Shô Kosugi

Biography

A Japanese actor, martial artist, and writer, Shô Kosugi built his career around ninja roles. Born in Tokyo in 1948, he moved to Los Angeles at nineteen, received a bachelor's degree in economics from CSULA, and trained in numerous martial arts, including judo, karate, kendo, aikido, iaido, kobudo, and ninjutsu. A former All Japan Karate Champion, he became popular in the 1980s playing ninjas, starring in the Cannon Films trilogy Enter the Ninja (1981), Revenge of the Ninja (1983), and Ninja III: The Domination (1984). He then led the television series The Master. His work helped fuel a ninja craze in popular culture in the early and mid-1980s. He was also in Pray for Death (1985) and Black Eagle (1988), and ran the Sho Kosugi Institute, a martial arts acting school network in Japan. In 2009, he returned to film as the villain Ozunu in Ninja Assassin (2009).

78years old

Turns 79 on June 17in 219 days

Born June 17, 1948Tokyo
Star sign: GeminiThe sign runs May 21 to June 20
小杉正一 (birth name)Also credited as Shō Kosugi and Shōichi Kosugi

Movie Career

Films: 11
Career span: 33 years1976 to 2009

Genres

Action100%, 11 films
Crime36%, 4 films
Thriller36%, 4 films
Drama27%, 3 films
Comedy9%, 1 film

First and latest

Did you know?!

A change of course
Sho Kosugi was a former All Japan Karate Champion. During the 1980s he gained popularity as an actor, often playing ninjas.
A first
Kosugi's work helped make ninjas a part of popular culture, which brought about a "ninja boom" or "ninjamania" in the early-to-mid-1980s.
Behind the camera
In Japan, Kosugi also operated the Sho Kosugi Institute, a group of martial arts acting schools that was internationally oriented.

Shô Kosugi movies on Netflix

Ninja Assassin2009IMDb rating 6.3as Ozunu
The Best of the Martial Arts Films1990IMDb rating 6.9as Himself
Blind Fury1989IMDb rating 6.3as The Assassin
Black Eagle1988IMDb rating 3.9as Ken Tani
Rage of Honor1987IMDb rating 5.5as Shiro Tanka
9 Deaths of the Ninja1985IMDb rating 3.9as Spike Shinobi
Pray for Death1985IMDb rating 5.7as Akira Saito
Ninja III: The Domination1984IMDb rating 5.4as Yamada
Revenge of the Ninja1983IMDb rating 6.0as Cho Osaki
Enter the Ninja1981IMDb rating 5.3as Hasegawa
Bruce Lee Fights Back from the Grave1976IMDb rating 3.7as Suzuki

Best known for

The films on Netflix they are best known for, with the part played in each.

Top

Ninja Assassin2009 Action, Crime, Thrilleras Ozunu
IMDb rating 6.380K votes
Black Eagle1988 Action, Dramaas Ken Tani
IMDb rating 3.99.2K votes
Revenge of the Ninja1983as Cho Osaki
IMDb rating 6.06.7K votes
Ninja III: The Domination1984as Yamada
IMDb rating 5.45.9K votes
Blind Fury1989as The Assassin
IMDb rating 6.321K votes
Enter the Ninja1981as Hasegawa
IMDb rating 5.36.3K votes
Pray for Death1985as Akira Saito
IMDb rating 5.72.6K votes
9 Deaths of the Ninja1985as Spike Shinobi
IMDb rating 3.91.8K votes

Most often with

Sam Firstenberg directed two of these films, Gordon Hessler two. Kane Kosugi appears in four of them, more than any other actor. Pick a number on the chart or a name in the list to see the films they share.

Top

Kane Kosugi

Shane Kosugi

Alan Amiel

John LaMottaSteven Lambert

Woody Watson

Sam FirstenbergDirector, 2 films Gordon HesslerDirector, 2 films

Films together

Kane Kosugi4 films together, 1983 to 1988
Kane Kosugi's page
- Black Eagle1988IMDb rating 3.9Kosugi as Ken TaniKosugi as Brian Tani
- 9 Deaths of the Ninja1985IMDb rating 3.9Kosugi as Spike ShinobiKosugi as Kane
- Pray for Death1985IMDb rating 5.7Kosugi as Akira SaitoKosugi as Takeshi Saito
- Revenge of the Ninja1983IMDb rating 6.0Kosugi as Cho OsakiKosugi as Kane Osaki
Shane Kosugi3 films together, 1985 to 1988
Shane Kosugi's page
- Black Eagle1988IMDb rating 3.9Kosugi as Ken TaniKosugi as Denny Tani
- 9 Deaths of the Ninja1985IMDb rating 3.9Kosugi as Spike ShinobiKosugi as Shane
- Pray for Death1985IMDb rating 5.7Kosugi as Akira SaitoKosugi as Tomoya Saito
Alan Amiel3 films together, 1981 to 1987
Alan Amiel's page
- Rage of Honor1987IMDb rating 5.5Kosugi as Shiro Tanka
- Pray for Death1985IMDb rating 5.7Kosugi as Akira SaitoAmiel as Vinnie Seline
- Enter the Ninja1981IMDb rating 5.3Kosugi as HasegawaAmiel as Maroon Ninja
John LaMotta2 films together, 1983 to 1984
John LaMotta's page
- Ninja III: The Domination1984IMDb rating 5.4Kosugi as YamadaLaMotta as Case
- Revenge of the Ninja1983IMDb rating 6.0Kosugi as Cho OsakiLaMotta as Joe
Steven Lambert2 films together, 1983 to 1984
Steven Lambert's page
- Ninja III: The Domination1984IMDb rating 5.4Kosugi as YamadaLambert as Pilot
- Revenge of the Ninja1983IMDb rating 6.0Kosugi as Cho OsakiLambert as Cowboy Thug
Woody Watson2 films together, 1985 to 1989
Woody Watson's page
- Blind Fury1989IMDb rating 6.3Kosugi as The AssassinWatson as Crooked Miami Cop #1
- Pray for Death1985IMDb rating 5.7Kosugi as Akira SaitoWatson as Cohen
Sam FirstenbergDirector, 2 films, 1983 to 1984
All films by Sam Firstenberg
- Ninja III: The Domination1984IMDb rating 5.4Kosugi as Yamada
- Revenge of the Ninja1983IMDb rating 6.0Kosugi as Cho Osaki
Gordon HesslerDirector, 2 films, 1985 to 1987
All films by Gordon Hessler
- Rage of Honor1987IMDb rating 5.5Kosugi as Shiro Tanka
- Pray for Death1985IMDb rating 5.7Kosugi as Akira Saito
Also two films together1 more actor
- Dale IshimotoNinja III: The Domination (1984) and Enter the Ninja (1981)
When several people share the same number of films, the ones with the most films on Netflix are in the chart.

Online

Official profiles and reference pages.

Top