He began his career as a screen actor in 1946[2] and appeared in over one hundred films between 1947 and 1997.[4][5] In 1953, he debuted as a director with his film Kanikōsen,[2] the first of six films he directed.[4][5] Yamamura was introduced to Western audiences in the 1958 film The Barbarian and the Geisha.[2] In the US, he is well known for his portrayals of Japanese Admiral Isoroku Yamamoto of the Combined Fleet in Tora! Tora! Tora!, and of Mr. Sakamoto,[2] the CEO of Assan Motors in Gung Ho.