, born as
is a
Japanese
Japanese may refer to:
* Something from or related to Japan, an island country in East Asia
* Japanese language, spoken mainly in Japan
* Japanese people, the ethnic group that identifies with Japan through ancestry or culture
** Japanese diaspor ...
actor famous for his lead role as
Samurai
were the hereditary military nobility and officer caste of medieval and early-modern Japan from the late 12th century until their abolition in 1876. They were the well-paid retainers of the '' daimyo'' (the great feudal landholders). They h ...
swordsman
Akikusa Shintaro in
The Samurai (TV series)
''The Samurai'' is a Japanese historical fiction television series made by Senkosha Productions during the early 1960s. Its original Japanese title was . The series premiered in 1962 on TBS and ran continuously until 1965 for ten self-contained st ...
. This series made a huge impact when shown in
Australia
Australia, officially the Commonwealth of Australia, is a Sovereign state, sovereign country comprising the mainland of the Australia (continent), Australian continent, the island of Tasmania, and numerous List of islands of Australia, sma ...
in 1965. He worked in television from 1958 to 1972 after which he became a businessman. He also became skilled in
Iaido
, abbreviated , is a Japanese martial art that emphasizes being aware and capable of quickly drawing the sword and responding to sudden attacks.Christensen, Karen and Allen Guttmann et.al (2001) ''International Encyclopedia of Women and Sports ...
, the art of swift sword drawing.
Life
Born in
Yokohama
is the second-largest city in Japan by population and the most populous municipality of Japan. It is the capital city and the most populous city in Kanagawa Prefecture, with a 2020 population of 3.8 million. It lies on Tokyo Bay, south of To ...
, Ose's real name was Kazunari Ose. He graduated from Keio University School of Foreign Languages. In 1952 he joined the
Daiei Motion Picture Company
Daiei Film Co. Ltd. (Kyūjitai: Shinjitai: ''Daiei Eiga Kabushiki Kaisha'') was a Japanese film studio. Founded in 1942 as Dai Nippon Film Co., Ltd., it was one of the major studios during the postwar Golden Age of Japanese cinema, producing n ...
(who made ''
Rashomon
is a 1950 Jidaigeki psychological thriller/crime film directed and written by Akira Kurosawa, working in close collaboration with cinematographer Kazuo Miyagawa. Starring Toshiro Mifune, Machiko Kyō, Masayuki Mori (actor), Masayuki Mori, and ...
'' and ''
Zatoichi
is a fictional character created by Japanese novelist Kan Shimozawa. He is an itinerant blind masseur and swordsman of Japan's late Edo period (1830s and 1840s). He first appeared in the 1948 essay , part of Shimozawa's ''Futokoro Techō'' serie ...
'' among others) and appeared in a number of films.
Career
Ose’s career began in 1958 when he starred as the hero in the
tokusatsu
is a Japanese term for live action film or television drama that makes heavy use of practical special effects. ''Tokusatsu'' entertainment mainly refers to science fiction, War film, war, fantasy, or Horror film, horror media featuring such te ...
TV series ''Gekko Kamen'' (''
Moonlight Mask
(a.k.a. ''The Moonbeam Man'') is a superhero appearing in Japanese tokusatsu and anime television shows and movies since his TV debut in 1958. The six theatrical films were made (between 1958-1959) in black and white/ToeiScope format. Created by ...
''), before landing the leading role as Shintaro in ''The Samurai''.
Ose got the part of Gekko Kamen when producer Shunichi Nishimura went to the Toei movie lot and picked him from some photographs, then interviewed him on the spot. At the time there were three candidates for the part, but the actor needed to have clear cut features which would be easy to draw so Ose was chosen.
[PARDON ME, BUT YOUR SHURIKEN IS IN MY NECK: the phenomenon in Japan](_blank)
/ref>
Through Gekko Kamen, Ose gained popularity with children as the mysterious masked hero despite the fact his face was hidden by a mask and his identity kept secret to preserve the mystery. It made a star of Ose and its two theme songs became big hits. He took one character from creator Yasunori Kawauchi
Yasunori is a masculine Japanese given name.
Possible writings
Yasunori can be written using many different combinations of kanji characters. Here are some examples:
*安徳, "tranquil, benevolence"
*安紀, "tranquil, chronicle"
*安典, "tranqu ...
's given name and incorporated it in his stage name in recognition of the boost to his career this role gave him. Made by Senkosha Productions
Senkosha Productions was the television production arm of the large Japanese advertising agency the Senkosha Company. The Tokyo-based Senkosha Company still exists, though it has long since closed its television division, now known as Senko Kikaku ...
it was directed by Funatoko Sadao. Funatoko next directed him in ''Jaga no me'' (''Eye of the Jaguar
Eyes are organs of the visual system. They provide living organisms with vision, the ability to receive and process visual detail, as well as enabling several photo response functions that are independent of vision. Eyes detect light and conve ...
'') which proved to be another success before his famous role in ''The Samurai'' TV series. At the height of his television career he left ''The Samurai'' for a film contract. He was replaced by a new star Shinichiro Hayashi who appeared in the new series titled ''The New Samurai''. It was filmed in color, but the dubbed prints were black and white.
After ''The Samurai'', Ose acted in about 20 feature films including some period pieces and gangster films, until his sudden retirement in 1969.[Samurai](_blank)
/ref>
Ose was also a recording artist. One of the singles released in English was called ''Lonely Night''.
Australian tour
''The Samurai'' was the first Japanese produced series shown on Australian television and the Australian press gushed about Ose as Shintaro. Ose toured Australia in December 1965 and appeared in 12 live 90-minute shows in 15 days at the Sydney Stadium
The Sydney Stadium was a sporting and entertainment venue in Sydney, New South Wales, which formerly stood on the corner of New South Head Road and Neild Avenue, Rushcutters Bay. Built in 1908, it was demolished in 1970 to make way for the ...
and at Festival Hall in Melbourne before returning to Japan. Originally only the Sydney shows were booked, but pressure from Melbourne promoters changed his program. Each show drew more than 6,000 people watching him slay dragons and fight ninjas in performance.
Ose first saw the extent of his popularity when he was mobbed at airports in both Sydney and Melbourne by fans wearing homemade kimono, brandishing ninja stars fashioned from cardboard or tin can lids, and waving Samurai bubble gum wrappers with his picture on them.
Personal life
Ose retired from acting in 1969 and from 1971 he concentrated on managing an acting agency until 1977 when he finally left show business altogether.[Koichi Ose - Biography](_blank)
/ref> He ran a promotion and property development company that included a golf course and a chain of noodle shops called "Goninbayashi" (five musical).
Ose married award winning actress, Hizuru Takachiho in April 1964. Born in Kobe, Japan
Kobe ( , ; officially , ) is the capital city of Hyōgo Prefecture Japan. With a population around 1.5 million, Kobe is Japan's seventh-largest city and the third-largest port city after Tokyo and Yokohama. It is located in Kansai region, which ...
in 1932, Takachiho appeared in 26 films from 1951 until 1969. She won awards for ''Zero no shoten'' (Zero Focus
is a 1961 Japanese mystery film directed by Yoshitaro Nomura and is based on a novel by Seicho Matsumoto.
Plot
One week into newlywed Teiko Uhara's marriage, her husband, ad agency manager Kenichi, leaves on a short business trip to Kanazawa a ...
) and ''Haitoku no mesu'' in 1962.Hizuru Takachiho - Awards
/ref> They have one son, Yasuhiro, born in October 1965. Ose had his share of accidents, falling and injuring himself during some swordplay at a theatre. He lives in Tokyo and is an expert in Iaido
, abbreviated , is a Japanese martial art that emphasizes being aware and capable of quickly drawing the sword and responding to sudden attacks.Christensen, Karen and Allen Guttmann et.al (2001) ''International Encyclopedia of Women and Sports ...
. He is 5'7" (1.70 m) tall.
Major TV roles
*''Moonlight Mask
(a.k.a. ''The Moonbeam Man'') is a superhero appearing in Japanese tokusatsu and anime television shows and movies since his TV debut in 1958. The six theatrical films were made (between 1958-1959) in black and white/ToeiScope format. Created by ...
'' (1958–1959)
*''The Samurai (TV series)
''The Samurai'' is a Japanese historical fiction television series made by Senkosha Productions during the early 1960s. Its original Japanese title was . The series premiered in 1962 on TBS and ran continuously until 1965 for ten self-contained st ...
'' (1962–1965)
*''Eye of the Jaguar
Eyes are organs of the visual system. They provide living organisms with vision, the ability to receive and process visual detail, as well as enabling several photo response functions that are independent of vision. Eyes detect light and conve ...
'' (1959)
References
{{DEFAULTSORT:Ose, Koichi
Japanese male actors
People from Yokohama
1937 births
Living people