Yasuaki Kurata
Born: 1946-03-20 in Niihari, Ibaraki Prefecture, Japan
Known For: Acting
Biography
Yasuaki Kurata (born March 20, 1946), a.k.a David Kurata, is a Japanese actor specializing in action movies. An accomplished martial artist, he has dan ranks in karate (5th degree), judo (3rd degree), and aikido (2nd degree). He is perhaps best known for his extended battle against Jet Li in Fist of Legend and for his villainous role in So Close. He is fluent in Cantonese. Kurata's home town is Sakura-mura, Niihari District, Ibaraki (now part of Tsukuba). Having studied performing arts at Nihon University and Toei Theater School, he began to work as an actor in the late 1960s. In 1971, Kurata made his Hong Kong debut in the Shaw Brothers Studio kung-fu movie Angry Guest . Since then he has appeared in numerous other films and TV series within the genre. In addition to his work as an actor, Kurata runs the stunt agency Kurata Promotion (established 1976 under the name Kurata Action Club), teaches at a private college (the University of Creation, Art, Music & Social Work), is chief advisor to the All Japan Nunchaku League, and in 2004 published a book, Hong Kong Action Star Kōyūroku. Description above from the Wikipedia article Yasuaki Kurata, licensed under CC-BY-SA,full list of contributors on Wikipedia.
Filmography
2026
- The Living Dragon
- Ninja Wars - BlackFox vs Shogun's Ninja as Hyoe Isurugi
2023
- Enter the Clones of Bruce as Self
2021
- Pandora's Box as Hiroshi Kuroki
2020
- Warriors Within as 武田寬
2019
- Yasuragi no Toki: Michi
- BLACKFOX: Age of the Ninja as Hyoe Isurugi
2018
- The Great Adventurer Wesley as 藤原龙太
- Golden Job as Morimoto
- Iceman: The Time Traveler as Bei Tiao
- Fat Buddies
2017
- Manhunt as Hideo Sakaguchi
- God of War as Kumasawa
- The Brink as Chen Ding-Kui
- The Empty Hands as Akira Hirakawa
- The One as 新右卫门大师
2015
- KIRI – Profession: Assassin as Saburi
2013
- The Wrath of Vajra as Amano Kawao
2012
2011
- Sword of Blood as Genjiro Mishima
2010
- Legend of the Fist: The Return of Chen Zhen as Chikaraishis Vater
2009
- Shinjuku Incident as Taro Watagawa
- Blood: The Last Vampire as Kato Takatora
2006
- Origin: Spirits of the Past ... (Producer)
- GoGo Sentai Boukenger The Movie: The Greatest Precious as Kouichi Akashi
- Legend of Seven Monks as Santoku
2005
- GARO as Sonshi
- The Royal Swordsmen as 柳生但马守
- Dragon Get Angry
2004
2003
- Anna in Kungfu-land as Sword Shek
- Yellow Dragon as Gouzaburo "Go" Azuma
2001
- Dark War as Chang
2000
1999
- Fist Of Hero as 横山十兵卫
1997
- The Dragon Man as Guo Yao
1995
1994
- Fist of Legend as Fuimo Funakoshi
- The Fighting King
1993
1991
- Zodiac Killers as Ishikawa (cameo)
- The Devil's Messenger DEATH MESSENGER
1989
- Bloodfight as Masahiko Kai
- Above the War as Cook
1988
- Seven Days War as Sakai
- Carry On Hotel as Tomohara
1987
- Eastern Condors as Vietnamese Captain
1986
- Millionaires' Express as Japanese Ninja
- The Seventh Curse as Captain Ho
- A Book of Heroes as Yamashita sensei
1985
- Police Story as Passerby (uncredited)
- Twinkle, Twinkle Lucky Stars as Parachute Assassin
- Mishima: A Life in Four Chapters as Takei
1983
- Aces Go Places II as Bull
- Deadly Life of a Ninja as Iga Ninja Leader
- Kanei Command Performance
- Impossible Woman
- Crisis as Chairman Sun Shao Hung
1982
- Gメン'82
- Legend of a Fighter as Teacher Kong Ho San
1981
- Eijanaika as Hanjiro
- Ninja In The Deadly Trap as Shi Ping-Wei, the Ninja Leader
- The Legend of the Owl
- Shaolin Fighters vs. Ninja as Lonely Winner
- Seed of Evil
1980
- The Magnificent 3 as Japanese tourist
1978
- Heroes of the East as Takeno
- Edge of Fury as Mr King
1977
- Secret of the Shaolin Poles as Tiger Lei (as Shoji Kurada)
- V.I.P.
1976
- Dragon Princess as Masahiko Okizaki
- Young Hero of Shaolin
- Which Is Stronger, Karate or the Tiger? as Ryuzaki Tetsuji
1975
- G-Men '75 as 草野刑事
- The Return of Sister Street Fighter as Go Kurosaki
- Fighting Dragon as Lung Yen Fei (Dragon)
- Fists for Revenge
- The Golden Triangle
1974
- Call Me Dragon as Panther / Leopard Head
- Sister Street Fighter: Hanging by a Thread as Shunsuke Tsubaki
- Fight! Dragon! as Dragon
- Fatal Strike
- The Executioner as Kurayamada
- Little Godfather from Hong Kong as Sakada (Chong)
- The Fists of Vengeance as Kiro-san
1973
- A Gathering of Heroes
- Black Panther as Chang Hui-Feng
- Fist of Unicorn as Sun
- Win Them All as Iron Fingers
- Kung Fu Powerhouse as Tiger
- The Unsubdued Furies
- Rage of Wind as Taka
- Kung Fu Inferno as Chiang Hung
- Gold Snatchers
- Knight Errant as Tetsuro
- Ferocious to Ferocious as Yamada
- Seven to One as Nightclub Singer / Killer
- A Girl Called Tigress as Chiau Kung
1972
- Four Riders as Lei Tai
- The Angry Guest as Katsu
- The Prodigal Boxer as Iron Hand Tan
- Kung Fu: The Invisible Fist as Cpt. Jai Tai
- The King of Boxers as Tu Pien
- Tiger as Tze Chiang