Acting
Tetsuro Tamba
JA, EN, CN, RU cinema · 327 credits
Born
17 July 1922
Died
24 September 2006 (aged 84)
Birthplace
Shinjuku, Tokyo, Japan
Also known as 丹波 哲郎 · Tetzuro Tamba · Tetsurô Tanba · Tetsuro Tambo · Tetsurô Tamba · Tetsurou Tanba
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.
Known for
Filmography
Gozu
Actor
T.R.Y.
Actor
Yakuza Demon
as Michitane Tendou
Deadly Outlaw: Rekka
as Sanada
The Cat Returns
as Cat King (voice)
The Happiness of the Katakuris
as Granpa Jinpei Katakuri
Graveyard of Honor
as Tetsuji Tokura
The Twilight Samurai
as Tozaemon Iguchi
Sakuya: The Slayer of Demons
as Old Master
A Class to Remember IV: Fifteen
as Tetsuo Hatake
The Stupid Teacher
as Utaemon Baba
Japanese Hell
as Asu Shino
Jubaku: Spellbound
as Tajiro Kawakami
Crayon Shinchan the Movie: Burst! Hot Spring Battle
as Tamba (voice)
Screwed
as Landlord
The Peking Man
as Osone
Tetsuro Tamba’s Great Spiritual World 3: Amazing Reincarnation Story That Ran Around the Whole
Actor, Director, Screenplay
Riki-Oh: The Story of Ricky
as Master Zhang
Heat Wave
as Denkichi Tsuzaki
Female Neo-Ninjas
as Time Patrol leader
Tetsuro Tamba's Great Spirit World 2: I was surprised when I died!!
as Ryo Okamoto, Executive Producer, Screenplay
Under Aurora
as Tsuneiro Kamisaka
Be-In Bully High School
as Ryotaro Sakurazawa
Shogun's Shadow
as Hotta Masamori
Yakuza Ladies 3
as Takeo Sakanishi
Four Days of Snow and Blood
as Jinzaburi Shinzaki
Tetsuro Tamba's Great Spirit World: What Happens When You Die
as 吉野博士, General Manager, Story, Screenplay
Tokyo: The Last War
as Kanaami Kohou, as Kan'ami Kouou
A Taxing Woman's Return
as Sadohara
Tokyo Pop
as Mr. Dota
Ronin on a Mission
as Ōishi Kuranosuke
Tokyo Blackout
as Nakata
Night Train
as Isaburo Tamura
Twilight of the Cockroaches
as Grandpa (voice)
April Fish
as Panapora Chief Handa
Be Free!
as Keizo Hasegawa
Cabaret
as Yakuza boss
The Last True Yakuza
as Kazumasa Tashiro
Zero
as Admiral Isoroku Yamamoto
Kukai
Actor
Choshichiro's Edo Diaries: The Yagyu Conspiracy
as Yagyu Munefuyu
Fireflies in the North
as Ishikura
Battle Anthem
as Yamamoto
A Madcap Corporation
as Yoshiteru Suma (Suma-gumi Boss)
The Geisha
as Kochi Notable
Onimasa: A Japanese Godfather
as Uichi Suda, The Big Boss
The Imperial Japanese Empire
as Hideki Tojo
Suspicion
as Kanetaka Okamura
The Wild Daisy
as Gozaburo Saito
Call from Darkness
as Sugibayashi
Samurai Reincarnation
as Muramasa
The Imperial Navy
as Jisaburo Ozawa
The Bushido Blade
as Lord Yamato
The Last Days of Planet Earth
as Dr. Nishiyama
Shogun's Ninja
as Tozawa Hakuunsai
The Way to The Gold Medals
as President Sakakibara
Port Arthur
as Gentaro Kodama
The Sand Boat
Actor, Executive Producer, Screenplay, Director
Drive for the Future
as Akiji Nishikawa
Hunter in the Dark
as Okitsugu Tanuma
Nichiren
Actor
The Shogun Assassins
as Kato Kiyomasa
Bandits vs. Samurai Squadron
as Kichibei
Never Give Up
as General Wada
August Without Emperor
as Army General Mikami
The Incident
as Lawyer Kikuchi
Shogun's Samurai: The Yagyu Clan Conspiracy
as Ogasawara Gensinsai
The Fall of Ako Castle
as Yanagisawa
Message from Space
as Ernest Noguchi
Mount Hakkoda
as Colonel Kojima
High Seas Hijack
as Captain Munekata
The Alaska Story
as Arashuk
Sugata Sanshiro
as Iinuma
Zero Pilot
as Captain Saito
Seven Nights in Japan
as Terrorist Leader (uncredited)
Murderer!
as Nīto Kouken
The Corporation
as Kawamata
Conflagration
as Captain Munekata
All Men Are Brothers
as Lu Chun I
The Bullet Train
as Sunaga
Tidal Wave
as Prime Minister Yamato
The Castle of Sand
as Detective Eitaro Imanishi
Violent Streets
as Shimamura
The Executioner II: Karate Inferno
as Kimitake Shugi / Moroki
Prophecies of Nostradamus
as Dr. Nishiyama
Submersion of Japan
as Prime Minister Yamamoto
Battles Without Honor and Humanity: Proxy War
as Tatsuo Akashi
Japan's Top Gangster
as Noboru Yamaguchi
The Human Revolution
as Josei Toda
The Water Margin
as Jade Unicorn, Lu Chun I
Under the Flag of the Rising Sun
as Sergeant Katsuo Togashi
Shadow Hunters 2: Echo of Destiny
as Kagemetsuke
The Wolves
as Genryu Asakura
Silence
as Cristóvão Ferreira
The Battle of Okinawa
as Lieutenant General Isamu Cho
The Gambler's Counterattack
as Chief Inspector
The Scandalous Adventures of Buraikan
as Soshun Kochiyama
Postwar Secrets
as Kuroki
The 5-Man Army
as Samurai
Goyokin
as Rokugo Tatewaki
Thirteen Times a Loser
as Shinji Kaizuka
Army Intelligence
as Lieutenant Colonel Akiyama
Gambler's Farewell
as Tetsuji Kasai
Black Lizard
as Kuroki
Snake Woman's Curse
as Commander
You Only Live Twice
as Tiger Tanaka
Organized Violence II
as Police Inspector Kitagawa
Dissolution Rites
as Sakai
Portrait of Chieko
as Kotaro Takamura
Spycatcher J3: SOS Close Shave
as J1 (TULIP Japan Branch Chief)
Thirst for Love
as Kosuke Aso
Sazen Tange and The Secret of the Urn
as Lord Tsushima Yagyu
The Kii River
as Shintani Kosaku
Kwaidan
as Warrior (segment "Hoichi the Earless")
Tokyo Untouchable
as Goro Kawamoto
Samurai Spy
as Sakon Takatani
Abashiri Prison
as Tsumaki
Blood of Revenge
as Yutaro Nomura
Tale of Ninja Duty
as Mumyo Tsunataro
Revenge
as Shume Okuno
Three Outlaw Samurai
as Sakon Shiba, Producer
Assassination
as Hachiro Kiyokawa
Homicide
as Lieutenant Aikawa
Samurai from Somewhere
as Masagi Shohei
Samurai from Nowhere
as Gunjuro Ohba
Jakoman and Tetsu
as Jakoman
Tokyo Untouchable: Escape
as Goro Kawamoto
13 Assassins
as Doi Ōkō Toshi
Gang Loyalty and Vengeance
as Gu Shimizu
Operation Diamond
as Kazuo Kasami
G-Men in the Pacific
as Mizuhara
The Challenge
as Takayama
Harakiri
as Hikokuro Omodaka
Four Sisters
as Masao Igarashi
Gang vs. G-Men
as Toru Tezuka
Pigs and Battleships
as Slasher Tetsuji
Daredevil in the Castle
as Sadamasa Ishikawa
Greed in Broad Daylight
as Miyahara
Mist and Shadows
as Yusuke Komiya
Kill the Killer!
as Narumi
The Gambling Samurai
as Fumizo Mitsuki
Get 'em All
as Tanabe
Showdown on Pier No.3
as Kirishima
A Wicked Woman
as Ihei Ôsawa
Bloody History of Soldiers
as Shumei Okawa
Mysterious Clouds: Legend of Satomi's Heroic Deed
as Aboshi Samajirô
Emperor Meiji and the Great Russo-Japanese War
as Rear Admiral Shimamura
The Ghost of Kasane
as Jinjûrô Ômura
Storming Osaka Castle: The Sanada Ten Braves
as Mondonoshô Hirano
The Ceiling at Utsunomiya
as Kurozumi Tenzen
Twilight Saloon
as Morimoto
Hanran
as Captain Koda
日本敗れず
Actor