film shown after the Cultural Revolution. He also starred the titular assassin in Junya Satō's Golgo 13 (1973), a Japanese–Iranian production and the first live-action adaptation of the Japanese manga series Golgo 13. He appeared in three films since 2000: in May 2001, Riding Alone for Thousands of Miles, by Chinese director Zhang Yimou, in late December 2005, and Yasuo Furuhata's Anata e (Dearest) in late August 2012, after a six-year hiatus. He died of lymphoma on November 10, 2014. Shintaro Ishihara described him as "the last big star (in Japan)." A huge number of Chinese internet users expressed their sympathies and condolences, including many celebrities in the Chinese movie industry. The spokesman of China's Ministry of Foreign Affairs Hong Lei said that Takakura made significant contributions to the cultural exchange between China and Japan. A documentary based on Takakura's life entitled Ken San premiered at the 2016 Cannes Film Festival and was released in Japanese theaters on August 20, 2016. It was directed by photographer Yuichi Hibi and features interviews with filmmakers and actors such as Martin Scorsese, Paul Schrader, Michael Douglas, John Woo, and Yoji Yamada. Filmography Honours Japan Academy Prize for Outstanding Performance by an Actor in a Leading Role 1978 – as Yusaku Shima, in The Yellow Handkerchief 1981 – as Kōsaku Tajima, in A Distant Cry from Spring 1982 – as Eiji Mikami, in Station 1999 – as Otomatsu Satō, in Poppoya Japan Academy Prize for Special Award of Honour from the Association 2013 Blue Ribbon Awards 1977 – as Yusaku Shima, in The Yellow Handkerchief 1999 – as Otomatsu Satō, in Poppoya Japanese Medal of Honor (Purple Ribbon) (1998) Person of Cultural Merit (2006) Order of Culture (2013) Junior Third Rank (2014; posthumous) References External links 1931 births 2014 deaths People from Nakama, Fukuoka Japanese male film actors Actors from Fukuoka Prefecture Recipients of the Medal with Purple Ribbon Persons of Cultural Merit Recipients of the Order of Culture Meiji University alumni Musicians from Fukuoka Prefecture Deaths from cancer in Japan Deaths from lymphoma