Nobuo Nakamura - Actor Profile

Nobuo Nakamura

Acting
Updated: May 11, 2026
50Total Films
10.0 Highest Rated
Born: Sep 14, 1908
Birth Place: Otaru, Hokkaido, Japan

About Nobuo Nakamura

Nobuo Nakamura  (中村伸郎 Nakamura Nobuo, September 14, 1908–July 5, 1991 ) was a Japanese actor, who made notable appearances in the films of Akira Kurosawa and Yasujiro Ozu in the 1950s and 1960s. Perhaps his most famous roles were those of the callous deputy mayor in Kurosawa's Ikiru (1952), and the hairdresser's henpecked husband in Ozu's Tokyo Story (1953). Nakamura is famous for many notable performances in theatre. In 1937, he founded the Bungakuza company  along with Haruko Sugimura, Seiji Miyaguchi, and Masayuki Mori. Nakamura played Polonius in Hamlet, Herod in Wilde's Salome, Aleksandr Vladimirovich Serebryakov in Chekov's Uncle Vanya, and Krapp in Krapp's Last Tape. He also appeared in Macbeth, The Merchant of Venice, and The Cherry Orchard . In the 1950s and 1960s, he played major roles in Yukio Mishima's plays such as Rokumeikan, My Friend Hitler, and so on. In 1963, Nakamura left Bungakuza company and founded the NLT company with Mishima. His most famous and successful role is considered to be The Professor in Ionesco's The Lesson. He performed The Lesson for the first time in 1972 and had played The Professor every Friday night at a small theatre in Shibuya, Tokyo until 1983. Description above from the Wikipedia article Nobuo Nakamura, licensed under CC-BY-SA,full list of contributors on Wikipedia.

Nobuo Nakamura Movies & Career Overview

The filmography of Nobuo Nakamura reflects exceptional commercial consistency. Across 50 major appearances, the actor has built a reputation through performances in multiple genres and storytelling styles.

Dominant Genre

A large portion of Nobuo Nakamura's work falls within the Drama genre, where audiences tend to respond most strongly to their on-screen presence.

Success Ratio

Approximately 100% of Nobuo Nakamura's films maintain ratings above 6.5, indicating a consistent level of audience approval.

One of the most highly rated entries in their career remains Sodachi zakari, which stands out as a key performance.

Advertisement

Best Nobuo Nakamura Movies Ranked

Must-watch hits from Nobuo Nakamura's career based on audience ratings.

Full Filmography

Every movie Nobuo Nakamura has appeared in, with audience ratings and verdicts.

YearMovieCharacterSuccessMore
1989 No Life King - Super Hit Similar →
1985 Tampopo Old Gentleman Super Hit Similar →
1979 Golden Partners Watsuji Hit Similar →
1976 A Portrait of Shunkin Harumatsu(春松検校) Super Hit Similar →
1975 The Last Song - Hit Similar →
1973 Internal Sleuth - Super Hit Similar →
1973 The Twilight Years Fujieda (attorney at law) Super Hit Similar →
1970 The Militarists Koichi Kido Super Hit Similar →
1970 The Creature Called Man Head of N-Bussan Super Hit Similar →
1969 Sky Scraper! - Hit Similar →
1969 Futari no Koibito - Hit Similar →
1968 The Night of the Seagull - Hit Similar →
1968 Five Gents and Karate Grandpa Fujikawa (Atlas Motors President) Super Hit Similar →
1967 Two in the Shadow - Super Hit Similar →
1967 Sodachi zakari - Super Hit Similar →
1967 Japan's Longest Day Lord Keeper of the Privy Seal Marquis Koichi Kido Hit Similar →
1967 Thirst for Love Father-in-Law Hit Similar →
1965 The Radish and the Carrot - Super Hit Similar →
1964 The Naked Executive Serizawa, executive Super Hit Similar →
1964 3 Gents in the Snow Country - Super Hit Similar →
1963 High and Low Ishimaru, National Shoes Design Department Director Super Hit Similar →
1962 An Autumn Afternoon Shuzo Kawai Super Hit Similar →
1962 A Night to Remember - Super Hit Similar →
1962 Mount Hakone - Hit Similar →
1961 Okoto and Sasuke Shunsho Kengyo Super Hit Similar →
1961 Blind Devotion Wataru Kamogawa Super Hit Similar →
1960 Late Autumn Shuzo Taguchi Super Hit Similar →
1960 The Bad Sleep Well Legal Adviser Super Hit Similar →
1960 The Twilight Story - Super Hit Similar →
1959 The Cast-Off Kuga Super Hit Similar →
1959 The Human Condition I: No Greater Love Honsha Buchô Super Hit Similar →
1958 The Days of Evil Women - Hit Similar →
1958 Equinox Flower Toshihiko Kawai Hit Similar →
1957 Secret of Naruto - Hit Similar →
1957 The Shadow Daughter - Super Hit Similar →
1957 Tokyo Twilight Sakae Aiba Super Hit Similar →
1957 Throne of Blood Phantom samurai Super Hit Similar →
1956 Flowing Doctor Hit Similar →
1956 Will-o'-the-Wisp - Super Hit Similar →
1956 Farewell to Dream Seiji's father, Haruo Hit Similar →
1956 Early Spring Arakawa Super Hit Similar →
1955 I Live in Fear Psychologist Hit Similar →
1955 The Romance of Yushima - Super Hit Similar →
1954 Itsuko to sono haha Nomura, Chairman Super Hit Similar →
1953 Tokyo Story Kurazo Kaneko Super Hit Similar →
1953 The Blue Revolution - Super Hit Similar →
1953 Sunflower Girl - Super Hit Similar →
1952 Ikiru Deputy Mayor Super Hit Similar →
1951 Freedom School - Hit Similar →
1946 A Descendant of Urashima Taro - Super Hit Similar →

Nobuo Nakamura - Frequently Asked Questions

What is the best movie of Nobuo Nakamura?

According to audience ratings, the best movie starring Nobuo Nakamura is "Sodachi zakari" with a rating of 10.0/10.

How many movies has Nobuo Nakamura acted in?

Nobuo Nakamura has been featured in at least 50 major films throughout their career.

What are some other popular movies by Nobuo Nakamura?

Other notable films include "3 Gents in the Snow Country", "Sunflower Girl", and "The Naked Executive".

Advertisement