Takeshi Kitano (北野 武, Kitano Takeshi, born January 18, 1947), also known in Japan as Beat Takeshi (ビートたけし, Bīto Takeshi), is a Japanese comedian, actor, and filmmaker. While he is known primarily as a comedian and TV host in his native Japan, he is better known abroad for his work as a filmmaker and actor as well as TV host.
Kitano rose to prominence in the 1970s as one half of the comedy duo Two Beat, before going solo and becoming one of the three biggest comedians in the country. After several small acting roles, he made his directorial debut with 1989's Violent Cop and garnered international acclaim for Sonatine (1993). He was not widely accepted as an accomplished director in Japan until Hana-bi won the Golden Lion in 1997. In October 2017, Kitano completed his Outrage crime trilogy with the release of Outrage Coda. He is also known internationally for hosting the game show Takeshi's Castle (1986–1990) and starring in the film Battle Royale (2000).
Known For
Brother
(2000)
Director
Fireworks
(1997)
Director
Kikujiro
(1999)
Director
Sonatine
(1993)
Director
To Each His Own Cinema
(2007)
Director
Outrage Coda
(2017)
Director
Zatoichi
(2003)
Director
Outrage
(2010)
Director
Beyond Outrage
(2012)
Director
Boiling Point
(1990)
Director
A Scene at the Sea
(1991)
Director
Kids Return
(1996)
Director
Violent Cop
(1989)
Director
Takeshis'
(2005)
Director
Dolls
(2002)
Director
Getting Any?
(1995)
Director
Full Filmography
Directing
Violent Cop
(1989)
Director
Boiling Point
(1990)
Director
A Scene at the Sea
(1991)
Director
Sonatine
(1993)
Director
Getting Any?
(1995)
Director
Kids Return
(1996)
Director
Fireworks
(1997)
Director
Kikujiro
(1999)
Director
Brother
(2000)
Director
Dolls
(2002)
Director
Zatoichi
(2003)
Director
Takeshis'
(2005)
Director
Glory to the Filmmaker!
(2007)
Director
To Each His Own Cinema
(2007)
Director
One Fine Day
(2007)
Director
One Fine Day
(2007)
Director
Achilles and the Tortoise
(2008)
Director
Takeshi's Castle Vol. 1
(2009)
Director
Outrage
(2010)
Director
Beyond Outrage
(2012)
Director
Morning
(2014)
Director
Ryuzo and the Seven Henchmen
(2015)
Director
Outrage Coda
(2017)
Director
Kubi
(2023)
Director
Acting
Go, Go Second Time Virgin
(1969)
Gang Member
Makoto-chan
(1980)
The Dump Truck Rascal
(1981)
Completely... With That Air!
(1981)
Manon
(1981)
Shinobu
Summer Secrets
(1982)
Merry Christmas, Mr. Lawrence
(1983)
Hara
The Mosquito on the Tenth Floor
(1983)
Man at Racetrack
The Crimes of Kiyoshi Ōkubo
(1983)
Kiyoshi Ôkubo
Demon
(1985)
Yajima
Joke with a Sorrowful Heart
(1985)
Hiroshi Igarashi
Tokyo Melody: A Film about Ryuichi Sakamoto
(1985)
Hara (archive footage)
Jesus' Ark
(1985)
Takeyoshi Sengoku
No More Comics!
(1986)
Police
The Boss' Wife
(1988)
Shoji Sugimoto, Hitman
Violent Cop
(1989)
Azuma Ryosuke
Boiling Point
(1990)
Uehara
Hoshi wo tsugu mono
(1990)
Yama no hito
KILL THEM ALL
(1990)
Kim's War
(1991)
Kim Hyi-ro
Shoko Asahara with Takeshi
(1991)
Erotic Liaisons
(1992)
Okuyama
A Legend of Turmoil
(1992)
Kiichirou Yashiro
Dioxin from Fish!
(1992)
Sonatine
(1993)
Aniki Murakawa
Many Happy Returns
(1993)
Daisuke Shiba
Gonin
(1995)
Ichiro Kyoya
Johnny Mnemonic
(1995)
Takahashi
Getting Any?
(1995)
Scientist
Making-of Kids Return
(1996)
Himself
Fireworks
(1997)
Yoshitaka Nishi
Tokyo Eyes
(1998)
Yakusa
Kikujiro
(1999)
Kikujiro
Taboo
(1999)
Toshizo Hijikata
Jam Session (The Official Bootleg of Kikujiro)
(1999)
The Unpredictable Takeshi Kitano
(1999)
Self
Zankyo
(1999)
Kiseki Taiken! Anbiribabō: Kyōfu Eizō Kaiki Shashin Korekushon
(1999)
Kiseki Taiken! Anbiribabō: 1999 Nostradamus Senritsu no Daiyogen Mysterious Unbelievable
(1999)
Brother
(2000)
Aniki Yamamoto
Battle Royale
(2000)
Kitano
Making of 'Battle Royale'
(2000)
Self
Scenes by the Sea: Takeshi Kitano
(2000)
The 300 million yen robbery
(2000)
Shooting Film is Battleground: Making of BATTLE ROYALE
(2001)
Self
Kichiku
(2002)
Kogoro Akechi vs Kaijin Nijyuu Menso
(2002)
Niju Menso
Zatoichi
(2003)
Zatoichi / Ichi
Battle Royale II: Requiem
(2003)
Kitano
The Final Battleground — Making of Battle Royale II
(2003)
Self
Blood and Bones
(2004)
Joon-pyong Kim
Arakimentari
(2004)
Self
Izo
(2004)
Chancellor
The Golden Cups: One More Time
(2004)
Himself
Electric Yakuza, Go to Hell!
(2004)
Self
Takeshis'
(2005)
Beat Takeshi / Mr. Kitano
Glory to the Filmmaker!
(2007)
Takeshi / Yakuza / Father / Ninja / Detective / Astronomer
To Each His Own Cinema
(2007)
The projectionist (segment "Rencontre unique")
Dots and Lines
(2007)
Jutaro Torikai
One Fine Day
(2007)
One Fine Day
(2007)
Achilles and the Tortoise
(2008)
Machisu
What the War Meant
(2008)
Hideki Tojo
The Monster X Strikes Back: Attack the G8 Summit
(2008)
Take-Majin
Takeshi's Castle Vol. 1
(2009)
Outrage
(2010)
Otomo
Kikoku
(2010)
Private First Class Oomiya
Beyond Outrage
(2012)
Otomo
Dearest
(2012)
Teruo Sugino
A Special Day
(2012)
Self
Bergmans video
(2012)
Self
Miwa: A Japanese Icon
(2013)
Himself
Trespassing Bergman
(2013)
Self
Seicho Matsumoto's Black Gospel
(2014)
Rokuro Fujisawa
The 8th Floor
(2014)
Self
In Between Mountains And Oceans
(2014)
Himself
Morning
(2014)
Ryuzo and the Seven Henchmen
(2015)
Detective Murakami
Mozu The Movie
(2015)
Daruma
Aka Medaka
(2015)
Tatekawa Danshi
While the Women Are Sleeping
(2016)
A Living Promise
(2016)
Detective Koichiro Iwase
Doctor X: Gekai Daimon Michiko Special
(2016)
Ghost in the Shell
(2017)
Chief Daisuke Aramaki
Outrage Coda
(2017)
Otomo
Prison Break
(2017)
Urata
Plankton Salesmen
(2017)
Self (archive footage)
Citizen Kitano
(2020)
Self
Kubi
(2023)
Hashiba Hideyoshi
Writing
Violent Cop
(1989)
Writer
Boiling Point
(1990)
Screenplay
A Scene at the Sea
(1991)
Screenplay
Many Happy Returns
(1993)
Novel
Sonatine
(1993)
Screenplay
Getting Any?
(1995)
Writer
Kids Return
(1996)
Writer
Fireworks
(1997)
Writer
Kikujiro
(1999)
Screenplay
Brother
(2000)
Writer
Dolls
(2002)
Screenplay
Asakusa Kid
(2002)
Original Story
Zatoichi
(2003)
Screenplay
Takeshis'
(2005)
Writer
Glory to the Filmmaker!
(2007)
Writer
To Each His Own Cinema
(2007)
Screenplay
Achilles and the Tortoise
(2008)
Screenplay
Outrage
(2010)
Screenplay
Beyond Outrage
(2012)
Writer
Kids Return: The Reunion
(2013)
Original Story
Morning
(2014)
Screenplay
Ryuzo and the Seven Henchmen
(2015)
Writer
Outrage Coda
(2017)
Screenplay
Asakusa Kid
(2021)
Novel
analog
(2023)
Novel
Kubi
(2023)
Screenplay
Editing
A Scene at the Sea
(1991)
Editor
Sonatine
(1993)
Editor
Getting Any?
(1995)
Editor
Kids Return
(1996)
Editor
Fireworks
(1997)
Editor
Kikujiro
(1999)
Editor
Brother
(2000)
Editor
Dolls
(2002)
Editor
Zatoichi
(2003)
Editor
Takeshis'
(2005)
Editor
Glory to the Filmmaker!
(2007)
Editor
To Each His Own Cinema
(2007)
Editor
Achilles and the Tortoise
(2008)
Editor
Outrage
(2010)
Editor
Beyond Outrage
(2012)
Editor
Ryuzo and the Seven Henchmen
(2015)
Editor
Outrage Coda
(2017)
Editor
Kubi
(2023)
Editor
Production