Tetsuya Watari

Biography

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.

Known For

Seizo Monoi

レディージョーカー

Yohei Kada

富士山頂

Kurasawa

嵐の勇者たち

Toshizo Hijikata

五稜郭

Yoji Kitami

荒い海

燃える大陸

Tetsuya "Phoenix Tetsu" Hondo

東京流れ者

Ryu Kuroiwa

やくざの墓場　くちなしの花

Ôhara Ryûji

前科・仮釈放

Shun Muraki

反逆の報酬

Rikio Ishikawa

仁義の墓場

青春の裁き

Goro

紅の流れ星

Naoyoshi

東シナ海

地獄の破門状

東京市街戦

やくざの横顔

あなたの命

男の掟

Tokei - Adieu l'hiver

誘拐

関東幹部会

博徒無情

Masato Kogure

悪党

スパルタ教育　くたばれ親父

Goro Fujikawa

「無頼」より 大幹部

Young man

あゝひめゆりの塔

Third Officer Inoue

東京湾炎上

素浪人無頼旅

Goro Fujikawa

大幹部 無頼

Goro Fujikawa

無頼非情

Goro Fujikawa

無頼 人斬り五郎

Goro Fujikawa

無頼　黒匕首

Goro Fujikawa

無頼・殺せ

長崎ぶらぶら節

修羅の群れ　第3部　完結編　大抗争列島！！

Detective Murakami

野良犬

追いつめる

Masajiro Miyazawa

わが心の銀河鉄道　宮沢賢治物語

野獣を消せ

続人間革命

第1回欽ちゃんのシネマジャック

青春の海

だれの椅子？

剣と花

Keiji Takama

昭和やくざ系図　長崎の顔

Kounosuke Mibu

時雨の記

人生劇場 青春・愛欲・残侠篇

花と龍・青雲篇、愛憎篇、怒濤篇

Seijirô Tanaka

日本侠花伝

ザ・ゴキブリ

ゴキブリ刑事

新宿アウトロー ぶっ飛ばせ

Saburo Ohinata

星と俺とできめたんだ

Akai

君は恋人

Shôichi Kokubu

嵐を呼ぶ男

斬り込み

Makoto Kanô

骨まで愛して

泣かせるぜ

Cao Cao (voice)

三国志 第二部 長江燃ゆ！

関東流れ者

Yukio Mihara

愛と死の記憶

白鳥

逢いたくて逢いたくて

Hiroshi

赤いグラス

燃える雲

Takuya Tsugami

わが命の唄　艶歌

Makoto Katagiri

夢は夜ひらく

星よ嘆くな　勝利の男

Tetsu

続 東京流れ者 海は真赤な恋の色

男たちの大和／YAMATO

Jinseikai Boss

Brother

関東破門状

人間革命

Goro Takei

さらば掟

Cao Cao (voice)

三国志 第一部 英雄たちの夜明け

大幹部 ケリをつけろ

アゲイン

大幹部 殴り込み

Hironosuke Nakadate

甦える大地

真紅な海が呼んでるぜ

やくざ番外地　抹殺

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