Tetsuya Watari

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
RelativesTsunehiko Watase (brother)

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.

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 starred in such films as Seijun Suzuki's Tokyo Drifter and Toshio Masuda's 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

Year Title Role Other notes Ref.
1965 Abare Kishidō (あばれ騎士道) Tetsuya Lead role
Nakaseruze
1966 Tokyo Drifter Tetsuya "Phoenix Tetsu" Hondo Lead role [15]
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 [16]
Moeru Tairiku Keiichi Isomura Lead role
Higashi Shinakai Naoyuki
1969 The Wild Sea Yōji Kitami Lead role
Daikanbu Nagurikomi Tetsu Lead role
Savage Wolf Pack Asai Tetsuya Lead role
1970 Shinjuku outlaw: Step On the Gas Yuji Nishigami (Shinigami) Lead role
Fuji 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 [17]
2004 Lady Joker Seizo Monoi Lead role [18]
2005 Yamato Vice-Admiral Seiichi Itō [19]

Television

Year Title Role Other notes Ref.
1971 Daichūshingura Horibe Yasubei
1974 Katsu Kaishū Katsu Kaishū Lead role, Taiga drama [20]
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 [21]
1998 Shinsengumi Keppūroku Isami Kondō Lead role
2004 Seibu Keisatsu Special Keisuke Daimon
2005 Yoshitsune Taira no Kiyomori Taiga drama [22]
2009–2011 Clouds Over the Hill Tōgō Heihachirō [23]
2013 No Dropping Out: Back to School at 35 Yukinobu Asada [24]

Video games

Year Title Role Other notes Ref.
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

References

  1. ^ a b c d "Tetsuya Watari official profile" (in Japanese). Ishihara Promotion. Archived from the original on December 28, 2008. Retrieved October 10, 2008.
  2. ^ a b c "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. Archived from the original on August 14, 2020. Retrieved 2020-08-14.
  3. ^ a b "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. ^ a b c d "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. ^ "東京流れ者". eiga.com (in Japanese). Retrieved 23 January 2026.
  16. ^ "無頼より 大幹部". eiga.com (in Japanese). Retrieved 23 January 2026.
  17. ^ 修羅の群れ〈2001年〉 (in Japanese). PIA Corporation. Archived from the original on March 14, 2016. Retrieved January 27, 2015.
  18. ^ "レディ・ジョーカー". eiga.com (in Japanese). Retrieved 23 January 2026.
  19. ^ "男たちの大和 YAMATO". eiga.com (in Japanese). Retrieved 23 January 2026.
  20. ^ "勝海舟". Haiyaku Jiten (in Japanese). Retrieved 23 January 2026.
  21. ^ "秀吉". Haiyaku Jiten (in Japanese). Retrieved 23 January 2026.
  22. ^ "義経". Haiyaku Jiten (in Japanese). Retrieved 23 January 2026.
  23. ^ "坂の上の雲". Haiyaku Jiten (in Japanese). Retrieved 23 January 2026.
  24. ^ "35歳の高校生の出演者・キャスト一覧". The Television (in Japanese). Retrieved 23 January 2026.
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