Isao Kimura

Isao Kimura (木村 功, Kimura Isao, 22 June 1923 – 4 July 1981), also credited as Kō Kimura, was a Japanese stage and film actor who appeared in over a hundred films. He collaborated with notable directors such as Akira Kurosawa, Mikio Naruse, Tadashi Imai and Yoshishige Yoshida. Born in Hiroshima City, Kimura graduated from the Bunka Gakuin school, Tokyo, in 1943. In 1945, he tragically lost his parents in the atomic bombing of Hiroshima and was personally exposed to radiation. He joined the Haiyuza Theatre Company in 1946, but after four years left to form the Youth Actor Club (Gekidan Seihai) along with Eiji Okada and Nobuo Kaneko. Kimura's acting career spanned from 1942 to 1981, during which he made significant appearances in films like Kurosawa's 'Stray Dog', 'Seven Samurai' and 'Ikiru'. In addition to his film work, he was also associated with the Seihai theatre company and made numerous television appearances. His life was cut short at the age of 58 due to cancer.