Acting

Akio Tanaka

Born September 21, 1926

Died January 19, 2003 · aged 76

No biography available.

Known For

TampopoTampopo · 1985
Tampopo
★ 7.81985
MovieComedy
In this humorous paean to the joys of food, a pair of truck drivers happen onto a decrepit roadside shop selling ramen noodles. The widowed owner, Tampopo, begs them to help her turn her establishment into a paragon of the "art of noodle-soup making". Interspersed are satirical vignettes about the importance of food to different aspects of human life.
A Taxing WomanA Taxing Woman · 1987
A Taxing Woman
★ 6.71987
MovieComedyCrime
Intrepid tax investigator Ryoko Itakura sets her sights on the mysterious and philandering Hideki Gondo, a suspected millionaire and proprietor of a thriving chain of seedy hourly hotels, who has for years succeeded at hiding the true extent of his assets from the Japanese authorities. Itakura and Gondo soon find themselves engaged in a complicated, satirical battle of wits.
The Last DanceThe Last Dance · 1993
The Last Dance
★ 6.91993
MovieDramaComedy
A successful Japanese movie director in his sixties becomes increasingly ill while working on his latest film. Though his family, friends, and doctor try to keep the secret of his terminal cancer from him, Buhei gradually comes to realize the truth of his condition, leading him on a journey of despair, anger, and – ultimately – acceptance.
Flying Phantom ShipFlying Phantom Ship · 1969
Flying Phantom Ship
★ 6.21969
MovieAnimationScience Fiction
Hayato's home city is under attack from a gigantic robot. His parents are lying dead in the rubble and the only remaining friend is his dog. His only thought now is revenge against the owner of the Phantom Ship (from where the robot said he was sent). He ends up in the house of Kuroshio, the leader of the fight against the Phantom Ship and the most important person in the city. By complete accident, Hayato finds his way to an underground passageway where he realises that the true nature of events does not mesh with what Kuroshio has told him. His life is now in great danger, and only he can stop the plans of the evildoers.
Minbo, or The Gentle Art of Japanese ExtortionMinbo, or The Gentle Art of Japanese Extortion · 1992
Minbo, or The Gentle Art of Japanese Extortion
★ 7.01992
MovieComedyCrime
An upscale Japanese hotel hires Mahiru Inoue, a lawyer adept at dealing with the Yakuza, to help them rid their hotel of the local gangsters so they can get a contract for a meeting of important foreign officials.
Pale FlowerPale Flower · 1964
Pale Flower
★ 7.41964
MovieCrimeRomance
A recently released gangster has to cope with the recent shifts of power between gangs, while taking care of a thrill-seeking young woman, who got in bad company while gambling.
The Petrified ForestThe Petrified Forest · 1973
The Petrified Forest
★ 6.31973
MovieCrimeDrama
Troubled medical student Haruo navigates a toxic relationship with his mother and a dangerous affair with former classmate Eiko, leading to a murder plot involving a potent poison.
The Man with a ShotgunThe Man with a Shotgun · 1961
The Man with a Shotgun
★ 6.51961
MovieCrimeAction
Ryoji, a wanderer, arrives in a remote mountain town, carrying a shotgun and claiming to be a hunter. He quickly becomes embroiled in a web of trouble surrounding the town's mill.

Filmography

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I Want to Be a ShellfishI Want to Be a Shellfish · 1958
I Want to Be a Shellfish
★ 8.01958
Movie
Television production of I Want to Be a Shellfish. On a post-war peaceful day in Japan, Toyomatsu Shimizu, a barber as well as a good father and husband, is suddenly arrested by the Prefectural Police as a war criminal and sued for murder. According to the accusation by GHQ, Toyomatsu "attemped to kill a US prisoner", which was nothing but an order by his superior and failed after all with hurting the prisoner by weak Toyomatsu. Also, Toyomatsu was driven to corner at the trial by the fact that he fed the US prisoner some burdock roots to nourish him. Toyomatsu believes nothing but being not guilty, but he is sentenced to death by hanging. Prior to the execution, Toyomatsu writes a long farewell letter to his family, the wife and the only son: "If I ever incarnate, I hate to be a human being any more.... Oh yes, I would like to be...a shellfish living on the rock-bottom of the sea."