TW
Tetsuya Watari
Actor
Born December 28, 1941Died August 10, 2020 (78 years)
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.
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
Filmography
| 2013 | No Dropping Out -Back to School at 35- (TV Series) · as Yukinobu Asada |
| 2009 | Clouds Over the Hill (TV Series) · as Heihachiro Togo |
| 2005 | |
| 2005 | Yoshitsune (TV Series) · as Taira No Kiyomori (hei-Shi) |
| 2000 | Brother · as Jinseikai Boss |
| 2000 | |
| 2000 | AIBOU (TV Series) · as Muneaki Seta |
| 1997 | |
| 1996 | Hideyoshi (TV Series) · as Oda Nobunaga |
| 1992 | Sangokushi: The Yangtze Is Burning! · as Cao Cao (voice) |
| 1992 | Sangokushi · as Cao Cao (voice) |
| 1990 | Daihyô torishimariyaku deka (TV Series) |
| 1979 | Seibu keisatsu (TV Series) · as Cast |
| 1978 | 浮浪云 (TV Series) |
| 1978 | Haguregumo (TV Series) |
| 1976 | Yakuza Graveyard · as Kuroiwa |
| 1976 | |
| 1976 | Megapolis: Days Of Fight (TV Series) |
| 1975 | Conflagration · as Third Officer Inoue |
| 1975 | Graveyard of Honor · as Rikio Ishikawa |
| 1973 | |
| 1973 | The Blossom and the Sword · as Seijirô Tanaka |
| 1973 | Stray Dog · as Detective Murakami |
| 1973 | |
| 1973 | |
| 1973 | |
| 1971 | |
| 1971 | |
| 1971 | Yomigaeru daichi · as Hironosuke Nakadate |
| 1971 | |
| 1971 | Epic Chushingura (TV Series) · as Horibe Yasubei |
| 1970 | |
| 1970 | Fuji sanchô · as Yohei Kada |
| 1970 | |
| 1969 | The Wild Sea · as Yoji Kitami |
| 1969 | Showdown at Nagasaki · as Keiji Takama |
| 1969 | Outlaw: Kill! · as Goro Fujikawa |
| 1969 | |
| 1969 | Hana hiraku musume tachi · as Shinji |
| 1969 | Jigoku no hamonjo · as Cast |
| 1968 | Outlaw: Black Dagger · as Goro Fujikawa |
| 1968 | Outlaw: Goro the Assassin · as Goro Fujikawa |
| 1968 | East China Sea · as Naoyoshi |
| 1968 | Aa himeyuri no tô · as Young Man |
| 1968 | Outlaw: Heartless · as Goro Fujikawa |
| 1968 | Waga inochi no uta enka · as Takuya Tsugami |
| 1968 | Outlaw: Gangster VIP 2 · as Goro Fujikawa |
| 1968 | |
| 1968 | Outlaw: Gangster VIP · as Goro Fujikawa |
| 1967 | |
| 1967 | My Sweetheart · as Akai |
| 1967 | Like a Shooting Star · as Goro |
| 1967 | |
| 1967 | Yume wa yoru hiraku · as Makoto Katagiri |
| 1967 | |
| 1967 | Rusty Pendant · as Cast |
| 1966 | |
| 1966 | The Heart of Hiroshima · as Yukio Mihara |
| 1966 | |
| 1966 | Hone made aishite · as Makoto Kanô |
| 1966 | |
| 1966 | Akai glass · as Hiroshi |
| 1966 | Tokyo Drifter · as Tetsuya "phoenix Tetsu" Hondo |
| 1965 | Akai tanima no kettô · as Cast |
| 1965 | The Stars and I Decided... · as Saburo Ohinata |
| 1965 | Kenjû mushuku: Datsugoku no blues · as Cast |