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Yasuaki Kurata

Yasuaki Kurata

Actor, also producer · Born March 20, 1946 (80) · Niihari, Ibaraki Prefecture, Japan

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.

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Biography from TMDB.

Born
March 20, 1946 (80)
From
Niihari, Ibaraki Prefecture, Japan
Works as
Actor, also producer
Titles
33 on MovieCove · 118 credits in all
Links
IMDb (opens in a new tab)TMDB (opens in a new tab)Official site (opens in a new tab)Wikidata (opens in a new tab)

Known for

TMDB popularity, last 37 days to Oct 26Down 5% in 30 days

What are Yasuaki Kurata's films like?

Across their 27 MovieCove titles with a thematic analysis, their films lean Morality and Self.

Themes

share of theme weight
Morality
36%
Self
15%
Power
15%
Survival
11%
Bonds
9%
Society
9%
Ideas
4%
Justice10 titles, browse their movies with this themeRevenge6 titles, browse their movies with this themeIdentity4 titles, browse their movies with this themeCorruption3 titles, browse their movies with this themeSurvival4 titles, browse their movies with this themeSelf-worth2 titles, browse their movies with this themeDuty3 titles, browse their movies with this themeBetrayal2 titles, browse their movies with this theme

What they feel like to watch

their average across 27 films
ToneFeelDemandtheir average · filled zone: the category
Serious: How heavy the subject matter and outlook get. Browse their serious movies.
Tone · Weight
lightdark

A split, not a type: Light 9 · Serious 8 · Dark 10

Stylized: How far its world departs from everyday reality. Browse their stylized movies.
Tone · Style
naturalisticheightened

Grounded 5 · Stylized 11 · Heightened 11

Charged: How hard the emotional peaks hit while you watch. Browse their charged movies.
Feel · Intensity
gentleintense

A split, not a type: Gentle 4 · Charged 5 · Intense 18

Shifting: How much it swings between very different feelings. Browse their shifting movies.
Feel · Swings
steadyswings

Steady 9 · Shifting 16 · Whiplash 2

Some laughs: How much of the runtime is played for laughs. Browse their some laughs movies.
Feel · Humor
noneconstant

A split, not a type: Straight-faced 17 · Some laughs 6 · Funny 4

Even-paced: How fast it moves from scene to scene. Browse their even-paced movies.
Demand · Pace
slowrelentless

A split, not a type: Slow burn 4 · Even-paced 10 · Relentless 13

Engaged: How much focus it asks of you — look away and lose the thread? Browse their engaged movies.
Demand · Attention
casualfull focus

Casual 8 · Engaged 19 · Full focus 0

Easy watch: How much it costs you emotionally; whether you need recovery time. Browse their easy watch movies.
Demand · Emotional cost
easyheavy

A split, not a type: Easy watch 12 · Affecting 14 · Heavy 1

Resolved: How much is left for you to interpret. Browse their resolved movies.
Demand · Resolution
resolvedambiguous

Resolved 24 · Open-ended 2 · Ambiguous 1

Roles they play

7 analyzed roles

Usually the Shadow: 4 of 7 analyzed roles.

Shadow
4 of 7
Mentor
2 of 7
Threshold guardian
1 of 7
Show the 7 roles

Moods and endings

endings are an aggregate; no title is named

Dominant moods · mentions across their titles

Tense
20
Thrilling
17
Melancholic
9
Joyful
6
Contemplative
3
Other
10

How their films linger

Fun15 titles, browse their movies with this aftertasteRousing14 titles, browse their movies with this aftertasteBittersweet7 titles, browse their movies with this aftertasteCathartic5 titles, browse their movies with this aftertasteFeel-good3 titles, browse their movies with this aftertasteThought-provoking3 titles, browse their movies with this aftertaste

How their films end · 4 with a twist

  • Happy10
  • Bittersweet12
  • Tragic1
  • Ambiguous3
  • Other1

AI-generated from each title's plot synopsis and cast list, with extra plot summaries, reviews and Parents Guide notes for titles the model may not know, and the model's own knowledge of the ones it recognizes. Only analyzed titles count, so this covers part of the filmography; the feel axes count films only for now.

Where can I watch Yasuaki Kurata's films?

As of October 24, 2026, 22 of their 33 MovieCove titles stream on a subscription or free service, most on Tubi (13).

Also on these channels

Subscription and free streaming for Yasuaki Kurata's titles on MovieCove; rent and buy are not counted. Titles are listed by Midcredits score, highest first, at most 12 per service; a dashed chip is a producer credit or a minor one, such as a thanks. A service opens the browse page, which counts movies only, so its number can differ.

Filmography

118 credits, 33 with a MovieCove page; 1 appearance as themselves is hidden until asked for.

  • The Living Dragon (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(2026)

    Actor

  • Ninja Wars: BlackFox vs Shogun's Ninja (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(2026)

    as Hyoe Isurugi

  • Pandora's Box (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(2021)

    Show 12 episodes · as Hiroshi Kuroki

  • Warriors Within (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(2020)

    Show 20 episodes · as 武田寬

  • Black Fox: Age of the Ninja(2019)

    as Hyoe Isurugi

    Midcredits score: 31st percentile of all films

  • Yasuragi no Toki: Michi (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(2019)

    Show 50 episodes · Actor

  • Iceman: The Time Traveller(2018)

    as Bei Tiao

    Midcredits score: 11th percentile of all films

  • Fat Buddies (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(2018)

    Actor

  • Golden Job(2018)

    as Morimoto

    Midcredits score: 42nd percentile of all films

  • The Great Adventurer Wesley (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(2018)

    Show 12 episodes · as 藤原龙太

  • The Brink(2017)

    as Chen Ding-Kui

    Midcredits score: 28th percentile of all films

  • Manhunt(2017)

    as Hideo Sakaguchi

    Midcredits score: 25th percentile of all films

  • The Empty Hands(2017)

    as Akira Hirakawa

    Midcredits score: 47th percentile of all films

  • The One(2017)

    as 新右卫门大师

    Midcredits score: 17th percentile of all films

  • God of War(2017)

    as Kumasawa

    Midcredits score: 55th percentile of all films

  • KIRI – Profession: Assassin (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(2015)

    as Saburi

  • The Wrath of Vajra(2013)

    as Amano Kawao

    Midcredits score: 41st percentile of all films

  • The Last Tycoon(2012)

    Actor

    Midcredits score: 66th percentile of all films

  • Sword of Blood (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(2011)

    as Genjiro Mishima

  • Legend of the Fist: The Return of Chen Zhen(2010)

    as Chikaraishis Vater

    Midcredits score: 51st percentile of all films

  • Blood: The Last Vampire(2009)

    as Kato Takatora

    Midcredits score: 22nd percentile of all films

  • Shinjuku Incident(2009)

    as Taro Watagawa

    Midcredits score: 76th percentile of all films

  • GoGo Sentai Boukenger The Movie: The Greatest Precious (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(2006)

    as Kouichi Akashi

  • Origin: Spirits of the Past(2006)

    Producer

    Midcredits score: 60th percentile of all films

  • Legend of Seven Monks (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(2006)

    as Santoku

  • Dragon Get Angry (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(2005)

    Actor

  • GARO (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(2005)

    Show 25 episodes · as Sonshi

  • The Royal Swordsmen (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(2005)

    Show 35 episodes · as 柳生但马守

  • Fights of Fury (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(2004)

    Actor

  • Anna in Kungfu-land (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(2003)

    as Sword Shek

  • Yellow Dragon (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(2003)

    Executive Producer · Writer · as Gouzaburo "Go" Azuma

  • Samouraïs (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(2002)

    as Fujiwara Morio

  • So Close(2002)

    as Master

    Midcredits score: 71st percentile of all films

  • Dark War (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(2001)

    as Chang

  • Conman in Tokyo (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(2000)

    as Tetsuo

  • Ginza Midnight Story — Utopia 2 (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(2000)

    Actor

  • Ginza Midnight Story — Utopia (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(2000)

    Actor

  • Quiet Don 11 (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(2000)

    Actor

  • Fist Of Hero (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(1999)

    Show 40 episodes · as 横山十兵卫

  • Quiet Don 10 (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(1996)

    Actor

  • Quiet Don 9 (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(1996)

    Actor

  • Quiet Don 8 (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(1996)

    Actor

  • Quiet Don 7 (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(1995)

    Actor

  • Fist of Legend(1994)

    as Fuimo Funakoshi

    Midcredits score: 93rd percentile of all films

  • The Fighting King (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(1994)

    Actor

  • Quiet Don 6 (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(1993)

    Actor

  • Quiet Don 5 (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(1993)

    Actor

  • My Home Yakuza (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(1993)

    Actor

  • Violent Island: Dirty Money Hijack (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(1992)

    Actor

  • Quiet Don 4 (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(1992)

    Actor

  • Quiet Don 3 (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(1992)

    Actor

  • The Devil's Messenger DEATH MESSENGER (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(1991)

    Actor

  • Zodiac Killers (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(1991)

    as Ishikawa (cameo)

  • Bloodfight(1989)

    Producer · as Masahiko Kai

    Midcredits score: 15th percentile of all films

  • Above the War (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(1989)

    as Cook

  • Bokura no nanoka-kan sensô(1988)

    as Sakai

    Midcredits score: 42nd percentile of all films

  • Carry On Hotel (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(1988)

    as Tomohara

  • Eastern Condors(1987)

    as Vietnamese Captain

    Midcredits score: 85th percentile of all films

  • The Seventh Curse(1986)

    as Captain Ho

    Midcredits score: 71st percentile of all films

  • A Book of Heroes(1986)

    as Yamashita sensei

    Midcredits score: 66th percentile of all films

  • Millionaires' Express(1986)

    as Japanese Ninja

    Midcredits score: 79th percentile of all films

  • Police Story(1985)

    as Passerby (uncredited)

    Midcredits score: 96th percentile of all films

  • Mishima: A Life in Four Chapters(1985)

    as Takei

    Midcredits score: 98th percentile of all films

  • Twinkle Twinkle Lucky Stars(1985)

    as Parachute Assassin

    Midcredits score: 52nd percentile of all films

  • To Catch a Thief (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(1984)

    Actor

  • Zhi zun shen tou(1984)

    Actor

    Midcredits score: 15th percentile of all films

  • Kanei Command Performance(1983)

    Actor

  • Mad Mission Part 2: Aces Go Places(1983)

    as Bull

    Midcredits score: 70th percentile of all films

  • Impossible Woman (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(1983)

    Actor

  • Crisis (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(1983)

    as Chairman Sun Shao Hung

  • Deadly Life of a Ninja (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(1983)

    as Iga Ninja Leader

  • Gメン'82 (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(1982)

    Show 17 episodes · Actor

  • Legend of a Fighter (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(1982)

    as Teacher Kong Ho San

  • The Legend of the Owl (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(1981)

    Actor

  • Seed of Evil (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(1981)

    Actor

  • Shaolin Fighters vs. Ninja (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(1981)

    as Lonely Winner

  • Eijanaika (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(1981)

    as Hanjiro

  • Ninja In The Deadly Trap (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(1981)

    as Shi Ping-Wei, the Ninja Leader

  • The Magnificent 3 (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(1980)

    as Japanese tourist

  • Heroes of the East(1978)

    as Takeno

    Midcredits score: 93rd percentile of all films

  • Edge of Fury (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(1978)

    as Mr King

  • Secret of the Shaolin Poles (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(1977)

    as Tiger Lei (as Shoji Kurada)

  • V.I.P. (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(1977)

    Actor

  • Which Is Stronger, Karate or the Tiger? (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(1976)

    as Ryuzaki Tetsuji

  • Young Hero of Shaolin (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(1976)

    Actor

  • Dragon Princess (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(1976)

    as Masahiko Okizaki

  • The Return of Sister Street Fighter (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(1975)

    as Go Kurosaki

  • G-Men '75 (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(1975)

    Show 354 episodes · as 草野刑事

  • Fists for Revenge (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(1975)

    Actor

  • The Golden Triangle (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(1975)

    Actor

  • Fighting Dragon (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(1975)

    as Lung Yen Fei (Dragon)

  • Sister Street Fighter: Hanging by a Thread (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(1974)

    as Shunsuke Tsubaki

  • The Executioner (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(1974)

    as Kurayamada

  • Fight! Dragon! (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(1974)

    Show 26 episodes · as Dragon

  • Little Godfather from Hong Kong (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(1974)

    as Sakada (Chong)

  • Call Me Dragon (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(1974)

    as Panther / Leopard Head

  • Fatal Strike (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(1974)

    Actor

  • The Fists of Vengeance(1974)

    as Kiro-san

    Midcredits score: 14th percentile of all films (provisional, few ratings)

  • Ferocious to Ferocious (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(1973)

    as Yamada

  • Gold Snatchers (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(1973)

    Actor

  • Black Panther (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(1973)

    as Chang Hui-Feng

  • The Unsubdued Furies (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(1973)

    Actor

  • Seven to One (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(1973)

    as Nightclub Singer / Killer

  • Win Them All (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(1973)

    as Iron Fingers

  • A Gathering of Heroes (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(1973)

    Actor

  • Knight Errant (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(1973)

    as Tetsuro

  • Fist of Unicorn (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(1973)

    as Sun

  • Rage of Wind (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(1973)

    as Taka

  • A Girl Called Tigress (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(1973)

    as Chiau Kung

  • Kung Fu Inferno (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(1973)

    as Chiang Hung

  • Kung Fu Powerhouse (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(1973)

    as Tiger

  • Four Riders(1972)

    as Lei Tai

    Midcredits score: 44th percentile of all films

  • Kung Fu: The Invisible Fist (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(1972)

    as Cpt. Jai Tai

  • Kung Fu: The Punch of Death(1972)

    as Iron Hand Tan

    Midcredits score: 38th percentile of all films

  • The King of Boxers (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(1972)

    as Tu Pien

  • The Angry Guest(1972)

    as Katsu

    Midcredits score: 39th percentile of all films

  • Tiger (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(1972)

    as Tze Chiang

  • Fight! Dragon (TV Pilot) - Dragon Flies to Hong Kong. (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)

    as Ryuma Shiranui (Dragon)

Career shape

Star power in the 97th percentile of 239,109 people with a billed film role, over a full career of 118 titles, 117 of them dated from 1972 to 2026; peak year 2018.

Biggest box office

Golden Job (2018)

$47M worldwide

Highest rated

Fist of Legend (1994)

Midcredits 93rd

Most popular right now

Zhi zun shen tou (1984)

Film career

19722026

Peak 2018 · their film career is on the way up. Top draw in 2 MovieCove titles. Film roles by billing, audience size and rating; 25+ votes. A show carries a single first-air date, so shows are not on the curve.

  • 1974Screen debut· Sister Street Fighter: Hanging by a Thread
  • 1994Career best· Fist of Legend

By role

only this rolewith another role
Acting117 of 118: 116 only acting, 1 with another role · typical Midcredits score47thWriting1 of 118: 0 only writing, 1 with another roleProducing2 of 118: 1 only producing, 1 with another role

By decade

1970s38 · acting1980s26 · acting1990s15 · acting2000s18 · 17 acting · 2 crew2010s16 · acting2020s4 · acting

Billing

usually 7th · top billed in 0% of 20 roles
749414

Counts from TMDB across their full career, self appearances out; a title counts in every role they held on it. The ring is the typical Midcredits score (the median percentile) of the role's titles that are on MovieCove, shown from 5 scored. Billing is TMDB cast order for roles with 25+ votes, billed in the top 30; the columns are the share of top-billed roles in each era, 5-year spans from the year on the label, merged until each holds at least 5 roles.

How do Yasuaki Kurata's films land?

Their typical MovieCove film has a Midcredits score in the 49th percentile, the median of the 32 of 33 with a score; across their 27 films with reception data, the typical film sits in the 47th percentile for acclaim.

Acclaim · how much people like their films

47thpercentile
Typical film, the median of 27

Approval · how many liked their films

45thpercentile
Typical film, the median of 27

Reach · how many have seen their films

67thpercentile
Typical film, the median of 27

Midcredits score across 32 titles, by percentile

  • 75th and up7
  • 50th to 74th9
  • 25th to 49th10
  • Below 25th6

Shape of the crowd

13 of their 32 titles are Mixed.

  • Universally Loved4
  • Cult Classic1
  • Crowd Pleaser12
  • Broadly Agreed2
  • Mixed13

Most divisive · actor

Zhi zun shen tou (1984)

82nd percentile spread · 55% rated it 4 or lower

Most loved · actor

Mishima: A Life in Four Chapters (1985)

Midcredits 98th · 85% liked

Reviewers score the acting 54/100 in their films, across 21 reviewed titles; fans 64, detractors 37. The element that speaks to their work as an actor.

Percentiles are each film's standing among all films on MovieCove; the typical film is the median, so one outlier cannot drag it. Percentiles and reviewer scores count the films IMDb credits them on, for now; the Midcredits score bands, the shape of the crowd and the two cards count their MovieCove titles, shows included (a show ranked among shows), appearances as themselves left out. A descriptor is the shape of a title's IMDb rating distribution against the catalog; "most divisive" needs a spread wider than half of all titles, and a card names only a principal credit: a craft role, and on a show a crew role or a run of episodes, never a courtesy credit or a one-off guest spot.

Is Yasuaki Kurata's work okay for kids?

Across a limited sample of up to 3 MovieCove titles with content scores.

Their medianMedian of all films
Sex & Nudity3 titlesmedian 27 · mildMedian of all films: 32

Severity 0–100 from the Content Guide. Categories with under 10 votes on a title are not counted.

Who does Yasuaki Kurata work with?

People who share at least 2 of Yasuaki Kurata's MovieCove titles, grouped by what they did on them; Gordon Chan shares the most, 4.

Directors

Writers

Actors

Composers and cinematographers

Producers

Mixed roles