Obituary: Judgement actor Akira Nakao passed away at age 81

Akira Nakao, a film and TV actor who appeared in Sega's Judgment series, died on May 16. He was 81.

Spotted by Game.Watch, he reportedly passed from heart failure. Family and friends have already held a service for him.

Born August 11, 1942, Nakao had just two video games to his resume. In the Judgement series (a spinoff of the Like a Dragon games), he played Ryuzo Genda, the mentor of series lead Takayuki Yagami.

Outside of games, he was best known for his roles in Japanese period and contemporary dramas. His first movie appearance was in 1964's Getsuyōbi no Yuka.

In film, he was a recurring player in the Godzilla films, first appearing in 1993's Godzilla vs. MechaGodzilla II and through 2004's Godzilla: Final Wars. His final film role was the 2023 TV series Sanctuary.

At the time of writing, neither Sega nor Judgment developer Ryo Ga Gatoku has commented on Nakao's passing.