Actor
Chishū Ryū
Born 13 May 1904 · Tachibana, Kumamoto Prefecture, Japan — died 16 March 1993
Chishū Ryū (1904–1993) was a Japanese actor who appeared in well over 100 films from 1928. He was the favourite performer of director Yasujirō Ozu, often playing quiet, dignified fathers. Later generations also knew him as the gentle Buddhist priest in Yoji Yamada's Tora-san series.
Key films
Tokyo Story (1953)On Cinespective
His restrained performance as the elderly father anchors Ozu's best-known masterpiece about ageing parents and distant children.
Late Spring (1949)
Plays the widowed father in the first of Ozu's postwar family dramas, a defining role of his career.
I Was Born, But... (1932)
An early Ozu silent comedy showing their long collaboration at an early stage.
There Was a Father (1942)
Plays the father in Ozu's wartime drama about a parent and son, a theme central to his persona.
An Autumn Afternoon (1962)
Plays a widowed father in Ozu's final film, closing their decades-long partnership.
Key awards
No major awards are documented here.
On Cinespective
Full filmography · 298
- 1928Dreams of YouthActor
- 1928Couple on the MoveActor
- 1928PumpkinActor
- 1928Wife LostActor
- 1928Physical BeautyActor
- 1929Days of Youth · as StudentActor
- 1930That Night's Wife · as PolicemanActor
- 1930I Flunked, But... · as StudentActor
- 1931The Lady and the Beard · as (uncredited)Actor
- 1932I Was Born, But... · as Home movie projectionistActor
- 1932Where Now Are the Dreams of Youth? · as ShimazakiActor
- 1933Woman of Tokyo · as ReporterActor
- 1933Passing Fancy · as Man on BoatActor
- 1933Dragnet Girl · as PolicemanActor
- 1933LoveActor
- 1934A Story of Floating Weeds · as Shouting Audience Member (uncredited)Actor
- 1934A Mother Should Be Loved · as HattoriActor
- 1934Street Without End · as Yukihiko ChibaActor
- 1935An Inn in Tokyo · as PolicemanActor
- 1936The Only Son · as Okubo, Ryosuke's teacherActor
- 1936The New Road: AkemiActor
- 1936Housewife CamelliaActor
- 1936College Is a Nice Place · as AmanoActor
- 1936Boy Aviation PilotsActor
- 1937Children in the Wind · as PolicemanActor
- 1937The Lights of Asakusa · as Shin'ichi KatoriActor
- 1937The Golden Demon · as Kuranosuke KazahayaActor
- 1937Moon Over the Ruins · as ConductorActor
- 1937A Star Athlete · as TaniActor
- 1937Song of the Flower Basket · as Nenkai HottaActor
- 1937Don't Tell Your Wife About It · as GeorgeActor
- 1937Goodbye to the FrontActor
- 1938Queen of the WindActor
- 1939A Brother and His Younger Sister · as Seizaburō UtsumiActor
- 1939New Woman Question and AnswerActor
- 1939Mother is StrongActor
- 1939Southern WindActor
- 1939Spring ThunderActor
- 1940Utsukushiki RinjinActor
- 1940Seisen aiba fu: Akatsuki ni inoruActor
- 1941Brothers and Sisters of the Toda Family · as Shojiro's FriendActor
- 1941Ornamental Hairpin · as NanmuraActor
- 1941Introspection Tower · as Mr. KusamaActor
- 1941Let's Go in Good Spirits · as The BossActor
- 1941FlowerActor
- 1942There Was a Father · as Shuhei HorikawaActor
- 1942South WindActor
- 1942South Wind 2Actor
- 1943Port of Flowers · as NobadamaActor
- 1943Navy · as Major KikuchiActor
- 1943Kaisen no ZenyaActor
- 1943Our Planes Fly South · as Teacher MatsukiActor
- 1943Three Sons And Two Daughters At HomeActor
- 1943Air Raid of the Enemy PlaneActor
- 1944Army · as Tomosuke TakagiActor
- 1944The Man Who Has ReturnedActor
- 1944Sailor · as Teacher (uncredited)Actor
- 1945The Young Women of IzuActor
- 1945Saigo no joitoActor
- 1945Gekimetsu no uta · as 河上耕造Actor
- 1945Otome no iru kichiActor
- 1945Sennichimae fukinActor
- 1946Iki na fûraibô · as Chôgorô YamamotoActor
- 1946The Woman Who Holds the KeyActor
- 1947Record of a Tenement Gentleman · as TashiroActor
- 1947The Fellows Who Ate the ElephantActor
- 1948A Hen in the Wind · as Kazuichiro SatakeActor
- 1948A Visage to RememberActor
- 1948Children Hand in Hand · as Mr. MatsumuraActor
- 1948Great X · as Chief of policeActor
- 1948Living ImageActor
- 1948The Man of Rumor · as 藤森甚三Actor
- 1948A Woman Who Convicts MenActor
- 1948The Fourth LadyActor
- 1949Late Spring · as Shukichi SomiyaActor
- 1949Ishimatsu of the ForestActor
- 1949Forgotten ChildrenActor
- 1949Kekkon SanjûshiActor
- 1950The Munekata Sisters · as Tadachika MunekataActor
- 1950The Actress and the DetectiveActor
- 1950KazanmyakuActor
- 1950Escape Between Midnight and DawnActor
- 1951Early Summer · as Koichi MamiyaActor
- 1951Carmen Comes Home · as PrincipalActor
- 1951Boyhood · as FatherActor
- 1951The Good Fairy · as Ryôen TobaActor
- 1951Fireworks Over the Sea · as Tarobei KamiyaActor
- 1951Home Sweet Home · as Kosaku UemuraActor
- 1951Beauty of LifeActor
- 1951Freedom SchoolActor
- 1952The Flavor of Green Tea Over Rice · as Sadao HirayamaActor
- 1952Youth of the Son · as Mr. UemuraActor
- 1952The WavesActor
- 1952Jinsei Gekijo: dai ichi buActor
- 1952KyōshūActor
- 1952Kare o korosu naActor
- 1952DôkokuActor
- 1953Tokyo Story · as Shukichi HirayamaActor
- 1953Love LetterActor
- 1953Always in My HeartActor
- 1953Always in My Heart Part 2Actor
- 1953Mole AlleyActor
- 1953SistersActor
- 1953Aiyoku no sabakiActor
- 1953Jinsei Gekijo: dai ni buActor
- 1954Twenty-Four Eyes · as Otoko SenseiActor
- 1954Always in My Heart Part 3Actor
- 1954慶安水滸傳 · as 神尾備前守Actor
- 1954Youth’s Romance Seat: Sitting on the Green GrassActor
- 1954Haru no WakakusaActor
- 1954Autumn Interlude · as MichioActor
- 1954新婚たくあん夫婦 · as 品川夏堂Actor
- 1955The Moon Has Risen · as Asai MokichiActor
- 1955She Was Like a Wild Chrysanthemum · as Masao - Age 73Actor
- 1955The First Kiss · as HasegawaActor
- 1955Stray Sheep · as Professor HirotaActor
- 1955All is Well 2Actor
- 1955All is Well · as Shingo MoriActor
- 1955Striving to LiveActor
- 1955Salaryman Mejiro SanpeiActor
- 1955The RefugeeActor
- 1955Subarashiki shōtaiActor
- 1955The Immortal PitcherActor
- 1956Early Spring · as Kiichi OnoderaActor
- 1956Eyes of ChildrenActor
- 1956The StormActor
- 1956The Wicked BoyActor
- 1956Pure LoveActor
- 1956The Invisible 108th UnitActor
- 1956Everyone's SweetheartActor
- 1956Funny FellowsActor
- 1957Tokyo Twilight · as Shukichi SugiyamaActor
- 1957The Crowded Train · as Genroku, the fatherActor
- 1957Flying in the AirActor
- 1957The Story of Zenta and Sanpei in the Ghost WorldActor
- 1957The Face · as Det. HasegawaActor
- 1957Hearts A-Flutter · as Shingo WakasugiActor
- 1957The Last Escape · as Ryu KinihideActor
- 1957The Story of Zenta and Sanpei: Kids in the WindActor
- 1958Equinox Flower · as Shukichi MikamiActor
- 1958The Rickshaw Man · as Toyozo YukiActor
- 1958The Eternal Rainbow · as Naoji KageyamaActor
- 1958The College Hero · as Professor FujiiActor
- 1958White BlazeActor
- 1958Whirlpool of FlowersActor
- 1959Good Morning · as Keitaro HayashiActor
- 1959Floating Weeds · as Theatre OwnerActor
- 1959The Snow FlurryActor
- 1959Farewell to Spring · as Kôzô's fatherActor
- 1959I Want to Be a Shellfish · as KomiyaActor
- 1959A Killed Stewardess: White or Black · as Detective ShiozakiActor
- 1959The Path Under the Platanes · as Ichiro IshimaruActor
- 1959Love in the MountainsActor
- 1959BridgeActor
- 1959The White Road Across the RiverActor
- 1960The Bad Sleep Well · as Public Prosecutor NonakaActor
- 1960Late Autumn · as Shukichi MiwaActor
- 1960Satan's Sword · as TsukueActor
- 1960The Wandering Princess · as KinoshitaActor
- 1960Daughters, Wives and a Mother · as Old man in the parkActor
- 1960Spring Dreams · as Shinichirô AtsumiActor
- 1960Master Fencer Sees the WorldActor
- 1960Salaryman Sampei Meijiro: Sighing HusbandActor
- 1960Internees of Kampili · as Vice-Admiral ShibataActor
- 1960Only She KnowsActor
- 1960Storm on the Silvery Peaks · as MonkActor
- 1960Salaryman Sampei Meijiro: A Wife's Virginal FaceActor
- 1961The Human Condition III: A Soldier's Prayer · as Hinanmin no ChôrôActor
- 1961The End of Summer · as FarmerActor
- 1961The Last War · as EbaraActor
- 1961Bandits on the WindActor
- 1961The Youth and His AmuletActor
- 1961Door of FlowersActor
- 1961A Good Man, A Good Day · as Ozeki HitoshiActor
- 1961Shin Jinsei GekijoActor
- 1961Student ExecutiveActor
- 1962An Autumn Afternoon · as Shuhei HirayamaActor
- 1962Love Under the Crucifix · as Sokei NamboActor
- 1962The Wiser Age · as Kinjiro IshikawaActor
- 1962Four SistersActor
- 1962Dolls floating down the river · as NeighborActor
- 1962Zoku aizen katsuraActor
- 1962Flower in a StormActor
- 1962Yoru no keishaActor
- 1962Drunkard's ParadiseActor
- 1963Futari dake no torideActor
- 1963Tange SazenActor
- 1963A Prisoner in Search of DaughterActor
- 1963A Million Girls · as Atsufumi YashiroActor
- 1963Rush to Our SweetheartActor
- 1963Double Wedding · as Noriko's FatherActor
- 1963Sakiko-san chotto · as 中川正一Actor
- 1963The House Where Flowers BloomActor
- 1964Let's Dance Bon-Odori in Hawaii · as Gôzô TôyamaActor
- 1964Gazing at Love and DeathActor
- 1964I'm a BodyguardActor
- 1964DislikesActor
- 1964Blue Eyed Bride · as Maruhashi GotaroActor
- 1964Monrō no yōna onnaActor
- 1965Red Beard · as Mr. YasumotoActor
- 1965The Radish and the CarrotActor
- 1965The Soundless Cry · as TatenoActor
- 1965The Four Loves · as Heitarô MisawaActor
- 1966Come Marry Me · as Tamotsu's GrandfatherActor
- 1966Warm Current · as Yasuhide ShimaActor
- 1966OyukiActor
- 1966Ohana han: Dai ni buActor
- 1967Japan's Longest Day · as Prime Minister Baron Kantaro SuzukiActor
- 1967Traveling in PartyActor
- 1967The Black SheepActor
- 1968The Human Bullet · as Bookstore OwnerActor
- 1968Scrap CollectorsActor
- 1969Tora-san, Our Lovable Tramp · as 御前样Actor
- 1969Tora-san's Cherished Mother · as 御前样Actor
- 1969Battle of the Japan Sea · as General Maresuke NogiActor
- 1969Fight for the GloryActor
- 1969Through Days and MonthsActor
- 1970Where Spring Comes Late · as Genzo, So's fatherActor
- 1970Tora-san, His Tender Love · as 御前样Actor
- 1970Tora-san's Runaway · as 御前样Actor
- 1970Tora-san's Grand Scheme · as 御前样Actor
- 1970The Last KamikazeActor
- 1970High-School Outcasts · as Instructor TakeyamaActor
- 1971Tora-san, the Good Samaritan · as 御前样Actor
- 1971Tora-san's Love Call · as 御前样Actor
- 1971Tora-san's Shattered Romance · as 御前样Actor
- 1971Otoko Ippiki Gaki DaishoActor
- 1972Home from the Sea · as Ishizaki SenzoActor
- 1972Tora-san's Dream-Come-True · as 御前样Actor
- 1972Tora-san's Dear Old Home · as 御前样Actor
- 1973Miyamoto Musashi · as TakuanActor
- 1973Tora-san's Forget Me Not · as 御前样Actor
- 1973Tora-san Loves an Artist · as 御前样Actor
- 1973Flower and DragonActor
- 1973Kigeki: Otoko no nakidokoro · as 巨匠Actor
- 1974The Castle of Sand · as Kojuro KiriharaActor
- 1974Tora-san's Lullaby · as 御前样Actor
- 1974Tora-san's Lovesick · as 御前样Actor
- 1974Machi no Hi · as TakushokuActor
- 1974Nagare no Fu Part I: Disturbance, Part II: DawnActor
- 1975Tora-san, the Intellectual · as 御前样Actor
- 1975Tora-san Meets the Songstress Again · as 御前样Actor
- 1975Kyukei no KoyaActor
- 1976Tora-san's Sunrise and Sunset · as 御前样Actor
- 1976Tora-san's Pure Love · as 御前样Actor
- 1976Oretachi no tokiActor
- 1977Tora-san Plays Cupid · as 御前样Actor
- 1977Tora-san Meets His Lordship · as 御前样Actor
- 1978Stage-Struck Tora-san · as 御前样Actor
- 1978Talk of the Town Tora-san · as 御前样Actor
- 1978Monument to Holy ServiceActor
- 1979Tora-san's Dream of Spring · as 御前样Actor
- 1979Tora-san, the Matchmaker · as 御前样Actor
- 1980Foster Daddy, Tora! · as 御前样Actor
- 1980Tora-san's Tropical Fever · as 御前样Actor
- 1981Tora-san's Love in Osaka · as 御前样Actor
- 1981Tora-san's Promise · as 御前样Actor
- 1982Hearts and Flowers for Tora-san · as 御前样Actor
- 1982Tora-san, the Expert · as 御前样Actor
- 1982The Longest Tunnel · as Saiji AkutsuActor
- 1982When We are OldActor
- 1983I Lived, But... · as SelfActor
- 1983Lanterns on Blue WatersActor
- 1983Tora-san's Song of Love · as 御前样Actor
- 1983Tora-san Goes Religious? · as 御前样Actor
- 1983Kita no kuni kara '83 FuyuActor
- 1984The Funeral · as The PriestActor
- 1984Marriage Counselor Tora-san · as 御前样Actor
- 1984Tora-san's Forbidden Love · as 御前样Actor
- 1984Gubijinsô: Maboroshi no ai ni hateta murasaki no onna!Actor
- 1985Mishima: A Life in Four Chapters · as Tayama DosenActor
- 1985Tokyo-Ga · as SelfActor
- 1985And ThenActor
- 1985Tora-san, the Go-Between · as 御前样Actor
- 1985Tora-san's Island Encounter · as 御前样Actor
- 1985When Winter ComesActor
- 1986Final Take: The Golden Age of MoviesActor
- 1986Tora-san's Bluebird Fantasy · as 御前样Actor
- 1986The Greatest Man in the World · as HermitActor
- 1987Tora-san Goes North · as The High PriestActor
- 1987Tora-san Plays Daddy · as 御前样Actor
- 1987Carefree GoddessesActor
- 1987Crybaby ChachaActor
- 1988A Taxing Woman's Return · as Former PriestActor
- 1988Tora-san's Salad-Day Memorial · as 御前样Actor
- 1988Chishu Ryu and Shochiku's Ofuna Studio · as SelfActor
- 1989Tora-san, My Uncle · as 御前样Actor
- 1989Tora-san Goes to Vienna · as 御前样Actor
- 1989Until Spring ComesActor
- 1990Dreams · as Old ManActor
- 1990Tora-san Takes a Vacation · as 御前样Actor
- 1990Making of 'Dreams' · as SelfActor
- 1990Wim Wenders in Tokyo · as SelfActor
- 1991Until the End of the World · as Mr. MoriActor
- 1991Tora-san Confesses · as 御前样Actor
- 1992Luminous Moss · as JudgeActor
- 1992Tora-san Makes Excuses · as 御前样Actor
- 1997Tora-san's Tropical Fever Special Version · as 御前样Actor
Filmography data from TMDB. The profile text is a draft written for Cinespective.