He was the last surviving star of Seven Samurai (1954). Ironically, his character
(Heihachi Hayashida) was the first of the seven samurai killed in the
film.
He was one of Akira Kurosawa's favorite actors, having appeared in 10 films
made by the legendary director.
In 1981 he, Akira Kurosawa, Minoru Chiaki and Misa Uehara took part in a discussion about 'The Hidden Fortress'.
