
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- Minnie Maddern FiskePerson
- Minor WatsonPerson
- Minori MatsushimaPerson
- Minoru KawasakiPerson
- Minoru KunizawaPerson
- Minoru MurataPerson
- Minoru ShibuyaPerson
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