Rentarō Mikuni (三國 連太郎 Mikuni Rentarō) (also sometimes credited 三国連太郎; ; January 20, 1923 – April 14, 2013), was a Japanese actor from Gunma Prefecture. He has appeared in over 150 films since making his screen debut in 1951, and has won three Japanese Academy Awards for Best Actor, and a further seven nominations. He also won two Blue Ribbon Awards for Best Actor, in 1960 and in 1989. Kōichi Satō is his son.

Biography

Mikuni was born the son of a woman who had become pregnant while working as an indentured servant. His mother then married an electrician who had learned his trade while serving in the military, the man Mikuni considers his father. His stepfather was a burakumin and Mikuni experienced prejudice as a child, such as automatically being suspected when a bicycle was stolen. He was educated to elementary school level and hoped to then start work with his father, but his father insisted that he should attend middle school. Part way through middle school he dropped out and left home. He was repeatedly sent home from Tokyo by the police. Finally he escaped and from the age of sixteen to twenty he wandered around Japan and Korea (then under Japanese control) doing a variety of jobs. At the age of twenty he received callup papers for the Japanese military.

He attempted to evade the callup but was arrested by police after his mother informed on him. Instead of being punished he was simply sent to serve in China. He served his time in a unit of unfit and incompetent soldiers, and never fired a weapon at the enemy.

After returning to Japan, he drifted between odd jobs. His career as an actor started when he was asked to do a screen test by a scout. At the time he had no intention of becoming an actor and did the test merely because he was promised some meal tickets.

Filmography

 

• Samurai I : Musashi Miyamoto (1954)
• (警察日記 Keisatsu nikki), literally: Policeman's Diary (1955)
• A Hole of My Own Making (自分の穴の中で Jibun no ana no nakade) (1955)
• The Burmese Harp (1956)
• Ruri no kishi (1956)
• Harakiri (1962)
• Kwaidan (1965)
• Kiga Kaikyo (1965)
• Coup d'État (1973)
• Himiko (1974)
• Akai Unmei (television) (1976)
• Kiri-no-hata (1977)
• Hakkodasan (1977)
• Never Give Up (1978)
• Vengeance is Mine (1979)
• Ah! Nomugi Toge (1979)
• Ningen no yakusoku (1986)
• Shinran: Path to Purity (1987 - directed)
• A Taxing Woman 2 (1988)
• Tsuribaka nisshi (1988)
• Wuthering Heights (1988)
• Rikyu (1989)
• Tsuribaka nisshi 3 (1990)
• Tsuribaka nisshi 2 (1989)
• Tsuribaka nisshi 4 (1991)
• Musuko (1991)
• Luminous Moss (1992)
• Tsuribaka nisshi 6 (1993)
• Daibyonin (1993)
• Tsuribaka nisshi 7 (1994)
• Mitabi no kaikyô (1995)
• Will to Live (1999)
• Taiga no itteki (2001)

Notes

^ 食券

References

 

^ "ブルーリボン賞ヒストリー" (in Japanese). Cinema Hochi. Retrieved 2010-04-08. ^ "ブルーリボン賞ヒストリー" (in Japanese). Cinema Hochi. Retrieved 2010-04-08. ^ a b c Mikuni, Rentaro. Ikizama Shinizama [Way of life, way of death]. ISBN 4-8454-2071-6.