Tetsuya Watari

He graduated from Aoyama Gakuin University Watari belonged to the karate club at university He made his screen debut in 1964 in Isamu Kosugis Abare Kishidō and received one of the Elan dor 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 Fukasakus 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 Fukasakus 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 Yujiros 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