is a Japanese actor. His name was given by Yasujirō Ozu. His father, Keiji Sada, also a movie actor, died when Nakai was only two years old. Nakai started his acting career while he was still in university and was awarded the Rookie of the Year at the Japan Academy Awards in 1981.
He won the Japan Academy Best Supporting Actor award in 1994 (for 47 Ronin) and Best Actor award in 2003 (for When the Last Sword Is Drawn). He also won the award for best supporting actor at the 19th Hochi Film Award for 47 Ronin.
In 2003 he played a Japanese delegate to a Chinese emperor of the Tang dynasty in Warriors of Heaven and Earth. Though a few of his lines are in Japanese, most are in Mandarin.
His older sister, Kie Nakai, is also an actress.
Selected filmography Film Year Title RoleNotes1981The Imperial Navy1983Tora-san Goes Religious?1985The Burmese HarpMizushimaLead roleThe Empty Table Tamae Kidoji1986Final TakeLead role1987Princess from the MoonMinister of the Military1990Tokyo HeavenFumio AmemiyaLead role1992Gekashitsu1993MovingLead role199447 Ronin1995MarksLead role1998Begging for Love1999Owls' CastleLead role2000Tales of the UnusualŌishi KuranosukeLead role2001All About Our HouseHimselfThe FireflyDarkness in the LightLead role2002Shura no Mure2003When the Last Sword Is DrawnYoshimura KanichiroLead roleThe Yin Yang Master 2Warriors of Heaven and EarthEmissary Lai XiChinese film 2005Riding Alone for Thousands of MilesKenichi Takada (voice)Chinese film 2006Aegis2007HeroAkihiko TakitaDororoKagemitsu Daigo2008The Magic HourTōru IawataSamurai GangstersShimizu no JirochōLead role2009Amalfi: Rewards of the GoddessHiroshi Kataoka (voice)2010RailwaysHajime TsutsuiLead role2011A Ghost of a ChanceTōru OsanoThe Warring StatesKing of QiChinese filmWild 72012The Wings of the KirinTakeaki AoyagiTenchi: The Samurai AstronomerTokugawa Mitsukuni2014Zakurozaka no AdauchiKingo ShimuraLead role2015AgainHaruhikoLead role2016Good Morning ShowShingo SumitaLead roleKen sanNarratorDocumentary filmKōfuku no AlibiLead role2017Flower and SwordOda NobunagaHonnōji HotelNarrator2018We Make Antiques!Norio KoikeLead role2019Hit me Anyone One More TimePrime Minister Keisuke KurodaLead roleAircraft Carrier IbukiKeiichi Nakano2020We Make Antiques! Kyoto RendezvousNorio KoikeLead role2022Dreaming of the Meridian ArcIkemoto / Takahashi KageyasuLead role2023We Make Antiques! Osaka DreamsNorio KoikeLead role2024Silence of the SeaSuikenSamurai Detective Onihei: Blood for BloodKyōgoku Takahisa2025YukikazeSeiichi Itō
Television Year Title Role Notes1983–1997Apples and OrangesYoshio Nakategawa Lead role; 4 seasons1988Takeda ShingenTakeda ShingenLead role, Taiga drama1995Hachidai Shōgun YoshimuneTokugawa MuneharuTaiga drama2001Someday Like Storm2003MusashiYagyū MunenoriTaiga drama2005YoshitsuneMinamoto no YoritomoTaiga drama2007Barefoot GenDaikichi NakaokaLead role; miniseries2009SmileKazuma Ito2010Japanese AmericansChokichi Hiramatsu2012PricelessKengo MoaiTaira no KiyomoriTaira no TadamoriTaiga drama2012–2025Second to Last LoveWahei NagakuraLead role; 3 seasons2016KinpikaKenta SakaguchiLead role2018Musume no KekkonTakahiko KuniedaLead role; TV movie2021The Grand FamilyDaisuke ManpyoLead role2023Taiga Drama ga Umareta HiNarushimaTV movie
Video games Year Title Role Notes 2020Yakuza: Like a DragonMasumi Arakawa2024Like a Dragon: Infinite WealthMasumi Arakawa
Japanese dubbing Title Role Notes Despicable Me 2Eduardo "El Macho" Pérez
Honours Medal with Purple Ribbon (2020)
References
External links Official profile