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