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Ken Takakura

Ken Takakura, Japanese actor and singer (died 2014)

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Born
February 16, 1931
Died
November 10, 2014
Zodiac sign
Aquarius
Birth year
1931

About Ken Takakura

Ken Takakura, born Takeichi Oda, was a Japanese actor and singer who appeared in over 200 films. Affectionately referred to as "Ken-san" by audiences, he was best known for his brooding style and the stoic presence he brought to his roles. He won the Japan Academy Prize for Outstanding Performance by an Actor in a Leading Role four times, tied with Koji Yakusho for the most ever. Takakura additionally received the Japanese Medal of Honor with purple ribbon in 1998, the Person of Cultural Merit award in 2006, and the Order of Culture in 2013. Ken Takakura (Japanese: 高倉 健, Hepburn: Takakura Ken), born Takeichi Oda (小田 剛一, Oda Takeichi; February 16, 1931 – November 10, 2014), was a Japanese actor and singer who appeared in over 200 films. By the time Takakura left Toei in 1976, he had appeared in over 180 films.

Biography source: Wikipedia. The profile adds birthday-specific historical context from the Celebs Birthday Today editorial database.

Ken Takakura timeline

  1. Ken Takakura (Japanese: 高倉 健, Hepburn: Takakura Ken), born Takeichi Oda (小田 剛一, Oda Takeichi; February 16, 1931 – November 10, 2014), was a Japanese actor and singer who appeared in over 200 films.
  2. By the time Takakura left Toei in 1976, he had appeared in over 180 films.
  3. Takakura additionally received the Japanese Medal of Honor with purple ribbon in 1998, the Person of Cultural Merit award in 2006, and the Order of Culture in 2013.

The world when Ken Takakura was born

Ken Takakura was born in 1931. The year snapshot below places that birthday in its cultural and historical setting: the music and films people were following, the headlines shaping public life, and the everyday prices families encountered.

Culture in 1931

  • #1 song"Stardust" – Artie Shaw
  • Top movieFrankenstein
  • Best-selling bookThe Good Earth – Pearl S. Buck

Headlines and milestones

  • Major sports momentKnute Rockne dies in plane crash
  • Top headlineAl Capone convicted of tax evasion
  • Technology milestoneEmpire State Building completed
  • Defining fadJigsaw puzzles
  • Notable inventionElectric razor
  • World population2.10 billion

United States snapshot

  • U.S. leaderHerbert Hoover
  • Sports championSt. Louis Cardinals (World Series)
  • U.S. population124.0M

1931 versus 2026

These figures put everyday life in Ken Takakura's birth year beside the site's latest United States snapshot.

Measure19312026
Gas$0.17$3.45/gal
Average home$5,500$435,000
Average income$3,000$67,500
Movie ticket$0.25$11.95
Postage stamp$0.02$0.73
Population124.0M341 million

Sources and editorial standards

This profile combines a biographical source with structured birthday and historical context. Sources recorded for this profile: Wikipedia, MusicBrainz, Wikidata. See our editorial policy for sourcing, corrections, and review standards.

Read the source biography on Wikipedia. Wikipedia text is available under the Creative Commons Attribution-ShareAlike License.