[1] As a young man, he aspired to be a singer, but turned to acting, making his debut while still in high school.

But he soon switched to modern yakuza for films such as Bakuto (1964) and Showa Zankyoden (1965), and starred in Kinji Fukasaku's Blackmail Is My Life (1968).

After returning to Tōei he would appear in many more films by Fukasaku in the following decade, including three installments in the Battles Without Honor and Humanity series, Cops vs. Thugs (1975), Hokuriku Proxy War (1977), Doberman Cop (1977), Shogun's Samurai (1978) and The Fall of Ako Castle (1978).

In addition, he has appeared in numerous V-Cinema titles, including what was advertised as Toei's "last yakuza movie", The Man Who Shot the Don (1994).

Matsukata also appeared as a guest voice actor in the NHK anime series Agatha Christie's Great Detectives Poirot and Marple.