Taiji Tonoyama

In 1950 he helped form the film company Kindai Eiga Kyokai with Shindo and Kōzaburō Yoshimura. He served in the Japanese military in China in the Second Sino-Japanese War and considered himself to have narrowly escaped from death. He was married but also had a mistress and maintained relationships with both women until the end of his life. He was a keen reader of detective stories and a fan of jazz music. He wrote a series of semi-autobiographical essays under the title Sanmon Yakusha, meaning "third rate actor".

• Name — Taiji Tonoyama • Born — 17 October 1915 • Birthplace — Kobe, Hyogo, Japan • Died — 30 April 1989 • Occupation — Actor • Years Active — 1939–1989

• Date — Title — Role • 1947 — Record of a Tenement Gentleman • 1948 — President and female clerk — Butler Kurokawa • 1951 — The Tale of Genji • 1952 — Dedication of the Great Buddha • 1952 — Avalanche • 1952 — Children of Hiroshima • 1953 — Epitome • 1953 — Life of a Woman • 1953 — Jazz musume tanjō • 1955 — Wolf • 1956 — Shirogane Shinjū • 1956 — An Actress • 1956 — Fearful Attack of the Flying Saucers — Dr. Otsuki • 1957 — Sun in the Last Days of the Shogunate • 1958 — Night Drum • 1959 — My Second Brother • 1959 — Good Morning — Door-to-door salesman • 1959 — Lucky Dragon No. 5 — Mayor of Yaizu • 1960 — The Naked Island — Husband • 1962 — Foundry Town • Ningen — Kamegoro • 1963 — Kanto Wanderer • The Insect Woman • 1964 — Onibaba — Ushi • 1965 — An Innocent Witch — Yamasan • Akuto • 1965 — Kuroneko — Farmer • Profound Desires of the Gods • 1971 — A Soul to Devils • 1972 — The Rendezvous • Dear Summer Sister — Takuzo Sakurada • 1973 — The Heart • 1974 — The Homeless • 1976 — In the Realm of the Senses — Old beggar • 1976 — Torakku Yarō: Tenka Gomen • 1977 — The Life of Chikuzan • 1977 — Ballad of Orin — Charcoal Man • 1978 — Ogin-sama — Ankokuji Ekei • 1978 — Empire of Passion • 1979 — Vengeance Is Mine — Tanejiro Shibata • 1979 — Tantei Monogatari (episode 6) — Boss of Kyoei Shoji • 1981 — Eijanaika • Edo Porn — Woodcarver • Muddy River • 1983 — The Ballad of Narayama • 1985 — Seburi monogatari • 1986 — Tree Without Leaves — Sakuzo • Comic Magazine • 1987 — Zegen • 1989 — Black Rain