The Japanese martial arts legend - also a world celebrity with roles in American blockbusters such as "Kill Bill" and "The fast and the furious: Tokyo drift" - turned 82 years old.
Chiba's career in film and television spanned several decades, from the 1960s to the 2010s.
In addition to popular American films, he starred in countless Japanese titles.
He studied under the karate master Masutatsu "Mas" Oyama and took the first class black belt in 1965 - almost 20 years later he upgraded the belt to the fourth degree.
He also wore black belts in ninjutsu, shorinji kempo, judo, kendo and goju-ryu karate. He often showed his expert knowledge on the screen. Later he also choreographed fight scenes.