Minoru Chiaki –November 1, 1999 was a Japanese actor who appeared in such films as Akira Kurosawa's Seven Samurai and The Hidden Fortress. In Seven Samurai, he was the good-natured samurai Heihachi, and he was the first of the samurai to be killed. In real life, he was the last of the seven actors to die. Later in his career, he appeared as a secondary actor in many Toei films. In 1986, he was given the Best Actor prize at the Japan Academy Prize ceremony for his performance in Toei's Gray Sunset .
| Birthdate: | July 30, 1917 |
| Birthplace: | Hokkaido |
| Date of death: | November 1, 1999 |
| Also known as: | Katsuharu Sasaki |