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
Kikujiro
(1999)
Director
Fireworks
(1997)
Director
Zatoichi
(2003)
Director
To Each His Own Cinema
(2007)
Director
Beyond Outrage
(2012)
Director
Outrage Coda
(2017)
Director
Brother
(2000)
Director
Dolls
(2002)
Director
Sonatine
(1993)
Director
Violent Cop
(1989)
Director
A Scene at the Sea
(1991)
Director
Boiling Point
(1990)
Director
Outrage
(2010)
Director
Kids Return
(1996)
Director
Kubi
(2023)
Director
Ryuzo and the Seven Henchmen
(2015)
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
One Fine Day
(2007)
Director
One Fine Day
(2007)
Director
To Each His Own Cinema
(2007)
Director
Glory to the Filmmaker!
(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)
Completely... With That Air!
(1981)
Manon
(1981)
Shinobu
The Dump Truck Rascal
(1981)
Summer Secrets
(1982)
The Mosquito on the Tenth Floor
(1983)
Man at Racetrack
The Crimes of Kiyoshi Ōkubo
(1983)
Kiyoshi Ôkubo
Merry Christmas, Mr. Lawrence
(1983)
Hara
Jesus' Ark
(1985)
Takeyoshi Sengoku
Joke with a Sorrowful Heart
(1985)
Hiroshi Igarashi
Tokyo Melody: A Film about Ryuichi Sakamoto
(1985)
Hara (archive footage)
Demon
(1985)
Yajima
No More Comics!
(1986)
Police
The Boss' Wife
(1988)
Shoji Sugimoto, Hitman
Violent Cop
(1989)
Azuma Ryosuke
Boiling Point
(1990)
Uehara
KILL THEM ALL
(1990)
Hoshi wo tsugu mono
(1990)
Yama no hito
Shoko Asahara with Takeshi
(1991)
Kim's War
(1991)
Kim Hyi-ro
Dioxin from Fish!
(1992)
A Legend of Turmoil
(1992)
Kiichirou Yashiro
Erotic Liaisons
(1992)
Okuyama
Sonatine
(1993)
Aniki Murakawa
Many Happy Returns
(1993)
Daisuke Shiba
Getting Any?
(1995)
Scientist
Johnny Mnemonic
(1995)
Takahashi
Gonin
(1995)
Ichiro Kyoya
Making-of Kids Return
(1996)
Himself
Fireworks
(1997)
Yoshitaka Nishi
Tokyo Eyes
(1998)
Yakusa
Taboo
(1999)
Toshizo Hijikata
Zankyo
(1999)
Kikujiro
(1999)
Kikujiro
Kiseki Taiken! Anbiribabō: Kyōfu Eizō Kaiki Shashin Korekushon
(1999)
Kiseki Taiken! Anbiribabō: 1999 Nostradamus Senritsu no Daiyogen Mysterious Unbelievable
(1999)
Jam Session (The Official Bootleg of Kikujiro)
(1999)
The Unpredictable Takeshi Kitano
(1999)
Self
The 300 million yen robbery
(2000)
Scenes by the Sea: Takeshi Kitano
(2000)
Making of 'Battle Royale'
(2000)
Self
Brother
(2000)
Aniki Yamamoto
Battle Royale
(2000)
Kitano
Shooting Film is Battleground: Making of BATTLE ROYALE
(2001)
Self
Kichiku
(2002)
Kogoro Akechi vs Kaijin Nijyuu Menso
(2002)
Niju Menso
The Final Battleground — Making of Battle Royale II
(2003)
Self
Battle Royale II: Requiem
(2003)
Kitano
Zatoichi
(2003)
Zatoichi / Ichi
Izo
(2004)
Chancellor
Electric Yakuza, Go to Hell!
(2004)
Self
Arakimentari
(2004)
Self
Blood and Bones
(2004)
Joon-pyong Kim
The Golden Cups: One More Time
(2004)
Himself
Takeshis'
(2005)
Beat Takeshi / Mr. Kitano
Dots and Lines
(2007)
Jutaro Torikai
Glory to the Filmmaker!
(2007)
Takeshi / Yakuza / Father / Ninja / Detective / Astronomer
To Each His Own Cinema
(2007)
The projectionist (segment "Rencontre unique")
One Fine Day
(2007)
One Fine Day
(2007)
Achilles and the Tortoise
(2008)
Machisu
The Monster X Strikes Back: Attack the G8 Summit
(2008)
Take-Majin
What the War Meant
(2008)
Hideki Tojo
Takeshi's Castle Vol. 1
(2009)
Kikoku
(2010)
Private First Class Oomiya
Outrage
(2010)
Otomo
A Special Day
(2012)
Self
Bergmans video
(2012)
Self
Beyond Outrage
(2012)
Otomo
Dearest
(2012)
Teruo Sugino
Trespassing Bergman
(2013)
Self
Miwa: A Japanese Icon
(2013)
Himself
In Between Mountains And Oceans
(2014)
Himself
The 8th Floor
(2014)
Self
Morning
(2014)
Seicho Matsumoto's Black Gospel
(2014)
Rokuro Fujisawa
Aka Medaka
(2015)
Tatekawa Danshi
Mozu The Movie
(2015)
Daruma
Ryuzo and the Seven Henchmen
(2015)
Detective Murakami
A Living Promise
(2016)
Detective Koichiro Iwase
While the Women Are Sleeping
(2016)
Doctor X: Gekai Daimon Michiko Special
(2016)
Prison Break
(2017)
Urata
Outrage Coda
(2017)
Otomo
Ghost in the Shell
(2017)
Chief Daisuke Aramaki
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)
Screenplay
Kikujiro
(1999)
Screenplay
Brother
(2000)
Writer
Asakusa Kid
(2002)
Original Story
Dolls
(2002)
Screenplay
Zatoichi
(2003)
Screenplay
Takeshis'
(2005)
Writer
To Each His Own Cinema
(2007)
Screenplay
Glory to the Filmmaker!
(2007)
Writer
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
To Each His Own Cinema
(2007)
Editor
Glory to the Filmmaker!
(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