Tetsurō 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
You Only Live Twice
(1967)
Tiger Tanaka
The Cat Returns
(2002)
Cat King (voice)
Harakiri
(1962)
Hikokuro Omodaka
Crayon Shin-chan: Explosion! The Hot Spring's Feel Good Final Battle
(1999)
Tamba (voice)
The Twilight Samurai
(2002)
Tozaemon Iguchi
Kwaidan
(1965)
Warrior (segment "Hoichi the Earless")
Riki-Oh: The Story of Ricky
(1991)
Master Zhang
The Bullet Train
(1975)
Sunaga
Three Outlaw Samurai
(1964)
Sakon Shiba
Shogun's Shadow
(1989)
Hotta Masamori
Bohachi Bushido: Code of the Forgotten Eight
(1973)
Shino
Submersion of Japan
(1973)
Prime Minister Yamamoto
Sakuya: The Slayer of Demons
(2000)
Old Master
Gozu
(2003)
The Battle of Okinawa
(1971)
Lieutenant General Isamu Cho
The Happiness of the Katakuris
(2002)
Granpa Jinpei Katakuri
Full Filmography
Acting
Hanran
(1954)
Captain Koda
Submarine Ro Hasn't Surfaced
(1954)
花眞珠
(1955)
Mysterious Pygmy
(1955)
Twilight Saloon
(1955)
Morimoto
The Sacrifice of the Human Torpedoes
(1955)
Admiral Yamamoto and the Allied Fleets
(1956)
Kingoro's Soldier
(1956)
鬼姫競艶録
(1956)
The Ceiling at Utsunomiya
(1956)
Kurozumi Tenzen
Kuronekokan ni Kieta Otoko
(1956)
The Fencing Collegian
(1956)
金語楼の雷社長
(1956)
Speed King
(1956)
検事とその妹
(1956)
ひばりの三役 競艶雪之丞変化 後篇
(1957)
Emperor Meiji and the Great Russo-Japanese War
(1957)
Rear Admiral Shimamura
Hibari no san'yaku: Kei tsuya yuki no jôhenge
(1957)
Mysterious Clouds: Legend of Satomi's Heroic Deed
(1957)
Aboshi Samajirô
Queen of Asia
(1957)
The Ghost of Kasane
(1957)
Jinjûrô Ômura
Quick on the Trigger
(1958)
Kyōen Kobanzame
(1958)
Emperor & Empress Meiji and the Sino-Japanese War
(1958)
Keisuke Otori
A Wicked Woman
(1958)
Ihei Ôsawa
Underwater Murder
(1958)
The Pacific War and the International Military Tribunal
(1959)
Rajo to satsujin-meiro
(1959)
Senba
金語楼の海軍大将
(1959)
Mukeisatsu
(1959)
Zero sen no jorō gun
(1960)
The Gambling Samurai
(1960)
Fumizo Mitsuki
Get 'em All
(1960)
Tanabe
Female Slave Ship
(1960)
Greed in Broad Daylight
(1961)
Miyahara
Mist and Shadows
(1961)
Yusuke Komiya
Daredevil in the Castle
(1961)
Sadamasa Ishikawa
Bridge to the Sun
(1961)
Jiro
Kaachan
(1961)
The Yellow Climate
(1961)
Dai shinrin ni mukatte tatsu
(1961)
Pigs and Battleships
(1961)
Slasher Tetsuji
Red Flowers of Hell
(1961)
Harakiri
(1962)
Hikokuro Omodaka
Tokyo Untouchable
(1962)
Goro Kawamoto
All Rascals
(1962)
Umineko ga tonde
(1962)
Hell's Kitchen
(1962)
Gang vs. G-Men
(1962)
Toru Tezuka
Zankokuna tsuki
(1962)
G-Men in the Pacific
(1962)
Mizuhara
Four Sisters
(1962)
Masao Igarashi
The Challenge
(1962)
Takayama
Kuro to aka no hanabira
(1962)
Operation Diamond
(1962)
Kazuo Kasami
Gang vs. Gang
(1962)
Tales of Young Genji Kuro 3
(1962)
Uragirimono wa jigoku daze
(1962)
South Pacific Waves Are High
(1962)
A Flame at the Pier
(1962)
Gang Loyalty and Vengeance
(1963)
Gu Shimizu
Tange Sazen
(1963)
Kizu-darake no futeki-sha
(1963)
Eleven Gangsters
(1963)
Futari dake no toride
(1963)
Gang and G-Men Part 2
(1963)
手塚徹
Element of Surprise
(1963)
Tokyo Untouchable: Escape
(1963)
Goro Kawamoto
13 Assassins
(1963)
Doi Ōkō Toshi
Jakoman and Tetsu
(1964)
Jakoman
Samurai from Somewhere
(1964)
Tokyo Gang Vs. Hong Kong Gang
(1964)
Samurai from Nowhere
(1964)
Gunjuro Ohba
The Shogun's Vault
(1964)
The Kingdom of Jirocho 3
(1964)
Assassination
(1964)
Hachiro Kiyokawa
Destroyer Yukikaze
(1964)
Three Outlaw Samurai
(1964)
Sakon Shiba
Homicide
(1964)
Lieutenant Aikawa
Revenge
(1964)
Shume Okuno
The 7th Dawn
(1964)
Ng
Gamblers and Racketeers
(1964)
Detective
(1964)
The Great Duel
(1964)
An Outlaw
(1964)
Abashiri Prison
(1965)
Tsumaki
Ankoku gai jingi
(1965)
Blood of Revenge
(1965)
Yutaro Nomura
Samurai Spy
(1965)
Sakon Takatani
Blood and Law
(1965)
The Domain: Kanto Legends of Chivalry
(1965)
Kwaidan
(1965)
Warrior (segment "Hoichi the Earless")
Tale of Ninja Duty
(1965)
Mumyo Tsunataro
The Gambler
(1965)
Spycatcher J3: SOS Close Shave
(1966)
J1 (TULIP Japan Branch Chief)
Sazen Tange and The Secret of the Urn
(1966)
Lord Tsushima Yagyu
Tokyo Drifters
(1966)
The Kii River
(1966)
Shintani Kosaku
Greatest Boss of the Showa Era
(1966)
Thirst for Love
(1966)
Kosuke Aso
Abashiri Prison: Duel in Hokkaido
(1967)
Gamblers: The Dragon Tattoo
(1967)
Dissolution Rites
(1967)
Sakai
Portrait of Chieko
(1967)
Kotaro Takamura
The Return of the Filthy Seven
(1967)
Hawk of the Harbour
(1967)
Game of Chance 3
(1967)
Once and For All
(1967)
Organized Violence II
(1967)
Police Inspector Kitagawa
Organized Violence
(1967)
King of the Gang
(1967)
You Only Live Twice
(1967)
Tiger Tanaka
The Bad Boss
(1968)
Army Intelligence
(1968)
Lieutenant Colonel Akiyama
The Young Eagles of the Kamikaze
(1968)
Snake Woman's Curse
(1968)
Commander
The Code of Man
(1968)
Blackmail Is My Life
(1968)
Black Lizard
(1968)
Kuroki
Gambler's Farewell
(1968)
Tetsuji Kasai
Penitentiary Brothers
(1969)
Lone Rebel
(1969)
Japan's Violent Gangs: The Boss and the Killers
(1969)
Red Peony Gambler: Biographies of a Gambling Room
(1969)
The Private Police
(1969)
Goyokin
(1969)
Rokugo Tatewaki
The Five Man Army
(1969)
Samurai
Sky Scraper!
(1969)
Postwar Secrets
(1970)
Kuroki
Cherry Blossoms in the Air - The Suicide Raiders - Oh, Buddies!
(1970)
The Scandalous Adventures of Buraikan
(1970)
Soshun Kochiyama
Crimson Bat - Oichi: Wanted, Dead or Alive
(1970)
Hyoe
Men and War I: Prelude to Destiny
(1970)
Rise and Fall of Chivalry
(1970)
Silence
(1971)
Cristóvão Ferreira
The Battle of Okinawa
(1971)
Lieutenant General Isamu Cho
The Gambler's Counterattack
(1971)
Chief Inspector
Troops of Darkness
(1971)
King of Pornography
(1971)
The Wolves
(1971)
Genryu Asakura
The Armed Organization
(1971)
Organized Crime: Killer's Glory
(1972)
New Abashiri Prison Story: Honor and Humanity, Ammunition That Attracts the Storm
(1972)
Shadow Hunters
(1972)
Shadow Hunters 2: Echo of Destiny
(1972)
Kagemetsuke
Under the Flag of the Rising Sun
(1972)
Sergeant Katsuo Togashi
The Water Margin
(1972)
Jade Unicorn, Lu Chun I
Shōwa Gokudōshi
(1972)
Yakuza Skirmishes
(1972)
Informal Dress
(1972)
Battles Without Honor and Humanity: Proxy War
(1973)
Tatsuo Akashi
Japan's Top Gangster
(1973)
Noboru Yamaguchi
Submersion of Japan
(1973)
Prime Minister Yamamoto
Bohachi Bushido: Code of the Forgotten Eight
(1973)
Shino
The Human Revolution
(1973)
The School Deviate Waru
(1973)
Wild Cop 2
(1973)
Quarreling with Yakuza
(1973)
The Ando Gang Documentary Film
(1973)
Karafuto 1945 Summer
(1974)
The Executioner II: Karate Inferno
(1974)
Shugi
Prophecies of Nostradamus
(1974)
Dr. Nishiyama
Violent Streets
(1974)
Shimamura Kansai
Zero Woman: Red Handcuffs
(1974)
Nagumo
The Castle of Sand
(1974)
Detective Eitaro Imanishi
Secret Prophecies of Nostradamus
(1974)
Himself
Conflagration
(1975)
Captain Munekata
Company Buggers
(1975)
The Bullet Train
(1975)
Sunaga
All Men Are Brothers
(1975)
Lu Chun I
The International Gang of Kobe
(1975)
Rinsei
Human Revolution II
(1976)
Murderer!
(1976)
Nīto Kouken
The Classroom of Terror
(1976)
Operation Plazma in Osaka
(1976)
The Corporation
(1976)
Zero Fighter
(1976)
Captain Saito
Sugata Sanshiro
(1977)
Iinuma
Flickering Flames
(1977)
The Alaska Story
(1977)
Arashuk
Mount Hakkoda
(1977)
Colonel Kojima
High Seas Hijack
(1977)
Captain Munekata
Shogun's Samurai
(1978)
Ogasawara Gensinsai
The Fall of Ako Castle
(1978)
Yanagisawa
The Incident
(1978)
Lawyer Kikuchi
August without Emperor
(1978)
Army General Mikami
Message from Space
(1978)
Ernest Noguchi
Monument to Holy Service
(1978)
Bandits vs. Samurai Squadron
(1978)
Kichibei
The Shogun Assassins
(1979)
Kato Kiyomasa
Nichiren
(1979)
Dead Angle
(1979)
Hunter in the Dark
(1979)
Okitsugu Tanuma
Port Arthur
(1980)
Gentaro Kodama
The Way to The Gold Medals
(1980)
President Sakakibara
The Sand Boat
(1980)
Battles Without Honor and Humanity: The Complete Saga
(1980)
Tatsuo Akashi
Drive for the Future
(1980)
Akiji Nishikawa
Shogun's Ninja
(1980)
Tozawa Hakuunsai
The Imperial Navy
(1981)
Jisaburo Ozawa
Samurai Reincarnation
(1981)
Muramasa
Call from Darkness
(1981)
Sugibayashi
The Wild Daisy
(1981)
Gozaburo Saito
The Bushido Blade
(1981)
Lord Yamato
Flames of Blood
(1981)
To Trap a Kidnapper
(1982)
The Villain from Edo Kochiyama Soshun
(1982)
The Imperial Japanese Empire
(1982)
Hideki Tojo
Suspicion
(1982)
Kanetaka Okamura
Onimasa: A Japanese Godfather
(1982)
Uichi Suda, The Big Boss
L・O・V・I・N・G
(1983)
The Geisha
(1983)
Kochi Notable
A Madcap Corporation
(1983)
Samon’s Hell Revenge: Unauthorised Jutte Records 2 - The Assassination of the Shogun
(1983)
Battle Anthem
(1983)
Yamamoto
The Tale of Saikaido
(1983)
The Duel in the forbidden territory
(1983)
The Story of a Man Among Men
(1984)
Fireflies in the North
(1984)
Ishikura
Nezumi Kozō kaitō den
(1984)
Choshichiro's Edo Diaries: The Yagyu Conspiracy
(1984)
Yagyu Munefuyu
Kukai
(1984)
Zero
(1984)
Admiral Isoroku Yamamoto
Kōgen ni ressha ga hashitta
(1984)
The Last True Yakuza
(1985)
Kazumasa Tashiro
Shiosai
(1985)
Vendetta of Obligation
(1985)
Love: Starting on a Journey
(1985)
Cabaret
(1986)
Yakuza boss
April Fish
(1986)
Panapora Chief Handa
Be Free!
(1986)
Keizo Hasegawa
The White Tiger Battalion
(1986)
Twilight of the Cockroaches
(1987)
Grandpa (voice)
Shinran: Path to Purity
(1987)
There Goes Benio, the Smart Girl
(1987)
Night Train
(1987)
Isaburo Tamura
You're My Destiny
(1987)
Tabaruzaka
(1987)
Tokyo Pop
(1988)
Mr. Dota
A Taxing Woman's Return
(1988)
Sadohara
Tokugawa Ieyasu – TBS Warlord Special
(1988)
Four Days of Snow and Blood
(1989)
Jinzaburi Shinzaki
Yakuza Ladies 3
(1989)
Takeo Sakanishi
Shogun's Shadow
(1989)
Hotta Masamori
長七郎江戸日記スペシャル 長七郎 大奥まかり通る
(1989)
Tokyo: The Last War
(1989)
Tetsuro Tamba's Great Spirit World: What Happens When You Die
(1989)
吉野博士
The Political Game
(1989)
Tetsuro Tamba's Great Spirit World 2: I was surprised when I died!!
(1990)
Ryo Okamoto
Aurora Borealis
(1990)
Tsuneiro Kamisaka
13 Assassins
(1990)
School Be-In Bully
(1990)
Ryotaro Sakurazawa
1750 Days of Turbulence
(1990)
Female Neo-Ninjas
(1991)
Time Patrol leader
Heat Wave
(1991)
Denkichi Tsuzaki
Riki-Oh: The Story of Ricky
(1991)
Master Zhang
The Tale of Genji
(1991)
Kim's War
(1991)
The Hitman Blood Smells Like Roses
(1991)
The Great Shogunate Battle
(1991)
Minamoto Yoshitsune
(1991)
Yakuza Warfare
(1991)
Taira no Kiyomori
(1992)
The Supernormal II
(1993)
Psychic: Traveler to the Unknown
(1994)
Tetsuro Tamba’s Great Spiritual World 3: Amazing Reincarnation Story That Ran Around the Whole
(1994)
The Peking Man
(1997)
Osone
Screwed
(1998)
Landlord
Crayon Shin-chan: Explosion! The Hot Spring's Feel Good Final Battle
(1999)
Tamba (voice)
Jubaku: Spellbound
(1999)
Tajiro Kawakami
Japanese Hell
(1999)
Asu Shino
A Class to Remember IV: Fifteen
(2000)
Tetsuo Hatake
Sakuya: The Slayer of Demons
(2000)
Old Master
The Stupid Teacher
(2000)
Utaemon Baba
Blind Beast vs Dwarf Killer
(2001)
The Making Of The Katakuris
(2001)
Ino Tadataka: Meridian dreams
(2001)
Graveyard of Honor
(2002)
Tetsuji Tokura
The Cat Returns
(2002)
Cat King (voice)
The Happiness of the Katakuris
(2002)
Granpa Jinpei Katakuri
Deadly Outlaw: Rekka
(2002)
Sanada
The Twilight Samurai
(2002)
Tozaemon Iguchi
Best Ever Bond
(2002)
Tiger Tanaka (archive footage) (uncredited)
Bond Girls Are Forever
(2002)
Tiger Tanaka (archive footage) (uncredited)
Shura Group
(2002)
T.R.Y.
(2003)
Yakuza Demon
(2003)
A Case of Murder by the Atami Station Taxi Stand
(2003)
Gozu
(2003)
Capone: Roppongi Renkin no Teio
(2004)
The Thousand Year Fire
(2004)
Demon Pond
(2005)
The Exotic Locations of 'You Only Live Twice'
(2006)
Tiger Tanaka (archive footage)
Teruo Ishii Fan Club
(2006)
Production
Three Outlaw Samurai
(1964)
Producer
The Sand Boat
(1980)
Executive Producer
Tetsuro Tamba's Great Spirit World: What Happens When You Die
(1989)
General Manager
Tetsuro Tamba's Great Spirit World 2: I was surprised when I died!!
(1990)
Executive Producer
Writing
The Sand Boat
(1980)
Screenplay
Tetsuro Tamba's Great Spirit World: What Happens When You Die
(1989)
Idea and Writer
Tetsuro Tamba's Great Spirit World 2: I was surprised when I died!!
(1990)
Screenplay
Tetsuro Tamba’s Great Spiritual World 3: Amazing Reincarnation Story That Ran Around the Whole
(1994)
Screenplay
Directing