Tetsuya Watari

Tetsuya Watari (渡 哲也, Watari Tetsuya) born Michihiko Watase (渡瀬 道彦, Watase Michihiko) (December 28, 1941 – August 10, 2020)[2][3] was a Japanese film, stage, and television actor.

Tetsuya Watari
渡 哲也
Watari in 1965
Born
Michihiko Watase (渡瀬 道彦)[1]

(1941-12-28)December 28, 1941[1]
Awaji, Hyōgo, Japan[1]
DiedAugust 10, 2020(2020-08-10) (aged 78)[2][3]
Tokyo, Japan[2]
OccupationActor
Years active1964–2020
Height1.80 m (5 ft 11 in)

Life

He graduated from Aoyama Gakuin University. Watari belonged to the karate club at university.[4] He made his screen debut in 1964, in Isamu Kosugi's Abare Kishidō, and received one of the Elan d'or Awards.[5][1] At Nikkatsu, Watari appeared in such films as Tokyo Drifter and the Outlaw series.[5]

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.[6]

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.[7][8] 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.[9] In 1976, Watari won best actor of Blue Ribbon Award for his role in Kinji Fukasaku`s film Yakuza Graveyard.[5]

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.[10]

Watari became the president of Ishihara Promotion after Yujiro's death in 1987[11] but in 2011 he resigned due to his declining health.[5]

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.[12] As a singer, Watari is known for his hit song "Kuchinashi no Hana" [13] 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.[14]

Selected filmography

Films
YearTitleRoleDirectorOther notes
1965Abare Kishidō (あばれ騎士道)TetsuyaIsamu KosugiLead role
NakaseruzeAkinori Matsuo
1966Tokyo DrifterTetsuya "Phoenix Tetsu" HondoSeijun SuzukiLead role
Tokyo Drifter 2: The Sea is Bright Red as the Color of LoveTetsuya "Phoenix Tetsu" HondoKenjirō MorinagaLead role
The Hearth of HiroshimaKoreyoshi KuraharaLead role
1967Kurenai no NagareboshiToshio MasudaLead role
1968Outlaw: Gangster VIPGorō FujikawaToshio MasudaLead role
Moeru TairikuKeiichi IsomuraShōgorō NishimuraLead role
Higashi ShinakaiNaoyukiTadahiki Isomi
1969The Wild SeaYōji KitamiTokujirō YamazakiLead Role
Daikanbu NagurikomiTetsuToshio MasudaLead role
Savage Wolf PackAsai TetsuyaYasuharu HasebeLead Role
1970Shinjuku outlaw: Step On the GasYuji Nishigami (Shinigami)Toshiya FujitaLead role
Fuji sanchōTetsutaro Murano
1971Kantō ExileKeiichi OzawaLead role
1973Gokiburi KeijiDetective NarugamiTsugunobu KotaniLead role
Za GokiburiDetective NarugamiTsugunobu KotaniLead role
Ningen KakumeiKumichō ShimataniToshio Masuda
1975Graveyard of HonorRikio IshikawaKinji FukasakuLead role
1976Yakuza GraveyardDetective KuroiwaKinji FukasakuLead role
1986Tokei – Adieu l'hiverSō KuramotoSpecial appearance
1993Kinchan no Cinema Jack "Minato"Kinichi Hagimoto
1996Waga Kokoro no Ginga Tetsudō Miyazawa Kenji MonogatariSeijirōKazuki Ōmori
1997YūkaiInspector TsunamiTakao OkawaraLead role
1998Diary of Early Winter ShowerShinichiro SawaiLead role
2000Nagasaki Burabura bushiGakusha (Koga, Jûjirô)Yukio FukamachiLead role
2001BrotherJinseikai KumichōTakeshi Kitano
2002Shura no Mure[15]Old Hiroyuki InaharaHiroyuki Tsuji
2004Lady JokerSeizo MonoiHideyuki HirayamaLead role
2005YamatoVice-Admiral Seiichi ItōJunya Sato

Television
YearTitleRoleOther notes
1971DaichūshinguraHoribe Yasubei
1974Katsu KaishūKatsu KaishūLead role, Taiga drama
1976-79Daitokai SeriesRaisuke KuroiwaLead role
1978HaguregumoKumoLead role
1979-84Seibu KeisatsuKeisuke DaimonLead role
1986Taiyō ni Hoero!Hyōgo Tachibana
1996HideyoshiOda NobunagaTaiga drama
1998Shinsengumi KeppūrokuIsami KondōLead role
2004Seibu Keisatsu SpecialKeisuke Daimon
2005YoshitsuneTaira no KiyomoriTaiga drama
2009-2011Saka no Ue no KumoTōgō Heihachirō
201335-sai no KoukouseiYukinobu Asada

Video games
YearTitleRoleOther notes
2005Ryū ga GotokuShintaro Kazama
2006Ryū ga Gotoku 2Shintaro Kazama
2009Ryū ga Gotoku 3Jōji Kazama
2015Ryū ga Gotoku 0: Chikai no BashoShintaro Kazama
2016Ryū ga Gotoku: KiwamiShintaro Kazama
2017Ryū ga Gotoku: Kiwami 2Shintaro Kazama

Honours

References
  1. "Tetsuya Watari official profile" (in Japanese). Ishihara Promotion. Archived from the original on December 28, 2008. Retrieved October 10, 2008.
  2. "俳優 渡哲也さんが死去 78歳 肺炎のため". NHKニュース (in Japanese). 2020-08-14. Retrieved 2020-08-14.
  3. "俳優の渡哲也さんが死去 肺炎、78歳、家族葬…故人の遺志によりお別れ会なし". デイリースポーツ (in Japanese). 2020-08-14. Retrieved 2020-08-14.
  4. "【評伝】みんな憧れた「団長」大門刑事、昭和の美学貫いた人生". Sanspo. 15 August 2020. Retrieved 11 December 2021.
  5. "Tetsuya Watari biography". Kinema Junpo. Retrieved 10 January 2021.
  6. Mes, Tom, Graveyard of Honor DVD booklet, 2004, Home Vision Entertainment. Retrieved 2014-08-29
  7. 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 ISBN 978-4198608460
  8. 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 ISBN 4-8261-0067-1
  9. "74年勝海舟は渡哲也から松方弘樹／大河ドラマ代役". Nikkan sports. Retrieved March 19, 2017.
  10. "太陽にほえろ! 1986" (in Japanese). Amazon. Retrieved October 10, 2008.
  11. "Ishihara Promotion company profile" (in Japanese). Ishihara Promotion. Archived from the original on September 3, 2016. Retrieved October 10, 2008.
  12. "Office Kitano: Brother". Office Kitano. Retrieved October 10, 2008.
  13. "【1974年２月】くちなしの花／渡哲也 本人不在も大ヒット 紅白に出場したワケ" (in Japanese). スポニチ. Retrieved March 19, 2017.
  14. "渡哲也さん、１０日に肺炎で死去していた". SANSPO.COM（サンスポ） (in Japanese). 14 August 2020. Retrieved 14 August 2020.
  15. 修羅の群れ〈2001年〉 (in Japanese). PIA Corporation. Retrieved January 27, 2015.


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