DIRECTOR · FROM NUMAZU, GIAPPONE

Masato Harada

1949–202540 credits since 1979

TenseGrittyDarkMelancholicThe underworld

ABOUT MASATO

Masato Harada is a Japanese film director, film critic, and sometimes an actor; he is best known to foreign audiences as Omura in The Last Samurai and as Mr Mita in Fearless.

Biography from Wikipedia, CC BY-SA. Credits and photos from TMDB.

Born3 July 1949

Died8 December 2025

BirthplaceNumazu, Giappone

Known forDirecting

On Cineora17 of 40 titles

Known for

The titles people know Masato from.

Movie

Hell Dogs

2022IMDb6.7

Movie

Gunhed

1989IMDb5.3

Movie

Inugami

2001IMDb6.0

Movie

Killing for the Prosecution

2018IMDb6.3

Movie

Sekigahara

2017IMDb6.3

Movie

Bounce Ko Gals

1997IMDb7.1

Movie

The Emperor in August

2015IMDb6.6

Movie

Kamikaze Taxi

1995IMDb7.6

Movie

Bad Lands

2023IMDb6.0

Movie

Chronicle of My Mother

2012IMDb7.2

Movie

Kakekomi

2015IMDb6.9

Movie

Baragaki: Unbroken Samurai

2021IMDb6.3

Career

IMDb rating of each title they made on Cineora, by year.

Titles on Cineora: 17
Average IMDb: 6.5
Highest rated: Kamikaze TaxiIMDb 7.6
Working since: 1979

Size: how widely seen

Filmography

40 credits

The 2020s

3 titles · IMDb 6.3 on average

Movie

Bad Lands

2023IMDb6.0

Director · Screenplay · Producer

Movie

Hell Dogs

2022IMDb6.7

Director · Screenplay

Movie

Baragaki: Unbroken Samurai

2021IMDb6.3

Director · Screenplay

The 2010s

6 titles · IMDb 6.7 on average

Movie

Killing for the Prosecution

2018IMDb6.3

Director · Screenplay

Movie

Sekigahara

2017IMDb6.3

Director · Screenplay

Movie

The Emperor in August

2015IMDb6.6

Director · Screenplay

Movie

Kakekomi

2015IMDb6.9

Director · Screenplay

Movie

Chronicle of My Mother

2012IMDb7.2

Director · Screenplay

Not on Cineora

Early Autumn

2011

Director · Writer

The 2000s

7 titles · IMDb 6.3 on average

Movie

Climber's High

2008IMDb6.5

Director · Screenplay

Not on Cineora

The Shadow Spirit

2007

Director · Writer

Not on Cineora

The Suicide Song

2007

Director · Writer

Not on Cineora

Beat Kids

2005

Writer

Not on Cineora

Bluestockings

2005

Director · Writer

Not on Cineora

The Choice of Hercules

2002

Director · Screenplay

Movie

Inugami

2001IMDb6.0

Director · Screenplay · Writer

The 1990s

14 titles · IMDb 6.4 on average

Not on Cineora

Jubaku: Spellbound

1999

Director

Movie

Ring 2

1999IMDb5.8

Producer

Movie

The Spiral

1998IMDb5.2

Producer

Movie

Bounce Ko Gals

1997IMDb7.1

Director · Writer

Not on Cineora

Rowing Through

1996

Director

Not on Cineora

Trouble-Shooters

1995

Director · Writer

Movie

Kamikaze Taxi

1995IMDb7.6

Director · Writer

Not on Cineora

Painted Desert - TUFF Theatrical Edition

1994

Director · Writer · Producer

The 1980s

7 titles · IMDb 5.3 on average

Movie

Gunhed

1989IMDb5.3

Director · Screenplay

Not on Cineora

The Heartbreak Yakuza

1987

Director · Screenplay

Not on Cineora

Onyanko the Movie - One Shot Crisis!

1986

Director · Screenplay

Not on Cineora

Paris/Dakar 1500

1986

Director · Writer

Not on Cineora

Terra Warrior Ψ BOY

1985

Writer

Not on Cineora

Out of Focus

1985

Director

Not on Cineora

Windy Story

1984

Director · Writer

The 1970s

1 title

Not on Cineora

Goodbye, Flickmania

1979

Director · Screenplay

Often works with

The people who keep turning up in Masato’s titles.

Koji YakushoSekigahara, Bounce Ko Gals and 3 more

Takahide ShibanushiCinematographer · Hell Dogs, Killing for the Prosecution and 3 more

Tsutomu YamazakiKilling for the Prosecution, The Emperor in August and 2 more

Kenichi YajimaInugami, Killing for the Prosecution and 2 more

Harumi FuukiComposer · Sekigahara, The Emperor in August and 2 more

Junichi OkadaHell Dogs, Sekigahara and 1 more

Shinichi TsutsumiThe Emperor in August, Kakekomi and 1 more