Yasuaki Kurata

Acting

Yasuaki Kurata

Born 1946-03-20 · Niihari, Ibaraki Prefecture, Japan

Yasuaki Kurata (born March 20, 1946), a.k.a David Kurata, is a Japanese actor specializing in action movies. An accomplished martial artist, he has dan ranks in karate (5th degree), judo (3rd degree), and aikido (2nd degree). He is perhaps best known for his extended battle against Jet Li in Fist of Legend and for his villainous role in So Close. He is fluent in Cantonese. Kurata's home town is Sakura-mura, Niihari District, Ibaraki (now part of Tsukuba). Having studied performing arts at Nihon University and Toei Theater School, he began to work as an actor in the late 1960s. In 1971, Kurata made his Hong Kong debut in the Shaw Brothers Studio kung-fu movie Angry Guest  . Since then he has appeared in numerous other films and TV series within the genre. In addition to his work as an actor, Kurata runs the stunt agency Kurata Promotion (established 1976 under the name Kurata Action Club),  teaches at a private college (the University of Creation, Art, Music & Social Work),  is chief advisor to the All Japan Nunchaku League, and in 2004 published a book, Hong Kong Action Star Kōyūroku. Description above from the Wikipedia article Yasuaki Kurata, licensed under CC-BY-SA,full list of contributors on Wikipedia.

Acting credits

Police Story poster
7.6

Officer Chan Ka Kui manages to put a major Hong Kong drug dealer behind the bars practically alone, after a shooting and an impressive chase inside a slum. Now, he must protect the boss' secretary, Selina, who will testify against the gangster in court.

Police Story

1985

Shinjuku Incident poster
6.7

A simple Chinese immigrant wages a perilous war against one of the most powerful criminal organizations on the planet.

Shinjuku Incident

2009

Millionaires' Express poster
6.7

What happens when a glamorous express, with high government officials, wealthy merchants, concubines and a gang of brigands on board, speeds towards the small town of Hanshui, where escaping bank robbers, corrupt officials, and gamblers await? Well, let's just say the Titanic had a smoother maiden voyage.

Millionaires' Express

1986

Fist of Legend poster
7.5

Chen returns to his school when he finds out that his martial arts teacher has died. When he learns that his school students are harassed by some hooligans, he gears himself up to save them.

Fist of Legend

1994

The Seventh Curse poster
6.8

When Dr. Yuen attempts to rescue a girl about to be sacrificed by the Worm Tribe in the middle of a jungle in Thailand, he is damned with seven deadly "blood curses" and must return there to find a permanent cure.

The Seventh Curse

1986

Legend of the Fist: The Return of Chen Zhen poster
6.8

The Japanese forces occupy Shanghai and slowly start spreading terror in the city. Chen Zhen, who was presumed dead, returns to fight against the Japanese and put an end to their tyrannical rule.

Legend of the Fist: The Return of Chen Zhen

2010

So Close poster
6.9

A conflict of interest between two high-kicking assassin sisters is complicated as they're pursued by the criminals who hired them and an equally high-kicking female cop.

So Close

2002

Golden Job poster
6.2

A group of former mercenaries reunite to plan an epic heist: boosting a truck full of medicine held by a foreign intelligence agency to supply a refugee camp in need. But when they find the truck is actually filled with stolen gold, the band of brothers realize they’ve been double-crossed by one of their own - and putting the situation right will be all out war.

Golden Job

2018

Twinkle, Twinkle Lucky Stars poster
6.5

The third installment in the Lucky Stars series, following Winners and Sinners and My Lucky Stars. The team are released from prison to play detective in order to stop a ruthless gang from ruining their reputations, taking their lives, and that of a key witness in an upcoming trial. They must battle their way through and with the help of Muscles, take down the bad guys.

Twinkle, Twinkle Lucky Stars

1985

Mishima: A Life in Four Chapters poster
7.8

A fictional account of the life of Japanese author Yukio Mishima, combining dramatizations of three of his novels and a depiction of the events of November 25th, 1970.

Mishima: A Life in Four Chapters

1985

The Last Tycoon poster
6.4

Cheng, a young man who is set up by the chief of police, must leave the life he knows and Qiu, the woman he loves, to start again. After escaping prison Cheng quickly and violently moves his way up the ladder of Shanghais criminal underworld to become on the most powerful mob bosses in Shanghais history. But fame and notoriety take their toll when Cheng finds himself stuck between the looming Japanese army and the scheming local secret service. Matters are only made worse when he bumps into the love of his life QIU, along with her writer husband. Will love re-kindle in the dusk of an era?

The Last Tycoon

2012

Manhunt poster
5.6

Accused of a murder he didn't commit, a prosecutor sets out on a mission to clear his name.

Manhunt

2017

God of War poster
6.3

During the 16th century, pirates rule the Chinese coastline, pillaging the small villages and terrorizing the citizens. When maverick leader Commander Yu enlists the help of a sharp young general, they devise a plan to defeat the pirates. A violent clash of wit and weapons will decide who will rule the land.

God of War

2017

Blood: The Last Vampire poster
5.9

On the surface, Saya is a stunning 16-year-old, but that youthful exterior hides the tormented soul of a 400-year-old "halfling". Born to a human father and a vampire mother, she has for centuries been a loner obsessed with using her samurai skills to rid the world of vampires, all the while knowing that she herself can survive only on blood like those she hunts.

Blood: The Last Vampire

2009

Eastern Condors poster
7.3

A motley group of Chinese prisoners held in the US is sent on a covert mission with the promise of a pardon: to go deep into Vietnam and destroy a secret depot of missiles that the US left behind during the pull-out.

Eastern Condors

1987

Kanei Command Performance poster
NR

During the reign of Shogun Iemitsu, a great martial arts tournament was held to determine whether or not Iemitsu was to remain in power or cede it to his uncle, Yornobu, the 10th son of Ieyasu. Among the contestants were many expert swordsmen who have become well-known to this day. Warriors such as Yagyu Jubei (Kaga Takeshi), and Miyamoto Musashi (Matsukata Hiroki) headed up the slate. This was to be the all-star samurai match of the century. An amazing TV movie with non-stop action as Yagyu Jubei must save an emissary of the Ming and reach Edo in time to fight the crucial match.

Kanei Command Performance

1983

Bloodfight poster
5.9

Master martial artist Masahiro Kai is a shadow of the champion fighter and trainer he once was. After his protégé was slain in a no-holds-barred, underground fight by the incomparable Chang Lee, Kai slips into a numbing alcohol-induced stupor to try to forget the past.

Bloodfight

1989

The Wrath of Vajra poster
5.5

In the 1930s , a Japanese cult called The Temple of Hades was ordered to cooperate with the Japanese military to destroy China. They buy so many young children from poor family , who will be trained as a lethal killing machine and serve the Empire of Japan. One of them is Vajra , who was forced by his captors to fight for the food , and accidentally causing the death of his brother. Several years later , Vajra grown up and become one of the biggest killer in the Hades sect. Vajra escapes to China and joins Shaolin , where he receives spiritual enlightenment and determined to support China against Japan.

The Wrath of Vajra

2013

No artwork available
NR

A 1981 Hong Kong thriller from actress turned directed Kao Pao-Shu.

Seed of Evil

1981

Win Them All poster
5.3

Filial daughter seeks revenge on father's killer. She must associate with dishonest people to finance her mission.

Win Them All

1973

Ninja In The Deadly Trap poster
6.2

During the Ming Dynasty, as Japanese pirates wreak havoc along the Chinese coast, laying waste to entire towns, a band of ninjas start appearing and target the Chinese military commander, General Chi. The Master of the Three Arts (who possesses a book illustrating various ninja techniques) is the only one who can combat this new enemy, so he pledges that his students will join Chi's army in their fight to wipe out the killers.

Ninja In The Deadly Trap

1981

Aces Go Places II poster
6.3

An assassin called Filthy Harry is hired by a shady figure and charged with killing the heroes. The men are framed twice for different robberies by King Kong's new girlfriend, nearly committed to a mental hospital by their devious boss, and forced to battle Filthy Harry's weaponry-laden robot while covered with time bombs.

Aces Go Places II

1983

BLACKFOX: Age of the Ninja poster
6.6

The era when Samurai and Ninja existed in Japan. Rikka Isurugi was born and raised in a Ninja clan secluded from society. She soon meets Miya, a girl with a mysterious power, who is found lost in the mountains. As Rikka is concerned that someone is pursuing Miya, she also asks the head the of Isurugi Ninja Clan for permission to avenger her father's death. Soon Rikka faces danger with the attack of the Negoro group but…

BLACKFOX: Age of the Ninja

2019

Ninja Wars: BlackFox vs Shogun's Ninja poster
NR

Rikka Isurugi (Chihiro Yamamoto), head of the Fox Clan, is investigating the "White Lotus," a mysterious cult suspected of plotting a rebellion against the Shogunate. During her mission, she encounters Okyo (Kanon Miyahara), a Fuma Ninja dispatched by the Shogun. Their paths converge as they face a formidable common enemy: the Iga Ninja clan, led by Hattori Hanzo (Kane Kosugi), who harbors a deep vengeance against the Tokugawa family. A three-way conflict between the Fox Clan, Fuma Ninja, and Iga Ninja is about to begin.

Ninja Wars: BlackFox vs Shogun's Ninja

2026

Behind the camera