**Takashi Shimura (1905-1982)** was a Japanese actor, renowned for his prolific collaboration with director Akira Kurosawa. He played key roles in many of his masterpieces, notably *Ikiru* (1952), where he portrayed the unforgettable dying bureaucrat searching for meaning in life, and *Seven Samurai* (1954), as the wise and weary leader Kambei. He also appeared in *Rashomon* (1950) and *Godzilla* (1954).

His style was characterized by a sober dignity and profound humanity. He often portrayed figures of authority, mentors, or common men facing moral or existential dilemmas with great emotional depth, becoming one of the most iconic and respected faces of post-war Japanese cinema.