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Izo
''IZO'' is a 2004 Japanese film directed by Takashi Miike. The main character of the film is Izo Okada (1832–1865), the historical samurai and assassin in 19th-century Japan who was tortured and executed by beheading in Tosa. Izo appeared previously in Hideo Gosha's '' Hitokiri'' (1969), then played by Shintaro Katsu. However, Miike's portrayal of the character (or rather his spirit) transcends reality (and time and space) and is more of a surrealist exposé of Izo's exceedingly bloody yet philosophical encounters in an afterlife heavy on symbolism, occasionally interrupted by stock footage of World War II accompanied by acid-folk singer Kazuki Tomokawa on guitar. Kazuya Nakayama plays Izo and the many characters he encounters on his journey include figures played by Takeshi Kitano and Bob Sapp. Cast * Kazuya Nakayama - Okada Izo * Kaori Momoi - * Ryuhei Matsuda - * Ryôsuke Miki - Hampeita Takechi * Yuya Uchida - Spirit * Masumi Okada - Politician * Hiroki Matsukat ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
Izo Okada
''IZO'' is a 2004 Japanese film directed by Takashi Miike. The main character of the film is Izo Okada (1832–1865), the historical samurai and assassin in 19th-century Japan who was tortured and executed by beheading in Tosa. Izo appeared previously in Hideo Gosha's '' Hitokiri'' (1969), then played by Shintaro Katsu. However, Miike's portrayal of the character (or rather his spirit) transcends reality (and time and space) and is more of a surrealist exposé of Izo's exceedingly bloody yet philosophical encounters in an afterlife heavy on symbolism, occasionally interrupted by stock footage of World War II accompanied by acid-folk singer Kazuki Tomokawa on guitar. Kazuya Nakayama plays Izo and the many characters he encounters on his journey include figures played by Takeshi Kitano and Bob Sapp. Cast * Kazuya Nakayama - Okada Izo * Kaori Momoi - * Ryuhei Matsuda - * Ryôsuke Miki - Hampeita Takechi * Yuya Uchida - Spirit * Masumi Okada - Politician * Hiroki Matsukat ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
Takashi Miike
is a Japanese film director, film producer and screenwriter. He has directed over one hundred theatrical, video, and television productions since his debut in 1991. His films run through a variety of different genres, and range from violent and surrealism, bizarre to dramatic and family-friendly movies. He is a controversial figure in the contemporary Japanese cinema industry, with several of his films being criticised for their extreme graphic violence. Some of his best known films are Audition (1999 film), ''Audition'', Ichi the Killer (film), ''Ichi the Killer'', ''Gozu'', One Missed Call (2003 film), ''One Missed Call'', the ''Dead or Alive (1999 film), Dead or Alive'' trilogy, and various remakes: Graveyard of Honor (2002 film), ''Graveyard of Honor'', ''Hara-Kiri: Death of a Samurai, Hara-kiri'' and 13 Assassins (2010 film), ''13 Assassins''. Early life Miike was born in Yao, Osaka, Yao, Osaka Prefecture, to a ''Japanese diaspora#Asia, Nikkei'' family originally from th ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
Kazuki Tomokawa
Tenji Nozoki (及位典司; born February 16, 1950), best known by the stage name Kazuki Tomokawa (友川 かずき), is a prolific Japanese musician, active in the Japanese music scene since the early 1970s. His music has been used in the films of cult directors Takashi Miike and Kōji Wakamatsu, and he also appears in person in Miike's ''Izo'' (2004). Japanese poet Satoru Nozoki is his brother. Discography *''Yatto Ichi Mai Me'' (English title: ''Finally First Album''), 1975 *''Nikusei'' (English title: ''Human Voice''), 1976 *''Senbazuru Wo Kuchini Kuwaeta Hibi'', 1977 *''Ore no Uchi de Nariyamanai Uta'' (English title: ''Poems That Won't Stop Crying From Within Me''), 1978 *''Inu - Tomokawa Kazuki Akita Konsaato Raibu'' (English title: ''Dog - Akita Concert Live''), 1979 *''Sakura No Kuni No Chiru Naka O (English title: ''Within the Country of Falling Cherry Blossoms''), 1980 *''Umi shizuka, koe wa yami'' (English title: ''Sea Is Silent, Voice/Soul Is Suffering''), 1981 *'' ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
Kaori Momoi
is a Japanese actress. Life and career Momoi was born in Tokyo, Japan. At the age of 12, she traveled to London to study dance at the Royal Ballet Academy. After 3 years, she returned to Tokyo. She graduated from Japan's Bungakuza School of Dramatic Arts. In 1971, Momoi debuted in director Kon Ichikawa's '' Ai Futatabi'' (To Love Again). Her career has spanned 35 years and over 60 films. As an actress, she has worked with directors including Akira Kurosawa (''Kagemusha'', 1980), Tatsumi Kumashiro (''Seishun no Satetsu'', 1974), Yoji Yamada (''The Yellow Handkerchief'', 1977 and ''Otoko wa Tsuraiyo'', 1979), Shohei Imamura (''Why Not?'', 1981), Shunji Iwai (''Swallowtail Butterfly'', 1996), Jun Ichikawa (''Tokyo Yakyoku'', 1997), Mitani Koki (''Welcome Back, Mr. McDonald'', 1997), Yoshimitsu Morita (''Like Asura'', 2003) and Takashi Miike ('' Izo'', '' Sukiyaki Western Django''). She performed in '' The Sun'' (2005) directed by Alexander Sokurov and appeared in director Rob ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
Kazuya Nakayama
Kazuya Nakayama (中山一也) is a Japanese actor and producer known for films such as ''Izo'' and ''Agitator'' directed by Takashi Miike. Filmography * ''Keiji monogatari 2 - Ringo no uta'' (1983) * ''Renzoku satsujinki: Reiketsu'' (1984) * ''Agitator'' (2001) * ''Izo ''IZO'' is a 2004 Japanese film directed by Takashi Miike. The main character of the film is Izo Okada (1832–1865), the historical samurai and assassin in 19th-century Japan who was tortured and executed by beheading in Tosa. Izo appeared p ...'' (2004) * '' Waru: kanketsu-hen'' (2006) * ''Jitsuroku Shinsengumi: kanketsu-hen'' (2006) * ''Jitsuroku Shinsengumi'' (2006) * '' Waru'' (2006) * ''Detective Story'' (2007) * ''Johnen: Love of Sada'' (2008) References External links * Living people Japanese male actors Year of birth missing (living people) {{Japan-actor-stub ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
Masumi Okada
was a professional actor, singer, stand-up comedian, and film producer. Also known by his nickname "Fanfan", he was born in Nice, France, to a Japanese father, Minoru Okada, who was an artist, and a Danish mother, Ingeborg Sevaldsen, who was the sister of Eline Eriksen, the model for the "Mermaid of Copenhagen". Masumi Okada was the younger of two sons; his older brother, Taibi "Erick" Okada, was also an actor and presenter- known professionally as E. H. Eric, he was the emcee for the Beatles' 1966 concert in Tokyo. Biography Masumi Okada spent the first four years of his life in France before relocating to Japan in 1939. He received his education under his Western name, Otto Sevaldsen, at Saint Joseph International School (SJIS) in the city of Yokohama in Kanagawa prefecture, graduating in 1955. In 1952, while still a student at SJIS, Okada debuted as an actor in a musical at the Nichigeki Music Hall. He signed with Nikkatsu Corporation in 1954, appearing in his first film, ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
Masato (kickboxer)
is a Japanese retired welterweight kickboxer. He was the ISKA World Welterweight Oriental Rules champion, as well as the winner of the K-1 WORLD MAX World tournament in 2003 and 2008. In addition, he was also the runner-up of the K-1 World MAX World tournament in 2004 and 2007. Prior to the K-1 Rising event in Madrid in May 2012, it was announced that Masato will be working as an executive producer for K-1. Biography Early life Masato Kobayashi (小林 雅人) was born in Kashiwa City, Chiba Prefecture Japan on March 10, 1979. When he was young, he moved to Niiza, Saitama because of his parents' job. He started going to ''Asagiri Municipal Asagiri 4th Junior High School'' ( ja). After graduating junior high school, he started attending the ''Saitama Sakae High School'' ( ja), but soon dropped out with his friends. He described the reason for dropping out simply as "enthusiasm" when he appeared on popular Japanese television show "Junk Sports" ( ja). After dropping out, he ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
Renji Ishibashi
, born is a Japanese actor. He won the award for best supporting actor at the 15th Hochi Film Award for '' Rōnin-gai''. Filmography Film Television Video game * '' Yakuza: Dead Souls'' - Oyassan References External links * Renji Ishibashiat ''MSN MSN (meaning Microsoft Network) is a web portal and related collection of Internet services and apps for Windows and mobile devices, provided by Microsoft and launched on August 24, 1995, alongside the release of Windows 95. The Microsoft Net ... Movies'' Japanese male actors 1941 births Living people People from Shinagawa {{Japan-actor-stub ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
Joe Yamanaka
, better known as , was a Japanese singer and actor. He is known for both his work with Flower Travellin' Band and as a solo musician; singing at a vocal range of three octaves. As an actor, he appeared in many television shows and movies, such as Takashi Miike's '' Deadly Outlaw: Rekka'' and the 1989 version of ''Zatoichi''. He is also recognized for 20 years of charity and volunteer work with the Japan International Cooperation Agency and flew around the world helping those in poor or war-torn conditions; visiting more than 30 countries including Afghanistan, Myanmar, Bosnia, numerous sovereign states in Africa, China, Ukraine (including Chernobyl), North Korea, Vietnam, Iraq, and Brazil. While doing aid work in Jamaica, he met local musicians and later became involved in reggae music. His aid work was a personal inspiration to help those who were growing up in similar conditions that he had experienced as a child. Biography Akira Yamanaka was born in Yokohama, Japan, on Septe ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
Ken Ogata
, better known by his stage name , was a Japanese actor. Life Ogata was born in Tokyo, Japan. Ogata is well known for his roles in Peter Greenaway's ''The Pillow Book'', Paul Schrader's '' Mishima: A Life in Four Chapters'' and Shohei Imamura's '' The Ballad of Narayama''. He won the award for best actor at the 26th Blue Ribbon Awards for ''Okinawan Boys''. In television, his starring role as Toyotomi Hideyoshi in the 1965 NHK Taiga drama ''Taikōki'' catapulted him to fame. Ken went on to many prominent roles in subsequent programs. The following year, he portrayed Benkei in ''Minamoto no Yoshitsune''. The network tapped him again for the role of Fujiwara no Sumitomo in the 1976 ''Kaze to Kumo to Niji to''. He returned to playing Hideyoshi in the 1978 ''Ōgon no Hibi'', and returned to the lead as Ōishi Kuranosuke in ''Tōge no Gunzō,'' the 1982 ''Chūshingura.'' Another featured appearance in a Taiga drama was in ''Taiheiki'' (1991, as Ashikaga Sadauji, father of Takauji) ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
Saburō Shinoda
is a Japanese actor who has played roles in films and television dramas. He signed with Daiei film and made his film debut with ''Gan'' in 1966. He is famous for playing the role of Kotaro Higashi in ''Ultraman Taro''. He is the only original Ultraman actor to have not reprised his role in any other Ultraman film or television series. Filmography Drama Series *1973: ''Ultraman Taro'' as Higashi Kotaro *1979: ''Kusa Moeru'', Minamoto no Sanetomo *1984: ''Sanga Moyu'', Keisuke Mishima *1988: ''Takeda Shingen'', Yamagata Masakage *1989: ''Onihei Hankachō'' as Sakai *1994: ''Hana no Ran'', Gan'ami *1996: ''Hideyoshi'', Niwa Nagahide *2000: ''The One Stringed Harp'' *2002: ''Golden Bowl'' *2009: ''A Secret in Summer'' *2014: '' Mozu Season 2 - Maboroshi no Tsubasa'' Movies *1966: Gan *1966: Red Angel *1967: Zen'in shugo shirizu 1 *1968: The Time of Reckoning *1968: Gamera vs. Viras *1970: Innocent Sinner *1970: High-School Boss *1972: Uta *1974: Lived in a Dream *1975: I Am a Cat ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
Bob Sapp
Robert Malcolm Sapp (born September 22, 1973) is an American mixed martial artist, kickboxer, professional wrestler, actor, and former American football player. He is currently under contract with Rizin Fighting Federation. Sapp has a combined fight record of 24–39–1, mostly fighting in Japan. He is well known in Japan, where he has appeared in numerous commercials, television programs, and various other media, and has released a music CD, ''Sapp Time''. He is known there as a ''gaijin tarento'' (foreign-born talent). He is currently working sporadically for various MMA promotions in the U.S., Japan, and Europe. Sapp played college football as a guard for the Washington Huskies with whom he won the Morris Trophy. He was drafted in the third round of the 1997 NFL draft by the Chicago Bears with whom he played for one season seeing no game action before playing with the Minnesota Vikings for another two seasons, only playing in one game. He later began a career in professio ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
