Takashi Shimura (å¿—æ ' å–¬, Shimura Takashi, March 12, 1905 â€"
February 11, 1982) was a Japanese actor who appeared in over 200 films
between 1934 and 1981. He is particularly noted for his appearances in
21 of Akira Kurosawa's 30 films (more than any other actor), including
as a lead actor in Drunken Angel (1948), Rashomon (1950), Ikiru (1952)
and Seven Samurai (1954).Shimura was born in Ikuno, HyÅ go Prefecture,
Japan. His birth-name was Shimazaki ShÅ ji (å³¶å´Žæ ·çˆ¾). His
forebears were members of the samurai class: in 1868 his grandfather
took part in the Battle of Tobaâ€"Fushimi during the Boshin War.
Shimura entered Ikuno Primary School in 1911 and Kobe First Middle
School in 1917. He missed two years of schooling because of a mild
case of tuberculosis, and subsequently moved to the prefectural middle
school in Nobeoka, Miyazaki Prefecture, where his father had been
transferred by his employer, Mitsubishi Mining. At Nobeoka Middle
School, he excelled in English and became active on the literary
society's magazine, to which he contributed poetry. He also became a
star of the rowing club. In 1923, he entered Kansai University, but
after his father's retirement the family could no longer afford the
fees for a full-time course and he switched to the part-time evening
course in English literature, supporting himself by working at the
Osaka municipal waterworks. Among the teachers in the English
Literature Department were the playwright Toyo-oka Sa-ichirÅ
(è±Šå²¡ä½ ä¸€éƒŽ) and the Shakespeare scholar Tsubouchi ShikÅ
(å ªå†…å£«è¡Œ). These two inspired in Shimura an enthusiasm for drama.
He joined the University's Theatre Studies Society and in 1928 formed
an amateur theatrical group, the Shichigatsu-za (七月座) with
Toyo-oka as director. He began to miss work because of the time he
spent on theatrical activities and eventually lost his job. He then
left university to try to earn a living in the theatre. The
Shichigatsu-za turned professional and began to tour, but got into
financial difficulties and folded.After the failure of the
Shichigatsu-za, Shimura went back to Osaka, where he began to get
roles in radio plays. In 1930 he joined the Kindaiza (è¿'代座)
theatre company and became a fully professional actor. He toured China
and Japan with the Kindaiza, but in 1932 he left the company and
returned again to Osaka, where he appeared with the Shinseigeki
(新声劇) and Shinsenza (æ–°é ¸åº§) troupes. Talking pictures were
just then coming in and Shimura realised they would provide
opportunities for stage-trained actors. In 1932 he joined the Kyoto
studios of the film production company ShinkÅ Kinema. He made his
film debut in the 1934 silent Ren'ai-gai itchÅ me (æ ‹æ„›è¡—ä¸€ä¸ ç›®:
Number One, Love Street). The first film in which he had a speaking
part was the 1935 ChÅ«ji uridasu (å¿ æ¬¡å£²å‡ºã ™), directed by
Mansaku Itami. His first substantial film role was as a detective in
Mizoguchi Kenji's 1936 Osaka Elegy (Naniwa erejii; æµªè ¯æ‚²æŒ).The
film which established his reputation as a first-rate actor was Itami
Mansaku's 1936 Akanishi Kakita (èµ¤è¥¿è £å¤ª: Capricious Young Man).
In 1937 he moved to Nikkatsu film corporation's Kyoto studios, and
between then and 1942 appeared in nearly 100 films. His most notable
role in these years was that of KeishirÅ in the long-running series
Umon Torimono-chÅ (å ³é–€æ •ç‰©å¸–), starring KanjÅ«rÅ Arashi. He
also demonstrated his considerable ability as a singer in the 1939
"cine-operetta", Singing Lovebirds. During this time the political
regime in Japan was growing ever more oppressive, and Shimura was
arrested by the Special Higher Police (Tokubetsu KÅ tÅ Keisatsu,
known as TokkÅ ) and held for about three weeks because of his earlier
association with left-wing theatre groups. He was eventually released
on the recognisance of his wife Masako and fellow-actor Ryūnosuke
Tsukigata. He is said to have made use of this experience later when
playing a TokkÅ official in Akira Kurosawa's 1946 No Regrets for Our
Youth. When Nikkatsu and Daiei merged in 1942, Shimura moved to the
KÅ a Eiga studios and then in 1943 to TÅ hÅ . A few weeks before the
end of the Pacific War in August 1945, Shimura's elder brother was
killed in Southeast Asia.
February 11, 1982) was a Japanese actor who appeared in over 200 films
between 1934 and 1981. He is particularly noted for his appearances in
21 of Akira Kurosawa's 30 films (more than any other actor), including
as a lead actor in Drunken Angel (1948), Rashomon (1950), Ikiru (1952)
and Seven Samurai (1954).Shimura was born in Ikuno, HyÅ go Prefecture,
Japan. His birth-name was Shimazaki ShÅ ji (å³¶å´Žæ ·çˆ¾). His
forebears were members of the samurai class: in 1868 his grandfather
took part in the Battle of Tobaâ€"Fushimi during the Boshin War.
Shimura entered Ikuno Primary School in 1911 and Kobe First Middle
School in 1917. He missed two years of schooling because of a mild
case of tuberculosis, and subsequently moved to the prefectural middle
school in Nobeoka, Miyazaki Prefecture, where his father had been
transferred by his employer, Mitsubishi Mining. At Nobeoka Middle
School, he excelled in English and became active on the literary
society's magazine, to which he contributed poetry. He also became a
star of the rowing club. In 1923, he entered Kansai University, but
after his father's retirement the family could no longer afford the
fees for a full-time course and he switched to the part-time evening
course in English literature, supporting himself by working at the
Osaka municipal waterworks. Among the teachers in the English
Literature Department were the playwright Toyo-oka Sa-ichirÅ
(è±Šå²¡ä½ ä¸€éƒŽ) and the Shakespeare scholar Tsubouchi ShikÅ
(å ªå†…å£«è¡Œ). These two inspired in Shimura an enthusiasm for drama.
He joined the University's Theatre Studies Society and in 1928 formed
an amateur theatrical group, the Shichigatsu-za (七月座) with
Toyo-oka as director. He began to miss work because of the time he
spent on theatrical activities and eventually lost his job. He then
left university to try to earn a living in the theatre. The
Shichigatsu-za turned professional and began to tour, but got into
financial difficulties and folded.After the failure of the
Shichigatsu-za, Shimura went back to Osaka, where he began to get
roles in radio plays. In 1930 he joined the Kindaiza (è¿'代座)
theatre company and became a fully professional actor. He toured China
and Japan with the Kindaiza, but in 1932 he left the company and
returned again to Osaka, where he appeared with the Shinseigeki
(新声劇) and Shinsenza (æ–°é ¸åº§) troupes. Talking pictures were
just then coming in and Shimura realised they would provide
opportunities for stage-trained actors. In 1932 he joined the Kyoto
studios of the film production company ShinkÅ Kinema. He made his
film debut in the 1934 silent Ren'ai-gai itchÅ me (æ ‹æ„›è¡—ä¸€ä¸ ç›®:
Number One, Love Street). The first film in which he had a speaking
part was the 1935 ChÅ«ji uridasu (å¿ æ¬¡å£²å‡ºã ™), directed by
Mansaku Itami. His first substantial film role was as a detective in
Mizoguchi Kenji's 1936 Osaka Elegy (Naniwa erejii; æµªè ¯æ‚²æŒ).The
film which established his reputation as a first-rate actor was Itami
Mansaku's 1936 Akanishi Kakita (èµ¤è¥¿è £å¤ª: Capricious Young Man).
In 1937 he moved to Nikkatsu film corporation's Kyoto studios, and
between then and 1942 appeared in nearly 100 films. His most notable
role in these years was that of KeishirÅ in the long-running series
Umon Torimono-chÅ (å ³é–€æ •ç‰©å¸–), starring KanjÅ«rÅ Arashi. He
also demonstrated his considerable ability as a singer in the 1939
"cine-operetta", Singing Lovebirds. During this time the political
regime in Japan was growing ever more oppressive, and Shimura was
arrested by the Special Higher Police (Tokubetsu KÅ tÅ Keisatsu,
known as TokkÅ ) and held for about three weeks because of his earlier
association with left-wing theatre groups. He was eventually released
on the recognisance of his wife Masako and fellow-actor Ryūnosuke
Tsukigata. He is said to have made use of this experience later when
playing a TokkÅ official in Akira Kurosawa's 1946 No Regrets for Our
Youth. When Nikkatsu and Daiei merged in 1942, Shimura moved to the
KÅ a Eiga studios and then in 1943 to TÅ hÅ . A few weeks before the
end of the Pacific War in August 1945, Shimura's elder brother was
killed in Southeast Asia.
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