Cast
Tetsuro Tamba
Acting
Cast
Tetsuro Tamba
Known for
Acting
Born
1922-07-17
From
Shinjuku, Tokyo, Japan
Died
2006-09-24
Also known as 丹波 哲郎, Tetzuro Tamba, Tetsurô Tanba
Biography
Tetsuro Tamba (July 17, 1922 – September 24, 2006) was a distinguished Japanese actor known for his versatile talent across five decades. Recognized globally for his portrayal of Tiger Tanaka in the iconic 1967 James Bond film "You Only Live Twice," Tamba's cinematic journey was a remarkable blend of cultural bridges. Before embarking on his acting career, Tamba worked as an interpreter for the Allied Powers' Supreme Commander. Graduating from Chuo University in 1948, he later joined Shintoho company, making his debut in the film Satsujin Yougishain in 1951. Tamba's impact on Western audiences extended beyond Bond, with standout performances in films like Bridge to the Sun and The 7th Dawn. He earned acclaim in Japan as well, most notably as the lead in police dramas like Key Hunter and G-Men '75. His talents weren't confined to the screen alone. Tamba lent his voice to characters like the Cat King in Studio Ghibli's The Cat Returns and graced historical roles in television dramas, leaving an indelible mark on period pieces. In 2005, Tamba faced health challenges but continued to contribute until the end. Sadly, he passed away in Tokyo at 84 due to pneumonia on September 24, 2006. His legacy lives on through his son, actor Yoshitaka Tamba, while his last appearances in the 2005 Taiga drama Yoshitsune and the 2006 film Sinking of Japan remain a testament to his enduring impact on Japanese cinema and beyond.
Harakiri
as Hikokuro Omodaka
Riki-Oh: The Story of Ricky
as Master Zhang
You Only Live Twice
as Tiger Tanaka
The Cat Returns
as Cat King (voice)
Crayon Shin-chan: Explosion! The Hot Spring's Feel Good Final Battle
as Tamba (voice)
The Imperial Navy
as Jisaburo Ozawa
Kwaidan
as Warrior (segment "Hoichi the Earless")
Zero Woman: Red Handcuffs
as Nagumo
Night Train
as Isaburo Tamura
Submersion of Japan
as Prime Minister Yamamoto
All Men Are Brothers
as Lu Chun I
The Sacrifice of the Human Torpedoes
Fireflies in the North
as Ishikura
Port Arthur
as Gentaro Kodama
The Water Margin
as Jade Unicorn, Lu Chun I
The Twilight Samurai
as Tozaemon Iguchi
Violent Streets
as Shimamura Kansai
Thirst for Love
as Kosuke Aso
Shogun's Samurai
as Ogasawara Gensinsai
Abashiri Prison: Duel in Hokkaido
The Bullet Train
as Sunaga
The Bushido Blade
as Lord Yamato
Prophecies of Nostradamus
as Dr. Nishiyama
A Taxing Woman's Return
as Sadohara
Japan's Violent Gangs: The Boss and the Killers
Female Neo-Ninjas
as Time Patrol leader
Gozu
The Battle of Okinawa
as Lieutenant General Isamu Cho
Four Sisters
as Masao Igarashi
Onimasa: A Japanese Godfather
as Uichi Suda, The Big Boss
Battles Without Honor and Humanity
Message from Space
as Ernest Noguchi
The Gambling Samurai
as Fumizo Mitsuki
Daredevil in the Castle
as Sadamasa Ishikawa
Samurai Reincarnation
as Muramasa
Shogun's Shadow
as Hotta Masamori
Bohachi Bushido: Code of the Forgotten Eight
as Shino
Tokyo Untouchable: Escape
as Goro Kawamoto
Shogun's Ninja
as Tozawa Hakuunsai
The Geisha
as Kochi Notable
The Peking Man
as Osone
The Ando Gang Documentary Film
Three Outlaw Samurai
as Sakon Shiba
Dead Angle
Love: Starting on a Journey
Never Give Up
as General Wada
Battles Without Honor and Humanity: Proxy War
as Tatsuo Akashi
Tokyo Pop
as Mr. Dota
Tidal Wave
as Prime Minister Yamato
Mount Hakkoda
as Colonel Kojima
Pigs and Battleships
as Slasher Tetsuji
The Political Game
Four Days of Snow and Blood
as Jinzaburi Shinzaki
Emperor of Upheaval
Battle Anthem
as Yamamoto
The Castle of Sand
as Detective Eitaro Imanishi
Men and War I: Prelude to Destiny
Yakuza Ladies 3
as Takeo Sakanishi
The Happiness of the Katakuris
as Granpa Jinpei Katakuri
Heat Wave
as Denkichi Tsuzaki
The 5-Man Army
as Samurai
Graveyard of Honor
as Tetsuji Tokura
August Without Emperor
as Army General Mikami
The Shogun Assassins
as Kato Kiyomasa
You're My Destiny
Goyokin
as Rokugo Tatewaki
Revenge
as Shume Okuno
Assassination
as Hachiro Kiyokawa
Heaven Station
The Last True Yakuza
as Kazumasa Tashiro
The Fall of Ako Castle
as Yanagisawa
Black Lizard
as Kuroki
Bandits vs. Samurai Squadron
as Kichibei
Samurai from Somewhere
as Masagi Shohei
Deadly Outlaw: Rekka
as Sanada
The Imperial Japanese Empire
as Hideki Tojo
13 Assassins
as Doi Ōkō Toshi
The Story of a Man Among Men
Greatest Boss of the Showa Era
Cabaret
as Yakuza boss
Samurai Spy
as Sakon Takatani
T.R.Y.
Silence
as Cristóvão Ferreira
Sakuya: The Slayer of Demons
as Old Master
Tokyo: The Last War
as Kanaami Kohou
Tokyo: The Last War
as Kan'ami Kouou
Homicide
as Lieutenant Aikawa
Human Revolution II
Portrait of Chieko
as Kotaro Takamura
The Hitman: Blood Smells Like Roses
Yakuza Skirmishes
The Armed Organization
Suspicion
as Kanetaka Okamura
Hunter in the Dark
as Okitsugu Tanuma
The Classroom of Terror
Twilight of the Cockroaches
as Grandpa (voice)
Tokyo Blackout
as Nakata
Abashiri Prison
as Tsumaki
The Shogun's Vault
Yakuza Demon
as Michitane Tendou
Flames of Blood
Rise and Fall of Chivalry
A Case of Murder by the Atami Station Taxi Stand
A Madcap Corporation
as Yoshiteru Suma (Suma-gumi Boss)
Call from Darkness
as Sugibayashi
Shadow Hunters 2: Echo of Destiny
as Kagemetsuke
Kaachan
The International Gang of Kobe
as Rinsei
Operation Plazma in Osaka
Diamonds of the Andes
Quarreling with Yakuza
Samurai from Nowhere
as Gunjuro Ohba
The Wolves
as Genryu Asakura
13 Assassins
Under the Flag of the Rising Sun
as Sergeant Katsuo Togashi
To Trap a Kidnapper
Be-In Bully High School
as Ryotaro Sakurazawa
The Making Of The Katakuris
The 7th Dawn
as Ng
The Executioner II: Karate Inferno
as Kimitake Shugi / Moroki
Emperor & Empress Meiji and the Sino-Japanese War
as Keisuke Otori
Blind Beast vs Killer Dwarf
Sky Scraper!
The Wild Daisy
as Gozaburo Saito
Kim's War
Sugata Sanshiro
as Iinuma
Emperor Meiji and the Great Russo-Japanese War
as Rear Admiral Shimamura
Gang vs. G-Men
as Toru Tezuka
Uragirimono wa jigoku daze
A Flame at the Pier
Gamblers and Racketeers
Aurora Borealis
as Tsuneiro Kamisaka
Kōgen ni ressha ga hashitta
Jubaku: Spellbound
as Tajiro Kawakami
Female Slave Ship
The Domain: Kanto Legends of Chivalry
Shinran: Path to Purity
The Kii River
as Shintani Kosaku
Organized Violence II
as Police Inspector Kitagawa
Mist and Shadows
as Yusuke Komiya
The Gambler
The Human Revolution
The Scandalous Adventures of Buraikan
as Soshun Kochiyama
Operation Diamond
as Kazuo Kasami
Admiral Yamamoto and the Allied Fleets
The Stupid Teacher
as Utaemon Baba
The Corporation
Destroyer Yukikaze
Kukai
Hell's Kitchen
Postwar Secrets
as Kuroki
Gang vs. G-Men: Safe Breakers
as 手塚徹
Japan's Top Gangster
as Noboru Yamaguchi
Battles Without Honor and Humanity: The Complete Saga
as Tatsuo Akashi
The School Deviate Waru
The Yellow Climate
The Incident
as Lawyer Kikuchi
Jakoman and Tetsu
as Jakoman
King of Pornography
The Duel in the Forbidden Territory
Red Peony Gambler: Biographies of a Gambling Room
Get 'em All
as Tanabe
Bridge to the Sun
as Jiro
Crimson Bat - Oichi: Wanted, Dead or Alive
as Hyoe
The Challenge
as Takayama
The Kingdom of Jirocho 3
Conflagration
as Captain Munekata
Zero
as Admiral Isoroku Yamamoto
Blood and Law
High Seas Hijack
as Captain Munekata
Gang Loyalty and Vengeance
as Gu Shimizu
President Rai of Kingoro
Shura Group
An Outlaw
Tales of Young Genji Kuro 3
Hanran
as Captain Koda
Zero Fighter
as Captain Saito
Yakuza Warfare
Greed in Broad Daylight
as Miyahara
Karafuto 1945 Summer
Blood of Revenge
as Yutaro Nomura
1750 Days of Turbulence
The Tale of Saikaido
The Young Eagles of the Kamikaze
The White Tiger Battalion
There Goes Benio, the Smart Girl
Shura Group Part 1
Eleven Gangsters
Murderer!
as Nīto Kouken
Spycatcher J3: SOS Close Shave
as J1 (TULIP Japan Branch Chief)
Queen of Asia
Flickering Flames
Be Free!
as Keizo Hasegawa
Gambler's Farewell
as Tetsuji Kasai
Organized Violence
Ankoku gai jingi
The Bad Boss
Hawk of the Harbour
Twilight Saloon
as Morimoto
Snake Woman's Curse
as Commander
Shadow Hunters
The Last Days of Planet Earth
as Dr. Nishiyama
Detective
Choshichiro's Edo Diaries: The Yagyu Conspiracy
as Yagyu Munefuyu
Standing Towards the Great Forest
L・O・V・I・N・G
Army Intelligence
as Lieutenant Colonel Akiyama
A Class to Remember IV: Fifteen
as Tetsuo Hatake
Drive for the Future
as Akiji Nishikawa
Company Buggers
Dissolution Rites
as Sakai
Tokyo Untouchable
as Goro Kawamoto
長七郎江戸日記スペシャル 長七郎 大奥まかり通る
Monument to Holy Service
Informal Dress
Tetsuro Tamba's Great Spirit World: What Happens When You Die
as 吉野博士
Shōwa Gokudōshi
April Fish
as Panapora Chief Handa
All Rascals
Hibari's Triple Role: The Dazzling Transformation of Yukinojo
Organized Crime: Killer's Glory
Blackmail Is My Life
Screwed
as Landlord
Between Women and Wives
Once and For All
A Wicked Woman
as Ihei Ôsawa
Sazen Tange and The Secret of the Urn
as Lord Tsushima Yagyu
The Pacific War and the International Military Tribunal
Wild Cop 2
The Gambler's Counterattack
as Chief Inspector
The Great Shogunate Battle
Demon Pond
Ino Tadataka: Meridian Dreams
Troops of Darkness
Submarine Ro Hasn't Surfaced
Futari dake no toride
Cherry Blossoms in the Air - The Suicide Raiders - Oh, Buddies!
Seven Nights in Japan
as Terrorist Leader (uncredited)
Continental Drifter
Lone Rebel
Mysterious Clouds: Legend of Satomi's Heroic Deed
as Aboshi Samajirô
King of the Gang
G-Men in the Pacific
as Mizuhara
Nezumi Kozō kaitō den
Shura Group Part 2
Japanese Hell
as Asu Shino
The Ceiling at Utsunomiya
as Kurozumi Tenzen
Gang vs. Gang
Nichiren
Giant Rumble
South Pacific Waves Are High
The Sand Boat
Hanamazu
The Fencing Collegian
Gamblers: The Dragon Tattoo
Storming Osaka Castle: The Sanada Ten Braves
as Mondonoshô Hirano
Teruo Ishii Fan Club
Red Flowers of Hell
Taira no Kiyomori
A Picture of Madame Yuki
Game of Chance 3
Devil Princess’ Beauty Competition
Bloody History of Soldiers
as Shumei Okawa
Tokyo Gang vs. Hong Kong Gang
The Villain from Edo Kochiyama Soshun
The Private Police
Zankokuna tsuki
Psychic: Traveler to the Unknown
やくざ番外地 抹殺
Quick on the Trigger
Vendetta of Obligation
Structure of Hate
The Ghost of Kasane
as Jinjûrô Ômura
Kill the Killer!
as Narumi
New Abashiri Prison Story: Honor and Humanity, Ammunition That Attracts the Storm
Tale of Ninja Duty
as Mumyo Tsunataro
Underwater Murder
Tokugawa Ieyasu – TBS Warlord Special
The Code of Man
Speed King
Penitentiary Brothers
Tokyo Untouchables
Capone: Roppongi Renkin no Teio
Tetsuro Tamba's Great Spirit World 2: I was surprised when I died!!
as Ryo Okamoto
Samon’s Hell Revenge: Unauthorised Jutte Records 2 - The Assassination of the Shogun
Secret Prophecies of Nostradamus
as Himself
The Way to The Gold Medals
as President Sakakibara
The Return of the Filthy Seven
Kyōen Kobanzame
Lady Vengeance and the 47 Ronin
Hibari's Triple Role: The Transformation of Yukinojo — Part II
Tange Sazen
Minamoto Yoshitsune
High-Ranking Yakuza
Kingoro's Soldier
Kuronekokan ni Kieta Otoko
Mysterious Dwarf
Ronin on a Mission
as Ōishi Kuranosuke
日本敗れず
Kingorō no kaigun taishô
Kuro to aka no hanabira
Ano hito wa ima
The Thousand Year Fire
The Alaska Story
as Arashuk
The Sound of the Waves
The Prosecutor and His Sister
Kizu-darake no futeki-sha
Umineko ga tonde
機動捜査班
No Police
Escape Man
Nude Woman and Murder Maze
as Senba
The Supernormal II
Element of Surprise
Zero sen no jorō gun
源氏九郎颯爽記 秘剣揚羽の蝶
Tetsuro Tamba’s Great Spiritual World 3: Amazing Reincarnation Story That Ran Around the Whole
修羅のみち
剣聖 暁の三十六番斬り
Showdown on Pier No.3
as Kirishima
Thirteen Times a Loser
as Shinji Kaizuka
