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Yasuaki Kurata

Acting Born Mar 20, 1946 Niihari, Ibaraki Prefecture, Japan 24 credits

Biography

Yasuaki Kurata (born March 20, 1946), a.k.a David Kurata, is a Japanese actor specializing in action movies. An accomplished martial artist, he has dan ranks in karate (5th 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.

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  . Since then he has appeared in numerous other films and TV series within the genre. In addition to his work as an actor, Kurata runs the stunt agency Kurata Promotion (established 1976 under the name Kurata Action Club),  teaches at a private college (the University of Creation, Art, Music & Social Work),  is chief advisor to the All Japan Nunchaku League, and in 2004 published a book, Hong Kong Action Star Kōyūroku.

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Known for

GARO

as Sonshi
Film

Shinjuku Incident

as Taro Watagawa
Film

Mishima: A Life in Four Chapters

as Takei

Full filmography

  • GARO (2005) as Sonshi
  • Yasuragi no Toki: Michi (2019)
  • Police Story (1985) as Passerby (uncredited)
  • Fist of Legend (1994) as Fuimo Funakoshi
  • Twinkle, Twinkle Lucky Stars (1985) as Parachute Assassin
  • The Great Adventurer Wesley (2018) as 藤原龙太
  • So Close (2002) as Master
  • Shinjuku Incident (2009) as Taro Watagawa
  • The Royal Swordsmen (2005) as 柳生但马守
  • Warriors Within (2020) as 武田寬
  • Warriors Within (2020)
  • Mishima: A Life in Four Chapters (1985) as Takei
  • Millionaires' Express (1986) as Japanese Ninja
  • The Wrath of Vajra (2013) as Amano Kawao
  • Legend of the Fist: The Return of Chen Zhen (2010) as Chikaraishis Vater
  • G-Men '75 (1975) as 草野刑事
  • Eastern Condors (1987) as Vietnamese Captain
  • The Seventh Curse (1986) as Captain Ho
  • Gメン'82 (1982)
  • Fist Of Hero (1999) as 横山十兵卫
  • The Last Tycoon (2012)
  • God of War (2017) as Kumasawa
  • Pandora's Box (2021) as Hiroshi Kuroki
  • Golden Job (2018) as Morimoto