is a Japanese actor who has acted in Japan, the United States, Hong Kong, and South Korea. He won Best Supporting Actor and the Popular Star Award at the 37th Blue Dragon Film Awards for his performance in the South Korean horror film The Wailing, directed by Na Hong-jin.
Early life and education Kunimura was born Yoshihiro Yonemura (米村 喜洋 Yonemura Yoshihiro) in Yatsushiro, Kumamoto Prefecture, but his family moved to Amagasaki, Hyōgo Prefecture soon after, before moving again to Osaka when he was two years old. He graduated from a theatre program operated by the Osaka Broadcasting Corporation, a theatre company owned and operated by a local NHK affiliate. He has cited actor Yūsaku Matsuda as an influence.
Career Kunimura began his acting career with a bit part in Shirō Moritani's 1973 disaster film Tidal Wave. He went on to appear in the TV dramas Ayu no Uta and Yôi don, before holding his first starring role in Kazuyuki Izutsu's Gaki Teikoku. Throughout the late 80s and early 90s, he appeared in a number of Hong Kong-produced films, including a prominent cameo role in John Woo's Hard Boiled, as a Triad gunman in the film's opening teahouse shootout. In 1989, he starred in his first American film, Black Rain. The Ridley Scott-helmed Yakuza action film was shot on-location in Kunimura's hometown of Osaka, and starred his mentor Yūsaku Matsuda.
Kunimura is known internationally for his work in Hollywood with Western directors such as Ridley Scott, Quentin Tarantino, and Roland Emmerich. He has also collaborated with prominent Japanese filmmakers including Takashi Miike, Hideaki Anno, Lee Sang-il, and Ryuhei Kitamura. In 2016, he starred in Na Hong-jin's Korean horror film The Wailing, which earned him critical and popular acclaim. It earned him the Best Supporting Actor and Popular Star Awards at the 37th Blue Dragon Film Awards, making him the first-ever non-Korean and Japanese actor to be nominated for the award.
Filmography
Film Year Title RoleNotes1973Tidal WaveShoichi1981Gaki TeikokuChoi1989Black RainYashimoto1st non-Japanese film1991Au Revoir, Mon AmourKeijiThe Blue Jean MonsterKaiŌteEmisu1992Hard BoiledTeahouse Gunman1st Hong Kong Film1993All Under the MoonTada1994Treasure HuntYamamoto2nd Hong Kong FilmTokarefuDet. Takahashi1995Heisei musekinin-ikka: Tokyo de luxeYoichi1996Somebody Up There Likes MeJapanese Trainer3rd Hong Kong Film1997SuzakuKōzō TaharaWild LifeIjimaNingen isuShoichiro Shimizu1998Begging for LoveSaburo WachiThe Story of PuPuKijima1999KeihoShibata ToshimitsuAuditionYasuhisa YoshikawaMayonaka madeNoriyuki2000RyûseiKirishimaDokuritsu shônen gasshô-danMichio's FatherChaosInspector HamaguchiFaceKenta KariyamaGojoeSuzaku-hougan2001Desert MoonKosugiIchi the KillerFunakiYe longThe Contractor2002Misutâ rûkîYangHi wa mata noboruKoideTomie: Forbidden FruitKazuhiko HashimotoThe Laughing FrogAkio YoshizumiAliveKojimaSorrySei's Father2003Hoshi ni negaioJin KirishimaSamurai ResurrectionSaemon Jinno9 SoulsYamamotoTsuribaka Nisshi 14KawashimaKill Bill: Volume 1Boss TanakaDead End RunJun2004Half a ConfessionManabu UemuraKill Bill: Volume 2Boss TanakaKill Bill: The Whole Bloody AffairBoss TanakaUmizaruAdmiral Masaki Igarashi69SasakiVitalHideyoshi OoyamaBlood and BonesYong-sang JoLady JokerSatoru HiraseGodzilla: Final WarsMajor Komuro2005Fuyu no UndoukaiKitazawa RyousukeLorelei: The Witch of the Pacific OceanMatoi TokiokaNegotiator: Mashita MasayoshiKataokaHanging GardenDan Kyobashi2006Limit of Love: UmizaruMasaki IgarashiHanaIsekanBaruto no GakuenTakagiSinking of JapanKyosuke NozakiChildrenShugoro KiharaTsubakiyama Kacho no NanokakanDaisuke Ichikawa2007Three for the RoadRental SalesmanSilkUmon2008Team Batista no EikōGonta TakashinaHidden Fortress: The Last PrincessNagakuraGod's PuzzleMurakamiPaco and the Magical BookKinomotoYesterdaysAkihiko YanagidaK-20: Legend of the MaskGenjiMiyaginoSharaku2009King of the EscapeKanemuraMt. TsurugidakeSeiichiro Yaguchi2010Saru Lock the MovieOgasawaraAfter the FlowersJinzaemon TeratMy Darling Is a ForeignerNoriyuki OguriSunshine AheadTatsuhei HikiOutrageIkemotoHere Comes the Bride, My Mom!Akira MurakamiSaya ZamuraiThe LordAibou: The Movie IIMuneo Hasegawa2011Synchronicity Shinju TenshiAi's FatherMoonlight MaskThe ImpresarioMonsters ClubMr. Kakiuchi2012ReunionYoshito Shibata2013A Story of YonosukeMr. YosanoThe Incredible TruthSato TsuyoshiLike Father, Like SonKazushi KamiyamaThe Wind RisesHattori (voice)Japanese-language versionA Boy Called HYoshimuraWhy Don't You Play in Hell?MutoUnforgivenMasaharu KitaojiAsa Hiru BanAsamoto2014Dakishimetai: Shinjitsu no MonogatariToshiroThe World of KanakoDr. TsujimuraParasyte: Part 1Det. Hirama2015Attack on TitanKubal / Colossal TitanAt HomeGenjiParasyte: Part 2Det. HiramaThe Big BeeNakatsuka2016KokoroDaisukeChihayafuru Part 1Hideo HaradaChihayafuru Part 2Hideo HaradaThe WailingThe Japanese ManSouth Korean filmShin GodzillaChief of Staff Masao ZaizenFueled: The Man They Called PirateTakumi Ukawa2017Hamon: Yakuza BoogieKatsuji ShimadaMumon: The Land of StealthKitabatake TomonoriJoJo's Bizarre Adventure: Diamond Is Unbreakable Chapter IRyohei HigashikataManhuntYoshihiro SakaiChinese-Hong Kong-Japanese Co-Produced FilmFullmetal AlchemistTim MarcohDestiny: The Tale of KamakuraChief Daibutsu2018Punk Samurai Slash DownShuzen OuraThe Miracle of Crybaby ShottanToshioOur DeparturesSetsuo OkuzonoChihayafuru Part 3Hideo HaradaTen Years JapanShigetaSegment: "Itazura dômei"2019The Great War of ArchimedesMarshal Admiral Osami NaganoTaro the FoolOdaThe WitnessTakashi HirayamaMidwayVice Admiral Chūichi Nagumo2020StepMinamataJunichi NojimaTracing Her ShadowPoupelle of Chimney TowDan (voice)2021Kiba: The Fangs of FictionDaisaku NikaidōGift of FireZokkiSuicide Forest VillageKateKijima2022Just RememberingNakaidoI Am Makimoto2023The Roundup: No Way OutIchijo-gumi's ChairmanSouth Korean filmThe Boy and the HeronThe Parakeet King (voice)Tokyo CowboyWada2024BushidoYorozuya GenbeiThe Yin Yang Master ZeroKamo no Tadayuki2025Trillion GameKazuma Kokuryū2026Golden Kamuy: The Abashiri Prison RaidRear Admiral Heiji KoitoBad Lieutenant: TokyoThe Secret BattlefieldDaido ItakuraGodzilla Minus ZeroOgata
Television Year Title Role Notes2000Aikotoba wa YūkiKagetora Anzai2008Andō NatsuUmekichi Yasuda2009Clouds Over the HillKawakami Soroku2009KochikameKanda MyojinEpisode 12012CarnationKiichi HanamuraAsadoraTaira no KiyomoriFujiwara no TadazaneTaiga drama2014Alice no Toge2015Keisei Saimin no Otoko Part 3Takashi MikiTV movie2016Shizumanu TaiyōIshikawa GoemonToyotomi Hideyoshi2017Hello, Detective Hedgehog2019–2021The Naked DirectorIori Furuya2 seasons2020Gift of FireBunsaku ArakatsuTV movie2021Bullets, Bones and Blocked NosesSection chiefMiniseriesJapan Sinks: People of HopeProfessor Tōru SeraIsoroku Yamamoto in LondonTsuneo MatsudairaTV movie2022The 13 Lords of the ShogunŌba KagechikaTaiga dramaModern Love TokyoYoshimotoEpisode 52023Trillion GameKazuma Kokuryū2024SunnyYuki Tanaka2025AsuraKotaroHimitsu – Top SecretKiyotaka KainumaThe Laughing SalesmanKataru KaodeEpisode 10Simulation: Defeat in the Summer of 1941Daido ItakuraMiniseries2026Blood and SweatTokuro SuzumiyaShōgun GodaSeason 2
Awards and nominations Year Award Category Nominated work Result201637th Blue Dragon Film AwardsBest Supporting Actor Popular Star Award 25th Buil Film AwardsBest Supporting Actor201711th Asian Film AwardsBest Supporting Actor
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