Nobuo Yana was born on August 19, 1935, in Okayama, Okayama Prefecture, Japan. He is an actor and writer whose career includes extensive work in film and television, particularly in the genres of yakuza dramas and tokusatsu superhero series.

While Yana is primarily known as a live-action actor, he has performed significant voice roles in anime and tokusatsu productions. He provided the voice for Big Shadow in the 1973 tokusatsu series Android Kikaider 01, an antagonist role he assumed after the character was initially voiced by Minoru Midorikawa. Another notable voice role is Shudo Shimasaki in the 1988 anime adaptation of Crying Freeman. He also voiced Dorakoruru in the 1985 Doraemon film Doraemon: Nobita's Little Star Wars.

In live-action tokusatsu, Yana is known for playing Dr. Shinigami, also known as the Black Cross Führer (II), in the 1975 series Himitsu Sentai Gorenger. Additionally, his filmography includes the role of Yamabiko in the series Lone Wolf and Cub, and appearances in other tokusatsu productions such as Kamen Rider as Goro Kisaragi and Spider-Man (1978). His extensive acting credits also include numerous yakuza and action films throughout the 1960s and 1970s, frequently appearing in productions by directors like Kinji Fukasaku.