Ken Takakura (高倉健) (Born 16 February 1931, Kitakyushu, Fukuoka, Japan) A Japanese actor best known for his brooding style and the stoic yet honorable presence he bring to his roles. Image File history File links Takakura Ken in the 1975 Warner Bros. ... February 16 is the 47th day of the year in the Gregorian Calendar. ... 1931 is a common year starting on Thursday. ... Kokura Castle (Kokura-jō), April 2002 KitakyÅ«shÅ« (北九州市; KitakyÅ«shÅ«-shi), literally north KyÅ«shÅ«, is a city located in Fukuoka prefecture, Japan. ... Actors in period costume sharing a joke whilst waiting between takes during location filming. ...

Known as the "Clint Eastwood" of Japan, Takakura gained his streetwise swagger and tough guy persona watching Yakuza turf battles over the lucrative black market and racketeering in postwar Fukuoka. Clint Eastwood in the 1960s Clint Eastwood Clinton Eastwood, Jr. ... Yakuza (from Japanese やくざ or ヤクザ), also known as gokudō, are members of traditional organized crime groups in Japan. ... The black market is the sector of economic activity involving illegal economic dealings, typically the buying and selling of merchandise illegally. ... // Surrender Japan surrendered to the Allies on August 14, 1945, when Emperor Hirohito accepted the terms of the Potsdam Declaration. ... Fukuoka Prefecture (福岡県 Fukuoka-ken) is located on Kyushu Island, Japan. ...

A graduated of the prestigious Meiji University in Tokyo Takakura happened by a auditon in 1955 at the Toei Film Company, and decided to look in. Toei would find a natural in Takakura as he debuted with Denko Karate Uchi (Lightning Karate Blow) in 1956. As luck would have it, Japan experienced a boom in gangster films in the 1960's as the Japanese people struggled with the generational differences between those raised in pre-war and post-war Japan and these were Takakura's stock and trade. His breakout role would be in 1965 playing a ex-con antihero in Abashiri Bangaichi: Bokyohen (Abashiri Prison: Longing for Home). By the time Takakura would leave Toei in 1976, he had appeared in over 180 films. Meiji University (明治大学) is a famous private university in Ochanomizu, Tokyo. ... The modern skyline of Tokyo is highly decentralized. ... 1955 is a common year starting on Saturday of the Gregorian calendar. ... Toei Company, Ltd. ... 1956 was a leap year starting on Sunday of the Gregorian calendar. ... Events and trends The 1960s was a turbulent decade of change around the world. ... 1965 was a common year starting on Friday (link goes to calendar). ... 1976 is a leap year starting on Thursday (link will take you to calendar). ...

Takakura gained international recognition after starring in the 1975 Sydney Pollack sleeper hit The Yakuza with Robert Mitchum and is probably best known in the West for his role in Ridley Scott's Black Rain (1989) where he surprises American cops played by Michael Douglas and Andy Garcia with "Listen, I do speak f***ing English". He again proved himself bankable to Western audiences the 1992 Fred Schepisi comedy Mr. Baseball starring Tom Selleck. 1975 was a common year starting on Wednesday (the link is to a full 1975 calendar). ... Sydney Pollack (born July 1, 1934 in Lafayette, Indiana) is an American actor, producer, and director. ... A powerful film written by Paul Schrader and Robert Towne and directed by Sydney Pollack, The Yakuza takes an in depth look at Japan as seen from western eyes. ... Robert Mitchum in Cape Fear Robert Charles Duran Mitchum (August 6, 1917 – July 1, 1997) was an American film actor and singer. ... Ridley Scott Sir Ridley Scott (born November 30, 1937 in South Shields) is an influential British film director and producer. ... Black Rain (黒い雨; kuroi ame) ISBN 087011364X is a 1966 novel by Japanese author Ibuse Masuji. ... 1989 is a common year starting on Sunday of the Gregorian calendar. ... Michael Douglas Michael Kirk Douglas (born September 25, 1944 in New Brunswick, New Jersey, USA) is an Jewish American actor and producer. ... Andy Garcia Andy García (born April 12, 1956) is an American actor. ... 1992 is a leap year starting on Wednesday of the Gregorian calendar. ... Mr. ... Selleck at a formal affair, sans his trademark moustache. ...

While he has slowed down a bit in his older years, he is still active, currently filming Qian li zou dan ji (Riding Alone for Thousands of Miles) in China with Yimou Zhang. Zhāng Yìmóu (张艺谋 Traditional Chinese: 張藝謀) (born November 14, 1950) is a Chinese filmmaker and cinematographer who made his directorial debut in 1987 with the film Red Sorghum. ...

Reference

• Wikipedia Japan entry on Takakura Ken (In Japanese)
• IMDb entry on Takakura Ken
• JMDb (Japanese IMDB entry on Takakura Ken(in Japanese)
• Metropolis article on Takakura Ken
• Celebrity File Japan article on Takakura Ken