born (December 28, 1941 – August 10, 2020) was a Japanese film, stage, and television actor.
Life 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 starred in such films as Seijun Suzuki's Tokyo Drifter and Toshio Masuda's 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.Mes, Tom, Graveyard of Honor DVD booklet, 2004, Home Vision Entertainment. Retrieved 2014-08-29
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.杉作J太郎、植地毅「日下部五朗インタビュー インタビュアー・高平哲郎」『仁義なき戦い 浪漫アルバム』徳間書店、1998 p.128-134 渡哲也インタビュー 高平哲郎」『渡哲也 さすらいの詩』芳賀書店〈シネアルバム(67)〉、1978 P.153-168 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 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.
Selected filmography
Films Year Title Role Other notes 1965 Tetsuya Lead role 1966 Tokyo Drifter Tetsuya "Phoenix Tetsu" Hondo Lead role Tokyo Drifter 2: The Sea is Bright Red as the Color of Love Tetsuya "Phoenix Tetsu" Hondo Lead role The Hearth of Hiroshima Lead role 1967 Kurenai no Nagareboshi Lead role 1968 Outlaw: Gangster VIP Gorō Fujikawa Lead role Moeru Tairiku Keiichi Isomura Lead role Higashi Shinakai Naoyuki 1969 The Wild Sea Yōji Kitami Lead roleDaikanbu Nagurikomi Tetsu Lead roleSavage Wolf Pack Asai Tetsuya Lead role 1970 Shinjuku outlaw: Step On the Gas Yuji Nishigami (Shinigami) Lead roleFuji sanchō 1971 Kantō Exile Lead role 1973 Gokiburi Keiji Detective Narugami Lead role Za Gokiburi Detective Narugami Lead role Ningen Kakumei Kumichō Shimatani 1975 Graveyard of Honor Rikio Ishikawa Lead role 1976 Yakuza Graveyard Detective Kuroiwa Lead role 1986 Tokei – Adieu l'hiver Special appearance 1993 Kinchan no Cinema Jack "Minato" 1996 Waga Kokoro no Ginga Tetsudō Miyazawa Kenji Monogatari Seijirō 1997 Yūkai Inspector Tsunami Lead role 1998 Diary of Early Winter Shower Lead role 2000 Nagasaki Burabura bushi Gakusha (Koga, Jûjirô) Lead role 2001 Brother Jinseikai Kumichō 2002 Shura no Mure Old Hiroyuki Inahara 2004 Lady Joker Seizo Monoi Lead role 2005 Yamato Vice-Admiral Seiichi Itō
Television Year Title Role Other notes 1971 Daichūshingura Horibe Yasubei 1974 Katsu Kaishū Katsu Kaishū Lead role, Taiga drama 1976–1979 Daitokai Series Raisuke Kuroiwa Lead role 1978 Haguregumo Kumo Lead role 1979–1984 Seibu Keisatsu Keisuke Daimon Lead role 1986 Taiyō ni Hoero!Hyōgo Tachibana 1996 Hideyoshi Oda Nobunaga Taiga drama 1998 Shinsengumi Keppūroku Isami Kondō Lead role 2004 Seibu Keisatsu Special Keisuke Daimon 2005 Yoshitsune Taira no Kiyomori Taiga drama 2009–2011 Clouds Over the Hill Tōgō Heihachirō 2013 No Dropping Out: Back to School at 35 Yukinobu Asada
Video games Year Title Role Other notes 2005 Ryū ga Gotoku Shintaro Kazama 2006 Ryū ga Gotoku 2 Shintaro Kazama 2009 Ryū ga Gotoku 3 Jōji Kazama Known as "Joji Fuma" in Western PS3 release 2015 Ryū ga Gotoku 0: Chikai no Basho Shintaro Kazama 2016 Ryū ga Gotoku: Kiwami Shintaro Kazama 2017 Ryū ga Gotoku: Kiwami 2 Shintaro Kazama
Honours Medal with Purple Ribbon (2005) Order of the Rising Sun, 4th Class, Gold Rays with Rosette (2013)
References
External links Tetsuya Watari Official web site