
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