Kazuo Hasegawa (1908-1984) was one of the most celebrated and prolific actors in Japanese cinema and theater. His career, which began in the 1920s under the stage name Chōjirō Hayashi, spans over three hundred films, ranging from silent to sound cinema. He is best known for his roles in *jidai-geki* (period dramas), where he portrayed samurai heroes, ronin, and tragic characters with great charisma, becoming one of the biggest male stars of his era. Among his most memorable performances are those in internationally acclaimed masterpieces such as Teinosuke Kinugasa's *Gate of Hell* (1953), winner of the Palme d'Or at Cannes, and Kenji Mizoguchi's *The Crucified Lovers* (1954). After retiring from film in 1963, he focused primarily on theater. For his extraordinary contribution to culture, in 1984 he was posthumously awarded the People's Honor Award, one of Japan's highest civilian honors.