Yasuaki Kurata
Yasuaki Kurata (倉田 保昭 Kurata Yasuaki, born March 20, 1946), is a Japanese actor specializing in action movies. An accomplished martial artist, he has dan ranks in karate (7th degree), judo (3rd degree), and aikido (2nd degree). He is perhaps best known for his extended battle against Jet Li in Fist of Legend and for his villainous role in So Close. He is fluent in Cantonese. He also met Bruce Lee during his career.
Kurata's home town is Sakura-mura, Niihari District, Ibaraki (now part of Tsukuba). Having studied performing arts at Nihon University and Toei Theater School, he began to work as an actor in the late 1960s. In 1971, Kurata made his Hong Kong debut in the Shaw Brothers Studio kung-fu movie Angry Guest (悪客). Since then he has appeared in numerous other films and TV series within the genre.[1]
In addition to his work as an actor, Kurata runs the stunt agency Kurata Promotion (established 1976 under the name Kurata Action Club),[2] teaches at a private college (the University of Creation, Art, Music & Social Work),[3] is chief advisor to the All Japan Nunchaku League,[4] and in 2004 published a book, Hong Kong Action Star Kōyūroku (香港アクションスター交友録).[5] He is running karate dojos in Tokyo, Osaka and Hong Kong.
Filmography
| Year | Title | Role |
| 2014 (pre-production) | Future Fighters | Mikoto |
| 2013 | Garo: Yami o Terasu Mono | Sonshi |
| 2012 | The Last Tycoon | Major Nishino |
| 2011 | Red Tears | |
| 2010 | Legend of the Fist: The Return of Chen Zhen | Chikaraishi's father |
| 2009 | Blood: The Last Vampire | Kato Takatora |
| 2009 | Shinjuku Incident | Taro Watagawa |
| 2006 | Gôgô sentai Bôkenger the Movie: The Greatest Precious | Kouichi Akashi |
| 2006 | Legend of Seven Monks | Santoku a bonze |
| 2003 | On loh yue miu lam | |
| 2003 | Yellow Dragon | Gouzaburo "Go" Azuma |
| 2002 | So Close | Master |
| 2002 | Samurai | Commissaire Fujiwara Morio |
| 2000 | Conman in Tokyo | Tetsuo the King of Gamblers in Asia |
| 1998 | Hero of Shanghai (TV series) | Samurai Leader |
| 1995 | Yami gorufâ 2: Ougon no patâ (video) | |
| 1994 | Fist of Legend | Fumio Funakochi |
| 1992 | Shizukanaru Don 2 (video) | Koshiro Inokubi |
| 1991 | Ji dao zhui zong | Ishikawa (Guest star) |
| 1991 | Shizukanaru Don (video) | Koshiro Inokubi |
| 1989 | Final Fight | Masahiro Kai |
| 1988 | Bokura no nanoka-kan sensô | Sakai |
| 1988 | Jin zhuang da jiu dian | Tomohara |
| 1987 | Deadly Life of a Ninja | Ninja leader (as Chong Ti Bo-Chu) |
| 1987 | Eastern Condors | General's elite soldier |
| 1987 | A Book of Heroes | Shoji Karada (as Kurata Yoshiaki) |
| 1986 | Lost in the Wilderness | Hirayama |
| 1986 | Foo gwai lit che | Samurai |
| 1986 | Yuan Zhen-Xia yu Wei Si-Li | Captain Ho |
| 1985 | Twinkle, Twinkle Lucky Stars | Japanese Assassin |
| 1985 | Mishima: A Life in Four Chapters | Takei (segment "Kyoko's House") |
| 1984 | Part 2, Mad Mission: Aces Go Places | Bull |
| 1984 | Ninja Thunderbolt | |
| 1983 | Hei mei gui | |
| 1982 | Fei yan zou bi | |
| 1982 | Huo Yuan-Jia | Chiang Ho-Shan |
| 1981 | Shanghai Massacre | |
| 1981 | Mao tou ying | Chong Tin - Knight's master |
| 1981 | Shaolin Fighters vs. Ninja | The Lonely Winner (as Y. Kurata) |
| 1981 | Eijanaika | Hanjiro |
| 1981 | Shu shi shen chuan | Shi Ping-Wei, the Ninja Leader (as Tsang Tyan) |
| 1980 | Qing jie | |
| 1978 | Heroes of the East | Takeno, Japanese ninjutsu expert |
| 1978 | Lao gu lao nu lao shang lao | Mr. King |
| 1977 | Kochira Katsushika-ku Kameari kôen mae hashutsujo | |
| 1977 | Prodigal Boxer 2 | Tiger Lei (as Shoji Kurada) |
| 1977 | G-Men '75 (TV series), Episode #1.104 | |
| 1977 | The Mad, the Mean, and the Deadly | |
| 1976 | Sonny Chiba's Dragon Princess | Masahiko Okizaki |
| 1976 | Enter the Whirlwind Boxer | |
| 1975 | The Golden Triangle | |
| 1975 | The Return of the Sister Street Fighter | Go Kurosaki |
| 1975 | Challenge Me Dragon | |
| 1974 | Executioner | Karate teacher |
| 1974 | Fight! Dragon (TV series) | Dragon |
| 1974 | The Godfather Squad | |
| 1974 | The Fists of Vengeance | Kiro-san |
| 1974 | Fists for Revenge | Fan Te (as Cang Tian Bao Zhao) |
| 1974 | Call Me Dragon (as Kurata) | |
| 1974 | Fatal Strike | |
| 1974 | Fang Shi Yu | Iron Fist Tan (as Tung Choi-Po) |
| 1974 | Lady Whirlwind Against the Rangers | Chang Piao |
| 1974 | Kung Fu Inferno | |
| 1974 | Sister Street Fighter: Hanging by a Thread | Shunsuke Tsubaki |
| 1973 | Hu quan | Fang Ming |
| 1973 | The Black Panther | Chang Hui-Feng |
| 1973 | Win Them All | |
| 1973 | Nu ying xiong fei che duo bao | Ling Chien |
| 1973 | Gan jin sha jue | |
| 1973 | Bruce Lee and I | Sun |
| 1973 | Knight Errant | Tetsuro |
| 1973 | Meng hu xia shan | Taka (as Kurata) |
| 1973 | A Girl Called Tigress | Chiau Kung |
| 1973 | Unsubdued Furies | |
| 1973 | Flash Challenger | |
| 1973 | Si dui tou | Tiger |
| 1972 | Si qi shi | Lei Tai (as Akira Kurata) |
| 1972 | Kung Fu, the Invincible Fist | Captain Jai Tai (as Cang Tian Bao Zhao) |
| 1972 | E ke | Katsu (as Kurata Yasuaki) |
| 1972 | Pa shan hu | |
| 1971 | Xiao quan wang | Tu Pien (as Chaua Tieng Pao Chao) |
| 1962 | Chûgakusei nikki (TV series) |
References
- ↑ IMDB page
- ↑ Kurata Promotions
- ↑ Sozo Gakuen Daigaku faculty list
- ↑ Zen Nippon Nunchaku-do Renmei
- ↑ ISBN 4-89691-825-8
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