Toshiro Mifune -- IJA Pilot

[GHP]

Who knew!


Mifune Toshiro with his ki-36 plane of the Aerial Photography (Ko-type) unit

Toshirō Mifune was born in Qingdao, China, to Japanese parents, and grew up in the Chinese city of Dalian with his parents and two siblings, Although the young Mifune spent the first 19 years of his life in China, as a Japanese citizen he was drafted into the Imperial Japanese Army Aviation, where he served in the Aerial Photography (Ko-type) unit during World War II. He repatriated to Japan in 1946 and then he become an actor who appeared in almost 170 feature films, he is best known for his collaboration with filmmaker Akira Kurosawa in films such as Rashomon, Seven Samurai, Throne of Blood, and Yojimbo. He is also popular for portraying Musashi Miyamoto in Hiroshi Inagaki's Samurai Trilogy.

source

I guess Wiki knew .... but no photos there.

Toshiro Mifune was born on 1 April 1920 in Qingdao, Shandong, China, to Japanese parents. His parents were Methodist missionaries working there. Mifune grew up with his parents and two younger siblings in Dalian, Liaoning, China, and, from 4 to 19 years of age, in Manchuria.

In his youth, Mifune worked in the photography shop of his father Tokuzo, a commercial photographer and importer who had emigrated from northern Japan. After spending the first 19 years of his life in China, as a Japanese citizen, he was drafted into the Imperial Japanese Army Aviation division, where he served in the Aerial Photography unit during World War II.

I guess he spoke Chinese as well?

[Geoff Ward]

As a child even before I knew who he was I admired his acting he made it seem so sincere and effortless, Now even more so. Thanks for sharing . G.

[Staldion]

I knew it, but always an amaizing fact to me and cool reminder. Of course I discovered the actor first and loved his work a lot. His experience in IJA sure helped him to be the great warrior he was in Kurosawa's moovies. The story of Akira Kurosawa during the war is pretty interesting too. He made a few films during the war. He had to do propaganda to keep working but he did it in a more clever way than many. Nothing to do with a Leni Riefenstahl for example.

I love to think that Mifune's flying gear might still be sleeping somewhere in a japanese closet!