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Toshishiro Obata

Toshishiro Obata

Actor · Born October 20, 1948 (78) · Gunma Prefecture, Japan

Toshishiro Obata is the founder of Shinkendo. He is well known in Japan as a tameshigiri champion for several years in a row and is an authorized shitoka. He studied aikido under Gozo Shioda in the Yoshinkan Honbu Dojo, and studied the sword arts of Nakamura-ryu, Ioriken Battojutsu, Toyama-ryu, Yagyu Shinkage-ryu, Kashima Shin-ryu, Ryukyu Kobudo, and others. He moved to America in 1980 to start teaching and to develop his own sword art, based on his extensive experience. In 1990, the International Shinkendo Federation was officially established. The federation has grown to 80 branches internationally, and continues to expand. Obata, as the founder of the school, is referred to as Obata Kaiso by his students, and continues to travel across the globe to hold seminars for his students around the world. Since 1986, Obata has appeared in several Hollywood films.

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Biography from TMDB.

Born
October 20, 1948 (78)
From
Gunma Prefecture, Japan
Works as
Actor
Titles
15 on MovieCove · 17 credits in all
Links
IMDb (opens in a new tab)TMDB (opens in a new tab)Wikidata (opens in a new tab)

Known for

TMDB popularity, last 37 days to Oct 26Down 12% in 30 days

What are Toshishiro Obata's films like?

Across their 5 MovieCove titles with a thematic analysis, their films lean Morality and Survival.

Themes

share of theme weight
Morality
69%
Survival
13%
Bonds
7%
Self
6%
Society
6%
Justice4 titles, browse their movies with this themeRevenge3 titles, browse their movies with this theme

What they feel like to watch

their average across 5 films
ToneFeelDemandtheir average · filled zone: the category
Light: How heavy the subject matter and outlook get. Browse their light movies.
Tone · Weight
lightdark

Light 4 · Serious 0 · Dark 1

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

Grounded 1 · Stylized 3 · Heightened 1

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

A split, not a type: Gentle 0 · Charged 3 · Intense 2

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

Steady 2 · Shifting 3 · Whiplash 0

Straight-faced: How much of the runtime is played for laughs. Browse their straight-faced movies.
Feel · Humor
noneconstant

Straight-faced 3 · Some laughs 2 · Funny 0

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

Slow burn 0 · Even-paced 3 · Relentless 2

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

Casual 2 · Engaged 3 · Full focus 0

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

Resolved 5 · Open-ended 0 · Ambiguous 0

Roles they play

1 analyzed role

Moods and endings

endings are an aggregate; no title is named

Dominant moods · mentions across their titles

Thrilling
5
Tense
2
Triumphant
2
Absurd
1
Cathartic
1
Other
1

How their films linger

Fun4 titles, browse their movies with this aftertasteBittersweet2 titles, browse their movies with this aftertaste

How their films end · 1 with a twist

  • Happy3
  • Bittersweet2

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 Toshishiro Obata's films?

As of October 24, 2026, 5 of their 15 MovieCove titles stream on a subscription or free service.

Also on these channels

Subscription and free streaming for Toshishiro Obata'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

17 credits, 15 with a MovieCove page; 1 appearance as themselves is hidden until asked for.

  • The Hunted(1995)

    as Ryuma

    Midcredits score: 41st percentile of all films

  • Red Sun Rising(1994)

    as Oyabun

    Midcredits score: 23rd percentile of all films

  • The Shadow(1994)

    as Mongol

    Midcredits score: 46th percentile of all films

  • Blue Tiger(1994)

    as Kunimatsu

    Midcredits score: 26th percentile of all films

  • Demolition Man(1993)

    as CryoCon

    Midcredits score: 71st percentile of all films

  • Rising Sun(1993)

    as Guard at Imperial Arms

    Midcredits score: 48th percentile of all films

  • Walker, Texas Ranger(1993)

    Show 1 episode · as Japanese Karate Instructor

    Midcredits score: 15th percentile of all shows

  • Ulterior Motives (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(1993)

    as Bull Neck Yakuza

  • Rage and Honor(1992)

    as Chan Lu

    Midcredits score: 27th percentile of all films

  • Showdown in Little Tokyo(1991)

    as Sato

    Midcredits score: 50th percentile of all films

  • Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles II: The Secret of the Ooze(1991)

    as Tatsu

    Midcredits score: 47th percentile of all films

  • The Sword of Bushido (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(1990)

    as Yamaguchi

  • China O'Brien II(1990)

    as Man with Claws

    Midcredits score: 17th percentile of all films

  • Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles(1990)

    as Tatsu

    Midcredits score: 74th percentile of all films

  • China O'Brien(1990)

    as Sommers's Henchmen Fighter (uncredited)

    Midcredits score: 26th percentile of all films

  • Black Rain(1989)

    as Mediator

    Midcredits score: 66th percentile of all films

  • Ghost Warrior(1984)

    as Japanese Officer

    Midcredits score: 19th percentile of all films

Career shape

Star power in the 87th percentile of 239,109 people with a billed film role, over a full career of 17 titles from 1984 to 1995; peak year 1991.

Biggest box office

Showdown in Little Tokyo (1991)

$2.3M worldwide

Highest rated

Showdown in Little Tokyo (1991)

Midcredits 50th

Film career

19841995

Peak 1991 · steadily prominent in film for years. 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.

By role

only this rolewith another role
Acting17 of 17: 17 only acting, 0 with another role · typical Midcredits score41st

By decade

1980s2 · acting1990s15 · acting

Billing

usually 14th · top billed in 0% of 10 roles

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.

How do Toshishiro Obata's films land?

Their typical MovieCove film has a Midcredits score in the 44th percentile, the median of all 14; across their 5 films with reception data, the typical film sits in the 29th percentile for acclaim.

Acclaim · how much people like their films

29thpercentile
Typical film, the median of 5

Approval · how many liked their films

26thpercentile
Typical film, the median of 5

Reach · how many have seen their films

54thpercentile
Typical film, the median of 5

Midcredits score across 15 titles, by percentile

  • 50th to 74th4
  • 25th to 49th7
  • Below 25th4

Shape of the crowd

10 of their 15 titles are Mixed.

  • Crowd Pleaser4
  • Broadly Agreed1
  • Mixed10

Most divisive · actor

Rage and Honor (1992)

57th percentile spread · 28% rated it 4 or lower

Most loved · actor

Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles (1990)

Midcredits 74th · 65% liked

Reviewers score the acting 47/100 in their films, across 5 reviewed titles; fans 58, detractors 26. 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.

Who does Toshishiro Obata work with?

People who share at least 2 of Toshishiro Obata's MovieCove titles, grouped by what they did on them; Cynthia Rothrock shares the most, 3.

Directors

Writers

Actors

Composers, cinematographers and editors

Producers