Toshiro Mifune -Biography-

-TOSHIRO MIFUNE-
	Birth name		MIFUNE,TOSHIRO
	Date of birth		1 April 1920
	Date of death		24 December 1997
	Avocation		horseback riding,　shooting, swordplay
	Hobby	Car	He had loved his MG-TD 1952-Type for 45 years. Also he owened several cars like Rolls-Royce Silver Cloud 1962-Type which he bought when he acted in "Grand Prix".
	Hobby	Ship	He owened a cabin cruiser.
	1920		He was born as a first son to a trading merchant and photo studio manager Tokuzo Mifune in Tsingtao, China.
	1925	5	His family moved to Dalian, China, and his father set up "Star Photo Studio".
	1934	14	He entered Dalian Junior Highschool.
	1938	18	He graduated the junior highschool.
	1940	20	He was drafted. He passed for Ko-type, and joined the seventh flying squad of the Manchuria Imperial Army Airforce. In the flying squad, since he had experience and knowledge of a photograph, He was assigned to the photograph department and took charge of the aerial photographs.
	1941	21	He was transferred to the eighth flying squad's educational department of Manchuria Imperial Army Airforce. Then, since they draw off troops , he moved to Yokaichi,Shiga .
	1945	25	He faced the end of the war at Kamikaze base in Kumanosho, Kumamoto, where he had transferred to.
	1946	26	He visted his senior Mr.Toshiharu Ohyama who worked for Toho Movie studio's photography division, to call on him for photographer's assistant job. His resume was received as one for the first audition in the studio's "New Face" talent hunt "by some mistake".He attracted the movie director Mr. Yamamoto's attention and passed the audition as a fill-in actor.
	1947	27	Mifune was still waiting for the opening of filming division rather than being an actor. 「Ginrei no hate」 Movie director Mr. Senkichi Taniguchi persuaded him to act in his film Sonw Trail and Mifune made his debut.
	1948	28	He was selected as one of the maincast of Drunken Angel 「Yoidore Tenshi」, which is an Kurosawa film. He obtained a major popularity by the sucusess of this film.
	1950	30	He got married to Sachiko Yoshimine who was also an actress of Toho New Face of the first year.
	1951	31	「Rashomon」(director- Akira Kurosawa) was awarded Grand Prix of Venice Film Festival. This made him take the first step toward an ineternational actor.
	1952	32	He won Blue Ribbon Best Actor by performance of The Life of a Horsetrader(Bakurou Ichidai :Director- Keigo Kimura) and other films.
	1953	33	He acted in the first naval and aerial warfare movie after the war Eagle of the Pacific「Taikeiyo no Washi」 (Director-Inoshiro Honda).
	1954	34	「Seven Samurai」(Director-Akira Kurosawa) was released.
	1955	35	He played the part of an aged person for the first time in I Live Fear 「Ikimono no kiroku」(Director-Akira Kurosawa) First episode of Samurai「Miyamoto Musashi」(Director-Hirosi Inagaki) trilogy won the Oscar for Best Foreign Language Film.
	1957	37	Throne of Blood「Kumonosu jyou」and The Lower Depth were released. 「Donzoko」(Director- both Akira Kurosawa)
	1958	38	The Hidden Fortress「Kakushitoride no sanakunin」 (Director-Akira Kurosawa) was released. He was awarded Best Actor of Mainichi Film Awards by Throne of Blood and The Lower Depth (Director-Akira Kurosawa).
	1959	39	The Rikisha Man 「Muho Matsu no issho」 (Director- Hiroshi Inagaki) in which Mifune starred was awarded Grand Prix of Venice Film Festival.
	1960	40	He attended the opening ceremony of Venice Film Festival. The Bad Sleep Well「Warui yatsu hodo yoku nemuru」 was released. (Director-Akira Kurosawa)
	1961	41	He starred in a Mexican movie El Hombre importante 「Kachi aru otoko」for the first time in foreign films. He won Best Actor of Venice Film Festival by performance of 「Yojimbo」 (Director- Akira Kurosawa).
	1962	42	He established Mifune Production and become representative director. He was awarded Blue Ribbon Best Actor , Best Actor of Nihon Kishakai and Best Actor of Kinema-Junpo by Yojimbo. (Director - Akira Kurosawa) Sanjyuro「Sanjuro Tsubaki」 (Director- Akira Kurosawa) was released.
	1963	43	His first directed movie The Legacy of the 500.000 「Gojyuman-nin no Isan」was filmed by Mifune Production collaborating with Takarazuka Movie Studio. High and Low「Tengoku to Jigoku」 (Director-Akira Kurosawa) was released.
	1965	45	He became independent from Toho Studio which he had exclusive contract with. His last movie with Kurosawa, Red Beard 「Akahige」won the Best Actor of venice Film Festival for the third time.
	1966	46	He built Mifune-Pro Movie Studio equipped with studios and open-air sets at Seijyo Setagaya in Tokyo. He was awarded Blue Ribbon Best Actor and Best Actor of Nihon Kishakai by Red Beard. A Tunnel In The Sun (Kurobe no Taiyo: Director- Kei Kumai) was made by Mifune Production collaborating with Ishihara Production. Mifune acted in the film, too.
	1967	47	Mifune Production's first TV series Momotaro Zamurai(NTV) was started. He acted in an American movie Grand Prix (Director- John Frankenheimer).
	1968	48	A Tunnel In The Sun (Kurobe no Taiyo: Director- Kei Kumai) was made by Mifune Production collaborating with Ishihara Production. Mifune acted in the film, too. He was awarded Minister of Education Prize of Geijyutu Sensho by the performance of Rebellion 「Joiuchi」（Director-Masaki Kobayashi) and other films. He played the leading role in Hell in the Pacific (Director-John Boorman).
	1969	49	He was awarded Best Actor of Kinema-junpo by A Tunnel In The Sun「Kurobe no Taiyo」(Director-Kei Kumai) and other films.
	1970	50	He appeared in TV commercial "Otokoha damatte Sapporo Biiru : Reticent Guy with Sapporo Beer "
	1971	51	He co-starred with Alain Delon and Charles Bronson in Red Sun.(Director-Terence Young)
	1972年	52	He acted in Koya no Suronin: Masterless Samurai in the Wilderness (NET), TV movie seriese of Mifune Production.
	1975	55	American movie Midway (Director-Jack Smite) started shooting. He played the roll for Adminal Isoroku Yamamoto, co-starred with Charleton Heston and Henry Fonda.
	1976	56	He acted in TV series Ken to Kaze to Komoriuta: Sord, Wind and Lullaby.(NTV)
	1978	58	He acted in TV series Edo no Taka: Hawk of Edo.( TV asahi)
	1979	59	He acted in American movie 1941 (Director-Steven Spielberg).
	1981	61	He opened Mifune Geijyutu Gakuin, a school for actors, actresses and talents.
	1983	63	"Toshiro Mifune Festival " was held in Chicago. It was held also in New York next year.
	1986	66	He was granted Medal with Purple Ribbon. "UCLA gave him UCLA Medal which had comparable worth to honorary degree.
	1987	67	He acted in Otoko ha Turaiyo/Shiretoko Bojyo:It's tough to be a man. (Director-Yoji Yamada)
	1988	68	He won Blue Ribbon Best Supporting Actor and Best Supporting Actor of Mainichi Film Awards by Otoko ha Tsuraiyo/ Shiretoko Ryojyo.
	1989	69	French government conferred Art and Literature Decoration on him. Sennno Rikyu/ Hongakubou Ibun (Director-Kei Kumai) was released.
	1990	70	He attended the parade of Sakura Festival in San Francisco.
	1991	71	He participated in the performance of Dainippon Kyuuba Kai:Imperial Japanese archery and equestrian art, held at Chante Race Track in Paris.
	1993	73	He received Order of the Sacred Treasure, Gold Rays with Neck Ribbon.
	1995	75	He was awarded Chairman's Special Prize of Japan Academy Awards with Machiko Kyo, Isuzu Yamada, Utaemon Ichikawa and others. His posthumous Fukai kawa: Deep River (Director- Kei Kumai) was released.
	1997	77	He died in the hospital of Tokyo Mitaka-shi for multiple organ failure on December 24th"
	1998		The farewell service was held by the joint funeral of Toho, Kurosawa production, and Mifune Production at Aoyama Funeral hall in Tokyo on January 24th.
	number shows approximate age.