Stout, overweight actor who seemed to specialized in uncultured roles, such as yakuza gangsters, ronin, or crabby fishermen, as in Mothra vs. Godzilla (1964). He became a theater director working for Toho in 1934, and was finally able to make his first film appearance in 1940. In 1954 he played a supporting role in Akira Kurosawa’s Seven Samurai as one of the bandits. His unique performance led Kurosawa to cast him in several more samurai-themed films, including Throne of Blood (1957), The Hidden Fortress (1958), and Yojimbo (1961).

In 1966 Tani was found dead from apparent suicide. The onset of chronic disease and his growing debt were attributed as factors in his death. He had appeared in more than 110 films in his short career.