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
2023
- Enter the Clones of Bruce as Self
2021
- Pandora's Box as Hiroshi Kuroki
2020
- Warriors Within as 武田寬
2019
- Black Fox: Age of the Ninja as Hyoe Isurugi
- Yasuragi no Toki: Michi
2018
- Golden Job as Morimoto
- The Great Adventurer Wesley as 藤原龙太
- Iceman: The Time Traveler as Bei Tiao
- Fat Buddies
2017
- God of War as Kumasawa
- Manhunt as Hideo Sakaguchi
- The Empty Hands as Akira Hirakawa
- The Brink as Chen Ding-Kui
- 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
- GoGo Sentai Boukenger The Movie: The Greatest Precious as Kouichi Akashi
- Origin: Spirits of the Past ... (Producer)
- Legend of Seven Monks
2005
- GARO as Sonshi
- Dragon Get Angry
2003
- Yellow Dragon as Gouzaburo "Go" Azuma
- Anna in Kungfu-land as Sword Shek
2001
- Dark War as Chang
2000
1999
- Fist Of Hero as 横山十兵卫
1995
1994
- Fist of Legend as Fuimo Funakoshi
- The Fighting King
1993
1991
- The Devil's Messenger DEATH MESSENGER
- Zodiac Killers as Ishikawa (cameo)
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
- The Seventh Curse as Captain Ho
- Millionaires' Express as Japanese Ninja
- 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
- Kanei Command Performance
- Deadly Life of a Ninja as Iga Ninja Leader
- Aces Go Places II as Bull
- Crisis as Chairman Sun Shao Hung
- Impossible Woman
1982
- Legend of a Fighter as Teacher Kong Ho San
- Gメン'82
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
- Which Is Stronger, Karate or the Tiger? as Ryuzaki Tetsuji
- Young Hero of Shaolin
1975
- The Return of Sister Street Fighter as Go Kurosaki
- The Golden Triangle
- Fighting Dragon as Lung Yen Fei (Dragon)
- Fists for Revenge
1974
- Sister Street Fighter: Hanging by a Thread as Shunsuke Tsubaki
- The Executioner as Kurayamada
- Little Godfather from Hong Kong as Sakada (Chong)
- The Fists of Vengeance as Kiro-san
- Fatal Strike
- Call Me Dragon as Panther / Leopard Head
- Fight! Dragon! as Dragon
1973
- Gold Snatchers
- Fist of Unicorn as Sun
- Seven to One as Nightclub Singer / Killer
- The Unsubdued Furies
- Win Them All as Iron Fingers
- A Girl Called Tigress as Chiau Kung
- Knight Errant as Tetsuro
- Ferocious to Ferocious as Yamada
- A Gathering of Heroes
- Kung Fu Inferno as Chiang Hung
- Black Panther as Chang Hui-Feng
- Rage of Wind as Taka
- Kung Fu Powerhouse as Tiger
1972
- The Prodigal Boxer as Iron Hand Tan
- The King of Boxers as Tu Pien
- The Angry Guest as Katsu
- Kung Fu: The Invisible Fist as Cpt. Jai Tai
- Four Riders as Lei Tai
- Tiger as Tze Chiang