Toshiro Mifune (三船 敏郎 Mifune Toshirō, April 1, 1920 - December 24, 1997) was a charismatic Japanese actor who appeared in almost 170 feature films. Mifune was born in China to Japanese parents and moved to Japan in his twenties.

His imposing bearing, acting range, facility with foreign languages and a now-legendary partnership with director Akira Kurosawa made him perhaps the most famous Japanese actor of his time; certainly the best known to Western audiences. He often portrayed a samurai or ronin, sometimes rough and gruff, and usually a reluctant hero.

Most films in the Kuroswa-Mifune lexicon are considered cinema classics. These include Rashomon (1950), Throne of Blood (1957), The Seven Samurai (1954) and Yojimbo (1961).

Mr. Mifune received later acclaim for playing the title role in the 1980 miniseries Shogun.

Toshiro Mifune died on 24 December 1997 in Mitaka, Tokyo, of organ failure.

Filmography