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Tetsuya Watari

Born · December 28, 1941

Died · August 10, 2020 (78 years old)

Known For: Acting

Place of Birth: Awaji Island, Hyōgo Prefecture, Japan

Bio

He graduated from Aoyama Gakuin University. Watari belonged to the karate club at university. He made his screen debut in 1964, in Isamu Kosugi's Abare Kishidō, and received one of the Elan d'or Awards. At Nikkatsu, Watari appeared in such films as Tokyo Drifter and the Outlaw series. Watari was mentored at Nikkatsu by Yujiro Ishihara. When Nikkatsu shifted to focusing on Roman Porno films in the early seventies, Watari was one of many actors who left the studio. Watari was due to play the main role in Kinji Fukasaku’s film Battles Without Honor and Humanity, but because of illness he was not able to appear. In 1974, he was forced to step down from the lead role of Katsu Kaishū in the Taiga drama Katsu Kaishū on NHK, again because of illness, after appearing in only nine episodes. In 1976, Watari won best actor of Blue Ribbon Award for his role in Kinji Fukasaku`s film Yakuza Graveyard. In Japan, Watari is probably still best known for his role as Keisuke Daiomon in the detective series "Seibu Keisatsu" on TV Asahi. He also appeared in the popular detective drama "Taiyō ni Hoero!" as a replacement for Yujiro Ishihara in 1986. Watari became the president of Ishihara Promotion after Yujiro's death in 1987 but in 2011 he resigned due to his declining health. On June 10, 2015 he was hospitalised after suffering a heart attack and underwent surgery. Seven days later it was announced that he was in rehabilitation and would be discharged from hospital in about a month. He had a younger brother, Tsunehiko Watase, who was also an actor. As a singer, Watari is known for his hit song "Kuchinashi no Hana" and he appeared in the Kōhaku Uta Gassen in 1974 and 1993. He died of pneumonia on August 10, 2020, at the age of 78.

Known for

Brother

Brother

Tokyo Drifter

Tokyo Drifter

Graveyard of Honor

Graveyard of Honor

Yamato

Yamato

No Dropping Out: Back to School at 35

Yukinobu Asada · (11 episodes)

2013

Villain

Masato Kogure

2012

Clouds Over the Hill

東郷平八郎 · (5 episodes)

2009

Flower of Ice

(2 episodes)

2008

Oishii Gohan: Kamakura Kasugai Rice Shop

카스가이 류헤이 · (8 episodes)

2007

マグロ

(2 episodes)

2007

Family: Absence of the Wife, Existence of the Husband

(8 episodes)

2006

Kazoku

Saeki Shinji · (1 episode)

2006

The Street Lawyers

(8 episodes)

2006

Yamato

2005

Middle-aged Divorce

(6 episodes)

2005

Gion Bayashi

(1 episode)

2005

Yoshitsune

Taira no Kiyomori (Hei-shi) · (49 episodes)

2005

Lady Joker

Seizo Monoi

2004

Marusa!!

Chikara Kokuryo · (12 episodes)

2003

スクープ

(1 episode)

2002

AIBOU: Tokyo Detective Duo

Muneaki Seta · (2 episodes)

2002

渡哲也サスペンス絆

(1 episode)

2002

Shura Group Part 3

2002

Brother

Jinseikai Boss

2000

It Is a Long Walk

2000

Diary of Early Winter Shower

Kounosuke Mibu

1998

Bloody Journal of the Shinsengumi

Kondo Isami · (10 episodes)

1998

Abduction

1997

Night Train to the Stars

Masajiro Miyazawa

1996

SMAP×SMAP

Skit Guest · (1 episode)

1996

Hideyoshi

Oda Nobunaga · (49 episodes)

1996

Kin chan no Cinema Jack

1993

Sangokushi: The Yangtze Is Burning!

Cao Cao (voice)

1993

Great Conquest: The Romance of Three Kingdoms

Cao Cao (voice)

1992

The Unruly Ronin's Journey

1991

Daihyô torishimariyaku deka

(20 episodes)

1990

Goryokaku

Toshizo Hijikata

1988

Clockwork- Goodbye Winter

1986

Again

1984

Haguregumo

(20 episodes)

1978

浮浪云

(1 episode)

1978

The Big City / Metropolis

(35 episodes)

1976

Yakuza Graveyard

Ryu Kuroiwa

1976

Human Revolution II

1976

Conflagration

Third Officer Inoue

1975

Graveyard of Honor

Rikio Ishikawa

1975

Katsu Kaishu

Katsu Kaishu (adult) · (52 episodes)

1974

Wild Cop 2

1973

The Blossom and the Sword

Seijirô Tanaka

1973

Stray Dog

Detective Murakami

1973

The Human Revolution

1973

Wild Cop

1973

Flower and Dragon

1973

Rebellion Reward

Shun Muraki

1973

Theater Of Life

1972

Sword and Flower

1972

Chase That Man

1972

Law of the Outlaw

Goro Takei

1971

Expelled from the Kanto Mob

1971

Kanto Kanbu-kai

1971

The Earth is Born Again

Hironosuke Nakadate

1971

Kanto Drifter

1971

Epic Chushingura

Horibe Yasubei · (52 episodes)

1971

Step on the Gas!

1970

Pay Off Your Debt!

1970

Spartan Education

1970

Showdown in Gangland

1970

The Summit of Mt. Fuji

Yohei Kada

1970

Profile of a Boss' Son

1970

The Cleanup

Kurasawa

1969

やくざ番外地　抹殺

1969

Showdown at Nagasaki

Keiji Takama

1969

The Wild Sea

Yoji Kitami

1969

The Fatal Raid

1969

Ruthless Gambler

1969

前科・仮釈放

Ôhara Ryûji

1969

Outlaw: Kill!

Goro Fujikawa

1969

Savage Wolf Pack

1969

Exiled to Hell

1969

Outlaw: Black Dagger

Goro Fujikawa

1968

The Blazing Continent

1968

Outlaw: Goro the Assassin

Goro Fujikawa

1968

East China Sea

Naoyoshi

1968

Monument to the Girl's Corps

Young man

1968

The Final Winner?

1968

Outlaw: Heartless

Goro Fujikawa

1968

Song of my Life

Takuya Tsugami

1968

Outlaw: Gangster VIP 2

Goro Fujikawa

1968

The Code of Man

1968

Outlaw: Gangster VIP

Goro Fujikawa

1968

The Aftermath of War

1967

My Sweetheart

Akai

1967

Velvet Hustler

Goro

1967

Rusty Pendant

1967

Burning Clouds

1967

The Man of Victory

1967

Dreams Come True at Night

Makoto Katagiri

1967

The Black Sheep

1967

Tokyo Drifter 2: The Sea Is Bright Red as the Color of Love

Tetsu

1966

The Swan Elegy

1966

The Stormy Man

Shôichi Kokubu

1966

The Heart of Hiroshima

Yukio Mihara

1966

Your Life

1966

Love Eternal

Makoto Kanô

1966

Till We Meet Again

1966

Red Glass

Hiroshi

1966

Tokyo Drifter

Tetsuya "Phoenix Tetsu" Hondo

1966

In Tears

1965

The Stars and I Decided...

Saburo Ohinata

1965

Shinkuna umi ga yon deru ze

1965

Seishun no Sabaki

1965