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.

Filmography

• 2026Ninja Wars: BlackFox vs Shogun's Ninja — Hyoe Isurugi
• 2026The Living Dragon
• Pandora's Box — Hiroshi Kuroki
• Warriors Within — 武田寬
• 2019BLACKFOX: Age of the Ninja — Hyoe Isurugi
• Yasuragi no Toki: Michi
• 2018Fat Buddies
• 2018Golden Job — Morimoto
• 2018Iceman: The Time Traveler — Bei Tiao
• The Great Adventurer Wesley — 藤原龙太
• 2017God of War — Kumasawa
• 2017Manhunt — Hideo Sakaguchi
• 2017The Brink — Chen Ding-Kui
• 2017The Empty Hands — Akira Hirakawa
• 2017The One — 新右卫门大师
• 2015KIRI – Profession: Assassin — Saburi
• 2013The Wrath of Vajra — Amano Kawao
• 2012The Last Tycoon
• 2011Sword of Blood — Genjiro Mishima
• 2010Legend of the Fist: The Return of Chen Zhen — Chikaraishis Vater
• 2009Blood: The Last Vampire — Kato Takatora
• 2009Shinjuku Incident — Taro Watagawa
• 2006GoGo Sentai Boukenger The Movie: The Greatest Precious — Kouichi Akashi
• 2006Legend of Seven Monks — Santoku
• 2006Origin: Spirits of the Past — Producer
• 2005Dragon Get Angry
• GARO — Sonshi
• The Royal Swordsmen — 柳生但马守
• 2004Fights of Fury
• 2003Anna in Kungfu-land — Sword Shek
• 2003Yellow Dragon — Gouzaburo "Go" Azuma, Writer, Executive Producer
• 2002Samouraïs — Fujiwara Morio
• 2002So Close — Master
• 2001Dark War — Chang
• 2000Conman in Tokyo — Tetsuo
• 2000Ginza Midnight Story — Utopia
• 2000Ginza Midnight Story — Utopia 2
• 2000Quiet Don 11
• Fist Of Hero — 横山十兵卫
• 1996Quiet Don 10
• 1996Quiet Don 8
• 1996Quiet Don 9
• 1995Quiet Don 7
• 1994Fist of Legend — Fuimo Funakoshi
• 1994The Fighting King
• 1993My Home Yakuza
• 1993Quiet Don 5
• 1993Quiet Don 6
• 1992Quiet Don 3
• 1992Quiet Don 4
• 1992Violent Island: Dirty Money Hijack
• 1991The Devil's Messenger DEATH MESSENGER
• 1991Zodiac Killers — Ishikawa (cameo)
• 1989Above the War — Cook
• 1989Bloodfight — Masahiko Kai
• 1988Carry On Hotel — Tomohara
• 1988Seven Days War — Sakai
• 1987Eastern Condors — Vietnamese Captain
• 1986A Book of Heroes — Yamashita sensei
• 1986Millionaires' Express — Japanese Ninja
• 1986The Seventh Curse — Captain Ho
• 1985Mishima: A Life in Four Chapters — Takei
• 1985Police Story — Passerby (uncredited)
• 1985Twinkle, Twinkle Lucky Stars — Parachute Assassin
• 1984Ninja Thunderbolt
• 1984To Catch a Thief
• 1983Aces Go Places II — Bull
• 1983Crisis — Chairman Sun Shao Hung
• 1983Deadly Life of a Ninja — Iga Ninja Leader
• 1983Impossible Woman
• 1983Kanei Command Performance
• Gメン'82
• 1982Legend of a Fighter — Teacher Kong Ho San
• 1981Eijanaika — Hanjiro
• 1981Ninja In The Deadly Trap — Shi Ping-Wei, the Ninja Leader
• 1981Seed of Evil
• 1981Shaolin Fighters vs. Ninja — Lonely Winner
• 1981The Legend of the Owl
• 1980The Magnificent 3 — Japanese tourist
• 1978Edge of Fury — Mr King
• 1978Heroes of the East — Takeno
• 1977Secret of the Shaolin Poles — Tiger Lei (as Shoji Kurada)
• 1977V.I.P.
• 1976Dragon Princess — Masahiko Okizaki
• 1976Which Is Stronger, Karate or the Tiger? — Ryuzaki Tetsuji
• 1976Young Hero of Shaolin
• 1975Fighting Dragon — Lung Yen Fei (Dragon)
• 1975Fists for Revenge
• G-Men '75 — 草野刑事
• 1975The Golden Triangle
• 1975The Return of Sister Street Fighter — Go Kurosaki
• 1974Call Me Dragon — Panther / Leopard Head
• 1974Fatal Strike
• Fight! Dragon! — Dragon
• 1974Little Godfather from Hong Kong — Sakada (Chong)
• 1974Sister Street Fighter: Hanging by a Thread — Shunsuke Tsubaki
• 1974The Executioner — Kurayamada
• 1974The Fists of Vengeance — Kiro-san
• 1973A Gathering of Heroes
• 1973A Girl Called Tigress — Chiau Kung
• 1973Black Panther — Chang Hui-Feng
• 1973Ferocious to Ferocious — Yamada
• 1973Fist of Unicorn — Sun
• 1973Gold Snatchers
• 1973Knight Errant — Tetsuro
• 1973Kung Fu Inferno — Chiang Hung
• 1973Kung Fu Powerhouse — Tiger
• 1973Rage of Wind — Taka
• 1973Seven to One — Nightclub Singer / Killer
• 1973The Unsubdued Furies
• 1973Win Them All — Iron Fingers
• 1972Four Riders — Lei Tai
• 1972Kung Fu: The Invisible Fist — Cpt. Jai Tai
• 1972The Angry Guest — Katsu
• 1972The King of Boxers — Tu Pien
• 1972The Prodigal Boxer — Iron Hand Tan
• 1972Tiger — Tze Chiang
• Fight! Dragon (TV Pilot) - Dragon Flies to Hong Kong. — Ryuma Shiranui (Dragon)

Appearances as themselves (1)

• 2023Enter the Clones of Bruce — Self