Min Tanaka
Biography
Min Tanaka (Japanese: 田中泯) is a Japanese male actor and dancer born on 10 March 1945 in Tokyo, Japan. He is known primarily for his work in acting, with 78 credited roles listed in the Movie Database. Tanaka’s career includes performances in the Czech Republic beginning in 1984 and participation in the opening of Prague’s Archa Theatre on 5 June 1994. He received the Japan Academy Prize for Best Supporting Actor at the 26th ceremony for his role in The Twilight Samurai. His stage name and alternative transliterations include たなか みん, Tanaka Min, and مین تاناکا.
Career overview
Min Tanaka is a Japanese actor and dancer born on 10 March 1945 in Tokyo. His professional profile lists acting as his primary discipline, with a record of seventy‑eight credited roles across film and television. In addition to his work in Japan, Tanaka has performed repeatedly in the Czech Republic, making his first appearance there in 1984. He took part in the opening ceremony of the Divadlo Archa theatre in Prague on 5 June 1994, an event accompanied by live music.
Tanaka’s acting achievements include winning the award for Best Supporting Actor at the 26th Japan Academy Prize for his performance in The Twilight Samurai. His career also intersects with his dance background; he collaborated with director Wim Wenders on a ten‑minute dance short film, a fragment of which was incorporated into a dream sequence of an unspecified feature. Throughout his career, Tanaka has been credited under several transliterations of his name, including 田中泯, たなか みん, and Min Tanaka, reflecting his international presence in both acting and dance circles.
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Frequent co-stars
Career timeline
Full Filmography
77 titles- Sheep in the Box (2026) as Akio Yamagata
- History's Greatest Warriors (2026)
- Kokuho (2025) as Mangiku Onogawa
- The 19th Medical Chart (2025) as Noboru Akaike
- Ryuichi Sakamoto: Diaries (2025) as Narrator (voice)
- House of the Owl (2024) as Ryutaro 'The Owl' Ogami
- The Real You (2024) as Wakamatsu
- Ryuichi Sakamoto's Last Days (2024) as Narrator
- Who Were We? (2024) as [Facility director]
- Black Ox (2024)
- Perfect Days (2023) as Homeless
- Barakamon (2023) as Ryuunosuke Yagami
- Some Body Comes Into the Light (2023) as Dancer
- Father of the Milky Way Railroad (2023) as Miyazawa Kisuke
- Mom, Is That You?! (2023)
- GAME OF SPY (2022) as Naoto Kaizaki
- Ghost Book (2022)
- The Pass: Last Days of the Samurai (2022)
- Amnesiac Love (2022) as Takashima Yajuro
- The Unnameable Dance (2022)
- SPECサーガ黎明編『Knockin'on 冷泉's SPEC Door』~絶対預言者 冷泉俊明が守りたかった幸福の欠片~ (2021) as Rōjin
- The Supporting Actors in Byplaywood (2021)
- HOKUSAI (2021) as Hokusai Katsushika (old)
- A Morning of Farewell (2021) as Tatsuro Shiraishi
- Forgery It's tough being a man (2020)
- Children of the Sea (2019) as Jimu (voice)
- Svaha: The Sixth Finger (2019) as Nechoong Tenpa
- The Great War of Archimedes (2019) as Tadamichi Hirayama
- Four Women Living in That House (2019) as 山田一郎
- Ninomiya Kinjirou (2019)
- The Outsider (2018) as Akihiro
- Miracles (2018) as Yoshitaka Aikawa
- Modest Heroes (2018) as Blind Man (voice)
- The Scythian Lamb (2018) as Katsumi Ōno
- The House Where the Mermaid Sleeps (2018) as Tatsuo Harima
- Vision (2018) as Minamoto
- Blade of the Immortal (2017) as Kagimura Habaki
- A Life (2017) as Okita Isshin
- Destiny: The Tale of Kamakura (2017) as Binbogami
- Goodbye Newspaper (2017)
- Love That Makes You Cry (2016) as Kenji Soda
- Fukuyadou Honpo: Kyoto Love Story (2016) as Oribe Kiyosaku
- The Ark in the Mirage (2016)
- Haruneko (2016) as Manager's Father
- Onihei Crime Files: The Final Kohen - Unryu Ken (2016)
- Mare (2015) as Okesaku Ganji
- To Give a Dream (2015) as President
- The God of Risk (2015) as Takao Sekiguchi
- Summer on the Frontline: A Boy's Story (2015)
- Rurouni Kenshin Part II: Kyoto Inferno (2014) as Kashiwazaki Nenji
- Rurouni Kenshin Part III: The Legend Ends (2014) as Kashiwazaki Nenji
- Gu Gu the Cat (2014) as Homeless man
- Gu Gu the Cat (2014) as Akama
- 47 Ronin (2013) as Lord Asano
- My Wife is Ninja (2013) as Seizan
- The Eternal Zero (2013)
- The Tale of Iya (2013) as Grandpa
- Hajimari mo owari mo nai (2013)
- Foreign Affairs Police: Don't be fooled by that man (2012)
- Rebirth (2011) as Taki
- Hokaibito: Ina no Seigetsu (2011) as Seigetsu Inoue
- Ryōmaden (2010)
- Osamu Dazai Short Story Collection (2009) as Narrator (voice)
- Map of the Sounds of Tokyo (2009) as Narrator
- Heaven's Door (2009) as Henmi
- Hagetaka: Road to Rebirth (2007) as Yukio Katou
- Tekkonkinkreet (2006) as Suzuki (voice)
- Riding the Metro (2006)
- La Maison de Himiko (2005) as Himiko
- The Hidden Blade (2004) as Kansai Toda
- The Twilight Samurai (2002) as Zenemon Yogo
- Mountain Stage (1993) as Self
- Oedipus Rex (1993) as Dancer (Oedipus)
- Butoh: Body on the Edge of Crisis (1990) as Himself
- Min Tanaka à La Borde (1986)
- The Day Time Noon (1986) Choreographer
- Great Performances (1971) as Oedipus Dancer
Frequently Asked Questions
What movies or TV shows is Min Tanaka best known for?
Min Tanaka is widely recognized for notable roles and projects including Sheep in the Box (2026), Kokuho (2025), Perfect Days (2023), Children of the Sea (2019).
When and where was Min Tanaka born?
Min Tanaka was born on March 10, 1945 in Tokyo, Japan.
How many credits does Min Tanaka have?
Min Tanaka has accumulated over 77 film and television credits across a career spanning from 1971 to 2026.
What is Min Tanaka's background in cinema and television?
Min Tanaka (Japanese: 田中泯) is a Japanese male actor and dancer born on 10 March 1945 in Tokyo, Japan. He is known primarily for his work in acting, with 78 credited roles listed in the Movie Database. Tanaka’s career includes performances in the Czech Republic beginning in 1984 and participation in the opening of Pragu...