was a Japanese film and theatre actor.
Profile Masakazu Tamura was born 1 August 1943 in Kyoto, Japan to Japanese actor Tsumasaburō Bandō. Tsumasaburō Bandō died when Tamura was only nine years old. His brothers Takahiro and Ryō are also actors. He had been thinking of becoming an actor in the future since he was a child.鳴門秘帖 ガイドブック 上 NHKドラマ制作班 1977 p.149 He was thus trained in fighting with swords and more traditional forms of Japanese theatre like Kabuki and Nihon Buyō. He graduated from Seijo University.日本映画人名事典 1996年度 下 P.150-151 キネマ旬報社 役者は一日にしてならず 春日太一 田村亮インタビュー p.271
In 1960, he made a cameo appearance in the film Hatamoto Gurentai, in which his older brother Takahiro starred. The following year, he signed a contract with the Shōchiku Ōfuna company while he was still in university. In the same year, he made his official film debut in the film Eternal Woman directed by Keisuke Kinoshita. His first leading film role was Kono koenaki sakebi directed by Hirokazu Ichimura in 1965. He left Shōchiku in 1966 and established his own agency. In 1967, He released the first and only song in his career "Sora Ippai no Namida". His breakthrough came in 1970 after landing a role in the television series Fuyu no Tabi on TBS.昭和の名優100列伝 P.278北辰堂出版 From 1970s, Tamura focused predominately on television with occasional film appearances including Yasuharu Hasebe's film Female Prisoner Scorpion: 701's Grudge Song and Yasuo Furuhata's film Nihon no Fixer . From the mid-1960s to the 1970s, Tamura was called the Japanese Alain Delon.週刊Heibon 1983年 第1232号 p.24-25
He appeared in many period dramas (jidaigeki) such as his lead role in Naruto Hichō on NHK and most of his roles were skilled swordsmen. From 1963 to 1966 Tamura had non-starring appearances in the annual Taiga drama for 4 years in a row. He also appeared in the Taiga drama Haru no Sakamichi (1971) and Shin Heike Monogatari (1972). He played the title role of "Nemuri Kyoshirō" and won great popularity in 1972; it is Tamura's most famous role in jidaigeki. Five sequel special's of the drama were made over a span of 45 years, he also played the same role on the stage in 1973 and 1981.
From the late 1980s he began to appear in comedy dramas such as Papa wa Newscaster or home dramas and gained new popularity.
In 1993, Tamura played the role of "Ogami Ittō" in Akira Inoue's film Lone Wolf and Cub: Final Conflict by Kazuo Koike's strong request.子連れ狼 その小さき手に Official pamphlet P.4 His photo book of the film was also released.田村正和 子連れ狼その小さき手に 1992 Shueisha, Noriaki Yokosuka
He is most famous for his role as the polite and highly idiosyncratic police detective "Furuhata Ninzaburō" in a self-titled drama by Japanese playwright Kōki Mitani.昭和の名優100列伝 P.278-279 北辰堂出版 This drama was one of the most popular in its time and one of the most popular dramas in the history of Japanese television. The drama started in 1994 and Tamura continued playing Detective Furuhata until 2006.現代日本映画人名事典 男優篇 キネマ旬報社 2012 P.180-181 (In 1997, Tamura and Mitani worked together again in Sōrito Yobanaide on Fuji TV.)
In 2007, Tamura appeared in the film for the first in 14 years in Last Love.
Tamura won "Outstanding Actor" at the Monte-Carlo Television Festival for his work in the TV special Ah, You're Really Gone Now in 2009. Tamura appeared in several television dramas related to Chushingura and finally he played the role of "Ōishi Kuranosuke" for the first time in the special drama Chushingura Sono Otoko Ōishi Kuranosuke in 2010.
In 2018, he played the role of "Nemuri Kyoshirō" for the first time in about 20 years in Nemuri Kyoshirō The Final on Fuji TV. But he hinted at his retirement from acting soon after appearing in that TV movie.
He died of heart failure on 3 April 2021 at the age of 77.
Selected filmography Films Year Title Role Director Notes 1960 Hatamoto Gurentai Mori Takehichi Seiichi Fukuda 1961 Immortal Love Eiichi Keisuke Kinoshita 1962 Love Under the Crucifix Brother of Ogin Kinuyo Tanaka 1964 The Scent of Incense Ezaki's son Keisuke Kinoshita 1964 Kojiki Taishō Hanawaka Tokuzō Tanaka 1965 Kono koenaki Sakebi Sasaki Shinichi Ichimura TaichiMain role1966Ameno Nakan FutariKasuga RyujiSakurai HideoMain role1966Sora Ippai no NamidaSugi ShunsukeJunzo MizukawaMain role1966Our Wonderful YearsYoshida ShunHeinosuke Gosho1967A Fool's LoveHamada NobuoYasuzo Masumura1967Onna no IsshoYayoi SenichiHeinosuke Gosho1967Double Suicide: Japanese SummerBoyNagisa Oshima1968A Woman and the Beancurd Soup SakimuraHeinosuke Gosho1968Higashi ShinakaiChiba RokurōTadahiki IsomiMain role1968The Yoshiwara Story Naojirō Kazuo Mori1968Curse of the BloodShinichirōKazuo HaseMain role1969Chōkōsō no AkebonoShimamuraHideo Sekigawa1969Kuro bara no yakata WataruKinji Fukasaku1969Samurai BannersTakeda NobushigeHiroshi Inagaki1969Gendai Yakuza: Yotamono JingiKatsumata ToruYasuo Furuhata1969The Wild SeaShimamura KenTokujirō Yamazaki1969Nemuri Kyōshirō manji giriUmezu IchirōtaKazuo Ikehiro1970Decapitation IslandSantarō IsahayaKunihara ToshiakiMain role1970Onna GokuakuchōIsogai IoriKazuo IkehiroMain role1970Yakuza ZessyōYuji Yasuzo Masumura1971TabijiKitamura TakashiKōichi Saitō1973Female Convict Scorpion: Grudge SongTeruo KudoYasuharu Hasebe1976Kitano YadokaraHigashihata OsamuHirokazu Ichimura1979Nihon no FixerImaizumi TakeoYasuo FuruhataMain role1993Lone Wolf and Cub: Final ConflictOgami IttōAkira InoueMain role2007Last LoveAgawa AkiraMeiji FujitaMain role
Television dramas Year Title Role Notes1963Hana no Shōgai (花の生涯)Tada TatewakiTaiga drama1964Akō Rōshi (赤穂浪士)Taiga drama1965Taikōki (太閤記)Toyotomi HidetsuguTaiga drama1966Minamoto no Yoshitsune (源義経)Fujiwara no TadahiraTaiga drama 1971 Daichūshingura (大忠臣蔵) Yatō Emoshichi1971Haru no Sakamichi (春の坂道)Fuwa BansakuTaiga drama1972Shin Heike Monogatari(新、平家物語)Emperor SutokuTaiga drama1972-73Nemuri Kyōshirō (眠狂四郎)Nemuri Kyōshirō Main role1973Shinsho Taikōki (新書太閤記)Takenaka Hanbei1974Unmeitouge (運命峠)Akizuki RokurotaMain role1977Naruto Hichō (鳴門秘帖)Norizuki GennojōMain role1977Suna no Utsuwa (砂の器)Eiryō Waga1979Akō Rōshi (赤穂浪士)Hotta HayatoMain role1983Natsu ni Koisuru OnnatachiKurahashi MitsuoMain role1984Uchi no Ko ni Kagitte...Ishibashi ToruMain role1984Kawaite sōrō (乾いて候)Kainage MondoMain role1987 Papa wa NewscasterKagami RyutarōMain role1988New York koi MonogatariTajima MasayukiMain role1989Nemuri Kyôshirô Nemuri KyōshirōMain role1991Papa to NatchanShimura GorōMain role1993Nemuri Kyoshiro: Conspiracy at Edo Castle Nemuri KyōshirōMain role1994Furuhata NinzaburoFuruhata NinzaburoMain role1996Nemuri Kyoshiro: The Man with No Tomorrow Nemuri KyōshirōMain role1996Kyōsōkyoku (協奏曲)Ebisawa KōsukeMain role1997Sōrito YobanaidePrime MinisterMain role1998Nemuri Kyoshiro: The Woman Who Loved Kyoshiro Nemuri KyōshirōMain role1998JinbēTakanashi JinbēMain role2000OyajîKanichi KanzakiMain role2001Sayônara, Ozu-senseiOzuMain role2006Furuhata Ninzaburo FinalFuruhata NinzaburoMain role2006Dare Yorimo Mama o Ai suKamon KazutoyoMain role2007Chushingura Otonashino Ken Yūki KeinosukeMain role2009Ah, You're Really Gone NowMain role2010Chushingura Sono Otoko Ōishi Kuranosuke Ōishi YoshioMain role2009GiwakuTakukichi SaharaMain role2011Kokuhatsu Kokusen BengoninTakuji SaharaMain role2013Samurai Rebellion(上意討ち～拝領妻始末)Isaburo SasaharaMain role2018Nemuri Kyoshirō The Final Nemuri KyōshirōMain role
Awards Year Award Category Work Result 1994 The television drama academy Awards Best Actor Furuhata Ninzaburo 1996 The television drama academy Awards Best Actor Furuhata Ninzaburo 2001 The television drama academy Awards Best Actor Sayônara, Ozu-sensei 2009 Monte-Carlo Television Festival Outstanding Actor Ah, You're Really Gone Now
References
External links
NHK Archives Actor /Masakazu Tamura人物録 田村正和 俳優 Masakazu Tamura , Agency for Cultural Affairs