Tetsuya Watari
Acting • Born 1941-12-28 – Died 2020-08-10
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.
Filmography
112 credits
Lady Joker
Movie • 2004
Seizo Monoi
The Summit of Mt. Fuji
Movie • 1970
Yohei Kada
The Cleanup
Movie • 1969
Kurasawa
Goryokaku
Movie • 1988
Toshizo Hijikata
The Wild Sea
Movie • 1969
Yoji Kitami
The Blazing Continent
Movie • 1968
Tokyo Drifter
Movie • 1966
Tetsuya "Phoenix Tetsu" Hondo
Yakuza Graveyard
Movie • 1976
Ryu Kuroiwa
前科・仮釈放
Movie • 1969
Ôhara Ryûji
Rebellion Reward
Movie • 1973
Shun Muraki
Graveyard of Honor
Movie • 1975
Rikio Ishikawa
Seishun no Sabaki
Movie • 1965
Velvet Hustler
Movie • 1967
Goro
East China Sea
Movie • 1968
Naoyoshi
Exiled to Hell
Movie • 1969
The Aftermath of War
Movie • 1967
Profile of a Boss' Son
Movie • 1970
Your Life
Movie • 1966
The Code of Man
Movie • 1968
Clockwork- Goodbye Winter
Movie • 1986
Abduction
Movie • 1997
Kanto Kanbu-kai
Movie • 1971
Ruthless Gambler
Movie • 1969
Villain
Movie • 2012
Masato Kogure
Spartan Education
Movie • 1970
Outlaw: Gangster VIP
Movie • 1968
Goro Fujikawa
Monument to the Girl's Corps
Movie • 1968
Young man
Conflagration
Movie • 1975
Third Officer Inoue
The Unruly Ronin's Journey
Movie • 1991
Outlaw: Gangster VIP 2
Movie • 1968
Goro Fujikawa
Outlaw: Heartless
Movie • 1968
Goro Fujikawa
Outlaw: Goro the Assassin
Movie • 1968
Goro Fujikawa
Outlaw: Black Dagger
Movie • 1968
Goro Fujikawa
Outlaw: Kill!
Movie • 1969
Goro Fujikawa
It Is a Long Walk
Movie • 2000
Shura Group Part 3
Movie • 2002
Stray Dog
Movie • 1973
Detective Murakami
Chase That Man
Movie • 1972
Night Train to the Stars
Movie • 1996
Masajiro Miyazawa
Savage Wolf Pack
Movie • 1969
Human Revolution II
Movie • 1976
Kin chan no Cinema Jack
Movie • 1993
The Black Sheep
Movie • 1967
The Final Winner?
Movie • 1968
Sword and Flower
Movie • 1972
Showdown at Nagasaki
Movie • 1969
Keiji Takama
Diary of Early Winter Shower
Movie • 1998
Kounosuke Mibu
Theater Of Life
Movie • 1972
Flower and Dragon
Movie • 1973
The Blossom and the Sword
Movie • 1973
Seijirô Tanaka
Wild Cop 2
Movie • 1973
Wild Cop
Movie • 1973
Step on the Gas!
Movie • 1970
Yuuji Nishigami
The Stars and I Decided...
Movie • 1965
Saburo Ohinata
My Sweetheart
Movie • 1967
Akai
The Stormy Man
Movie • 1966
Shôichi Kokubu
Showdown in Gangland
Movie • 1970
Love Eternal
Movie • 1966
Makoto Kanô
In Tears
Movie • 1965
Sangokushi: The Yangtze Is Burning!
Movie • 1993
Cao Cao (voice)
Kanto Drifter
Movie • 1971
The Heart of Hiroshima
Movie • 1966
Yukio Mihara
The Swan Elegy
Movie • 1966
Till We Meet Again
Movie • 1966
Red Glass
Movie • 1966
Hiroshi
Burning Clouds
Movie • 1967
Song of my Life
Movie • 1968
Takuya Tsugami
Dreams Come True at Night
Movie • 1967
Makoto Katagiri
The Man of Victory
Movie • 1967
Tokyo Drifter 2: The Sea Is Bright Red as the Color of Love
Movie • 1966
Tetsu
Yamato
Movie • 2005
Brother
Movie • 2000
Jinseikai Boss
Expelled from the Kanto Mob
Movie • 1971
The Human Revolution
Movie • 1973
Law of the Outlaw
Movie • 1971
Goro Takei
Great Conquest: The Romance of Three Kingdoms
Movie • 1992
Cao Cao (voice)
Pay Off Your Debt!
Movie • 1970
Again
Movie • 1984
The Fatal Raid
Movie • 1969
The Earth is Born Again
Movie • 1971
Hironosuke Nakadate
Shinkuna umi ga yon deru ze
Movie • 1965
やくざ番外地 抹殺
Movie • 1969
Rusty Pendant
Movie • 1967
Challenge at Dawn
Movie • 1971
Yakuza Wanderer: Villainous Livelihood
Movie • 1969
Ex Convict: Sword Storm
Movie • 1969
The Debt of Blood
Movie • 1967
陽のあたる坂道
Movie • 1967
スクープ
TV • 2002
Yoshitsune
TV • 2005
Taira no Kiyomori (Hei-shi)
Family: Absence of the Wife, Existence of the Husband
TV • 2006
The Street Lawyers
TV • 2006
Middle-aged Divorce
TV • 2005
Marusa!!
TV • 2003
Chikara Kokuryo
Daihyô torishimariyaku deka
TV • 1990
Gion Bayashi
TV • 2005
No Dropping Out: Back to School at 35
TV • 2013
Yukinobu Asada
SMAP×SMAP
TV • 1996
Skit Guest
Flower of Ice
TV • 2008
Haguregumo
TV • 1978
AIBOU: Tokyo Detective Duo
TV • 2002
Muneaki Seta
渡哲也サスペンス 絆
TV • 2002
Hideyoshi
TV • 1996
Oda Nobunaga
浮浪云
TV • 1978
Katsu Kaishu
TV • 1974
Katsu Kaishu (adult)
Oishii Gohan: Kamakura Kasugai Rice Shop
TV • 2007
카스가이 류헤이
Epic Chushingura
TV • 1971
Horibe Yasubei
Bloody Journal of the Shinsengumi
TV • 1998
Kondo Isami
Big City: Days of Struggle
TV • 1976
Tuna
TV • 2007
Clouds Over the Hill
TV • 2009
東郷平八郎
Seibu Keisatsu
TV • 1979