Toho's, Japan's, the World's best actor... All could easily be said for Toshiro Mifune, who has the power to make any film that he stars in worth watching. However, when paired up with Akira Kurosawa the world was exposed to some of the greatest cinema to date. Toshiro Mifune started out his career at Toho with the film These Foolish Times in 1947. The very next year Mifune was introduced to Kurosawa, who cast Mifune in Drunken Angel (1948). Mifune and Kurosawa would go on to do many films together, and to this day it's hard not to think of Mifune without thinking of Kurosawa, and vice-a-versa. Mifune would eventually start his own production company in 1963, which would do several collaboratory efforts with Toho. During his lifetime, Mifune has won two awards for Best Actor at the Venice Film Festival for his roles in Yojimbo (1961) and Red Beard (1965). However, while working on Red Beard in 1965, personal issues between Kurosawa and Mifune arose and the two spilt there separate ways, never to make another movie together. Before his death, though, Mifune did say this of Kurosawa: "I am proud of nothing I have done other than with him."

Acting Toho Filmography
These Foolish Times (1947) - Gang Boss
These Foolish Times II (1947) - Gang Boss
Snow Trail (1947) - Eijima
Drunken Angel (1948) - Matsunaga
Jakoman and Tetsu (1949) - Tetsu
Stray Dog (1949) - Murakami
Conduct Report on Professor Ishinaka (1950)
Elegy (1951)
The Idiot (1951) - Denkichi Akama
Pirates (1951)
Conclusion of Kojiro Sasaki: Duel on Ganryu Island (1951) - Musashi Miyamoto
Who Knows a Woman's Heart? (1951)
Beyond Love and Hate (1951)
Vendetta of a Samurai (1952) - Mataemon Araki
Foghorn (1952) - Chiyokichi
Sword for Hire (1952) - Sasa Hayatenosuke
Golden Girl (1952)
Jewels in Our Hearts (1952)
Swift Current (1952)
The Man Who Came to Port (1952)
Life of Oharu (1952) - Katsunosuke
My Wonderful Yellow Car (1953) - Matsumura
Last Embrace (1953) - Shinkichi
Love in a Teacup (1953) - Ippei Hitachi
The Eagle of the Pacific (1953) - Tomonaga, 1st Lieutenant
Seven Samurai (1954) - Kikuchiyo
Samurai I: Musashi Miyamoto (1954) - Musashi Miyamoto
The Sound of Waves (1954) - Skipper of the Utashima-maru
Smuggling Ship (1954) - Eiichi Tsuda
I Live in Fear (1955) - Kiichi Nakajima
All Is Well (1955)
All Is Well Part 2 (1955)
No Time for Tears (1955) - Yano
Samurai II: Duel at Ichijoji Temple (1955) - Musashi Miyamoto
A Man Among Men (1955) - Maki
Scoundrel (1956)
Wife's Heart (1956)
Samurai III: Duel at Ganryu Island (1956) - Musashi Miyamoto
Settlement of Love (1956)
Rainy Night Duel (1956)
The Underworld (1956)
Rebels on the High Sea (1956) - Tokuzo Matsuo
Throne of Blood (1957) - Taketori Washizu
Good Luck to These Two (1957)
The Lower Depths (1957)
Yagyu Confidential (1957) - Tasaburo
Downtown (1957)
A Dangerous Hero (1957)
Man in the Storm (1957) - Saburo Watari
The Hidden Fortress (1958) - Rokurota Makabe
Yaji and Kita On the Road (1958)
Ninjitsu (1958) - Tasaburo
A Holiday in Tokyo (1958) - Tenkai's Nephew
Muhomatsu, the Rickshaw Man (1958) - Matsugoro
Theater of Life: Youth Volume (1958)
The Big Boss (1959) - Kashimura
Samurai Saga (1959) - Heihachiro Komaki
The Three Treasures (1959) - Yamato Takeru, Prince/Susano, Prince
Saga of the Vagabonds (1959) - Rokuro Kai
Desperado Outpost (1959) - Kodama, Battalion Commander
The Bad Sleep Well (1960)
The Storm of the Pacific (1960) - Yamaguchi, Admiral
The Gambling Samurai (1960) - Chuji
Salary Man Chushingura (1960) - Kazuo Momoi
Man Against Man (1960) - Kaji
The Last Gunfight (1960) - Saburo Fujioka, Detective
Daredevil in the Castle (1961) - Mohei
Yojimbo (1961) - Sanjuro
The Youth and His Amulet (1961) - Fudo-myoh, the Immovable King
The Storm of the Pacific (1961) - Yamaguchi, Admiral
Salary Man Chushingura Part 2 (1961) - Kazuo Momoi
Sanjuro (1962) - Sanjuro
Tatsu (1962) - Tatsu
Chushingura (1962) - Genba Tawaraboshi
Attack Squadron (1963) - Senda, Lieutenant Colonel
High and Low (1963) - Kingo Gondo
Samurai Pirate (1963) - Sukezaemon
The Legacy of the 500,000 (1963) - Takeichi Matsuo
Whirlwind (1964) - Akashi, Lord
Red Beard (1965) - "Red Beard"
Fort Graveyard (1965) - Kosugi, Sergeant
The Retreat From Kiska (1965) - Omura
Samurai Assassin (1965) - Tsuruchiyo Niino
Judo Saga (1965) - Shogoro Yano
The Adventure of Taklamkan (1966) - Osumi
Rise Against the Sword (1966) - Abare Goemon
Sword of Doom (1966) - Toranosuke Shimada, Fencing Teacher
The Mad Atlantic (1966) - Heihachiro Murakami
Samurai Rebellion (1967) - Isaburo Sasahara
Japan's Longest Day (1967) - Anami, War Minister
Admiral Yamamoto (1968) - Isoroku Yamamoto, Grand Admiral
Festival of Gion (1968) - Kumaza
Tunnel to the Sun (1968) - Kitagawa
Red Lion (1969) - Gonzo
Battle of the Japan Sea (1969) - Togo, Admiral
Band of Assassins (1969) - Isami Kondo
Samurai Banners (1969) - Kansuke Yamamoto
The Militarists (1970) - Isoroku Yamamoto, Grand Admiral
Zatoichi Meets Yojimbo (1970) - Daisaku Sasa, Yojimbo
Incident at Blood Pass (1970) - Yojimbo
The Ambitious (1970) - Shojiro Goto
Love and Faith (1978) - Taiko Hideyoshi
Bye-Bye Jupiter (1983) - Musashi Miyamoto (stock footage)
Princess from the Moon (1987) - Taketori Miyatsuko

Producer Toho Film Credits
The Legacy of the 500,000 (1963)
Fort Graveyard (1965)
Samurai Assassin (1965)
The Adventure of Taklamkan (1966)
The Mad Atlantic (1966)
Samurai Rebellion (1967)
Festival of Gion (1968)
Tunnel to the Sun (1968)
Samurai Banners (1969)
Band of Assassins (1969)
Red Lion (1969)
Incident at Blood Pass (1970) - Yojimbo

Director Toho Film Credits
The Legacy of the 500,000 (1963)