Tetsuya Watari

Acting · 1.1 popularity

Age

Movies

Born: December 28, 1941 – August 10, 2020
From: Awaji Island, Hyōgo Prefecture, Japan

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.

Works

91 films

Yamato

20055.4

Graveyard of Honor

19756.7

Brother

20007.1

Diary of Early Winter Shower

19987.7

Showdown in Gangland

1970

Sword and Flower

1972

Tokyo Drifter

19667.1

Human Revolution II

19768.0

Clockwork- Goodbye Winter

198610.0

Western Police Special

2004

Yakuza Wanderer: Villainous Livelihood

19699.0

The Debt of Blood

1967

Great Conquest: The Romance of Three Kingdoms

19927.2

Outlaw: Goro the Assassin

19686.6

Conflagration

19757.0

Yakuza Graveyard

19766.6

Theater of Life

197210.0

Your Life

1966

Abduction

19978.5

The Blossom and the Sword

19737.7

Kin chan no Cinema Jack

1993

やくざ番外地　抹殺

1969

Ex Convict: Sword Storm

1969

Lady Joker

20047.3

Outlaw: Black Dagger

19686.5

Stray Dog

19737.9

明るいほうへ明るいほうへ -童謡詩人金子みすゞ-

2001

Outlaw: Gangster VIP

19686.7

Velvet Hustler

19676.8

Kanto Kanbu-kai

197110.0

Goryokaku

1988

Chase That Man

1972

Again

1984

Outlaw: Gangster VIP 2

19687.0

The Summit of Mt. Fuji

1970

Rebellion Reward

1973

Outlaw: Heartless

19686.8

Wild Cop

19736.5

The Human Revolution

19737.0

Villain

2012

Flower and Dragon

197310.0

The Heart of Hiroshima

19669.0

Outlaw: Kill!

19696.9

The Blazing Continent

196810.0

Sangokushi: The Yangtze Is Burning!

19936.3

It Is a Long Walk

20007.5

The Cleanup

196910.0

Step on the Gas!

19708.5

Night Train to the Stars

19966.3

Love Eternal

1966

Pay Off Your Debt!

19709.0

Song of my Life

1968

Monument to the Girl's Corps

196810.0

Challenge at Dawn

1971

Shura Group Part 3

2002

The Black Sheep

1967

陽のあたる坂道

196710.0

Showdown at Nagasaki

19698.0

The Earth is Born Again

1971

My Sweetheart

1967

Ruthless Gambler

19698.0

Savage Wolf Pack

19696.0

Wild Cop 2

19736.7

Rusty Pendant

1967

The Stars and I Decided...

1965

Seishun no Sabaki

1965

In Tears

1965

Law of the Outlaw

19719.0

Spartan Education

1970

The Unruly Ronin's Journey

1991

Tokyo Drifter 2: The Sea Is Bright Red as the Color of Love

1966

前科・仮釈放

1969

The Final Winner?

19688.0

East China Sea

196810.0

Dreams Come True at Night

1967

The Fatal Raid

196910.0

Red Glass

19669.0

The Code of Man

19687.0

Expelled from the Kanto Mob

1971

The Stormy Man

19669.0

The Swan Elegy

1966

The Aftermath of War

1967

The Man of Victory

1967

Profile of a Boss' Son

197010.0

Burning Clouds

1967

Till We Meet Again

1966

Exiled to Hell

1969

The Wild Sea

196910.0

Kanto Drifter

19719.0

The Hurricane Drummer

196710.0

Shinkuna umi ga yon deru ze

1965