BIO

Minoru Chiaki | 千秋実 was born Katsuji Sasaki in Bifuka, Hokkaido, Japan, in 1917.   His father owned a mercantile store.   Chiaki graduated from Chuo University with degrees in economics and business, but decided to pursue a theatrical career.

He began his Japanese theatre training in 1937 and was working as a theater director when cast by the motion picture director Akira Kurosawa to appear, at the age of 32, in his first film, Stray Dog (1949).   He became a member of Kurosawa’s stock company and appeared in 11 of his films.

Chiaki suffered a brain hemorrhage in 1975, but within a year he had returned to film and television.

He won a Japan Academy Award for Actor for his portrayal of an Alzheimer's sufferer in Gray Sunset (1985).

After appearing more than 80 films, his last picture was released in 1987.

Chiaki married Fumie Sasaki, daughter of actor/director Takamaru Sasaki (1898-1986).   The couple raised three children, one of whom is the actor Katsuhiko Sasaki (1944-).

Chiaki died of acute respiratory and coronary failure in Tokyo, in 1999.   He was 82 years old.

NOTED FILMS