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Shintarō Katsu
was a Japanese actor, singer, and filmmaker. He is known for starring in the ''Akumyo'' series, the ''Hoodlum Soldier'' series, and the ''Zatoichi'' series. Life and career Born Toshio Okumura (奥村 利夫 ''Okumura Toshio'') on 29 November 1931. He was the son of Minoru Okumura (奥村 実), a noted kabuki performer who went by the stage name Katsutōji Kineya (杵屋 勝東治) and who was renowned for his nagauta and shamisen skills. He was the younger brother of actor Tomisaburo Wakayama. Shintaro Katsu began his career in entertainment as a shamisen player. He switched to acting because he noticed it was better paid. In the 1960s he starred simultaneously in three long-running series of films, the Akumyo series, the Hoodlum Soldier series, and the Zatoichi series. He played the role of blind masseur Zatoichi in a series of 25 films between 1962 and 1973, in 100 episodes across a four season television series from 1974 to 1979, and in a 26th and final film in 1989, ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
Kashiwa, Chiba
is a Cities of Japan, city located in Chiba Prefecture, Japan. , the city had an estimated population of 435,578 in 199,926 households and a population density of 3800 persons per km2. The total area of the city is . The name of the city is written with a single ''kanji'' character: , a reference to ''Quercus dentata'', commonly known in English as the Japanese emperor oak or daimyo oak. Geography Kashiwa is located on the Shimōsa Plateau in the far northwestern corner of Chiba Prefecture, about 30 kilometers from the prefectural capital at Chiba (city), Chiba and 25 to 35 kilometers from central Tokyo. It is separated from Ibaraki Prefecture to the north by the Tone River. Located on the Kanto Plain, the city is flat, with an elevation of between 5 and 32 meters above sea level. Neighboring municipalities *Chiba Prefecture **Abiko, Chiba, Abiko **Inzai **Kamagaya, Chiba, Kamagaya **Matsudo, Chiba, Matsudo **Nagareyama, Chiba, Nagareyama **Noda, Chiba, Noda **Shiroi, Chiba, ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
Kagemusha
is a 1980 epic jidaigeki film directed by Akira Kurosawa. It is set in the Sengoku period of Japanese history and tells the story of a lower-class petty thief who is taught to impersonate the dying ''daimyō'' Takeda Shingen to dissuade opposing lords from attacking the newly vulnerable clan. ''Kagemusha'' is the Japanese term for a political decoy, literally meaning "shadow warrior". The film ends with the climactic 1575 Battle of Nagashino. ''Kagemusha'' was released to critical acclaim. The film won the Palme d'Or at the 1980 Cannes Film Festival (tied with '' All That Jazz''). It was also nominated for the Academy Award for Best Foreign Language Film and received other honours. In 2009 the film was voted at No. 59 on the list of ''The Greatest Japanese Films of All Time'' by Japanese film magazine '' Kinema Junpo''. Plot During the Sengoku period, in 1571, Takeda Shingen, ''daimyō'' of Kai province from the Takeda clan, meets a thief his brother Nobukado has spa ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
Tsūkai! Kōchiyama Sōshun
is a Japanese television jidaigeki or period drama that was broadcast in 1975–1976. The lead star is Shintaro Katsu, his older brother Tomisaburo Wakayama also appeared in the episodes 5, 7 and 25. Plot Kōchiyama Sōshun is a serves as a cha-bōzu (He is kind of tea man) in the administrative headquarters of the Tokugawa shogunate but he works behind the scene to protect powerless people from evil power of Tokugawa shogunate. Kataoka Naojirō and Ushimatsu work for Kōchiyama. Kaneko Ichinojō is a ronin whose interests often align with Kōchiyama. Cast *Shintaro Katsu as Kōchiyama Sōshun *Yoshio Harada as Kaneko Ichinojō *Shōhei Hino as Ushimatsu *Hide Demon as Kataoka Naojirō *Kaori Momoi as Ochiyo *Mitsuko Kusabue as Otaki *Tomisaburo Wakayama as Tōyama Kagemoto, Tōyama Kinsirō *So Yamamura as Mizuno Tadakuni *Hideji Ōtaki as Moritaya Seibei *Naruse Tadashi *Hosei Komatsu as Nishiyama Gensai *Shin Kishida as Tori Yozō Directors *Shintaro Katsu (Episodes 15, 2 ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
Oshizamurai Kiichihōgan
also known as The Mute Samurai is a Japanese television ''jidaigeki'' or period drama, that was broadcast in 1973–1974. The lead star is Tomisaburo Wakayama, his younger brother Shintaro Katsu also appeared and directed episode 1. It is based on Kanda Takeshi's manga ''Oshizamurai Kiichihōgan''. Plot Kiichihōgan is a samurai who had been a victim of a vicious crime, completely changing his life forever. His parents were killed and his virgin wife was violated by a skilled Spaniard named Gonzalez. 18 years later Kiichihōgan abandons the way of the samurai and he becomes a bounty hunter, taking Japan's most wanted criminals. He goes on a journey to find the Spaniard and fulfill his revenge. Cast *Tomisaburo Wakayama as Kiichihōgan * Shintaro Katsu as Manji (Nagasaki Bugyo) * Judy Ongg as Okiku * Kayo Matsuo as Kikuno * Minoru Ōki as Tokaiya * Kanjūrō Arashi as Monk Jikai * Tony Cetera as Gonzales Episode list See also *Tsūkai! Kōchiyama Sōshun (1975–76) TV serie ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
Shogun Assassin
''Shogun Assassin'' is a 1980 film directed by Robert Houston. It was edited and compiled from the first two films in the ''Lone Wolf and Cub'' series, using 12 minutes of the first film, '' Lone Wolf and Cub: Sword of Vengeance'' (''Kozure Ōkami: Kowokashi Udekashi Tsukamatsuru'' or ''Wolf with Child in Tow: Child and Expertise for Rent''), and most of '' Lone Wolf and Cub: Baby Cart at the River Styx'' (''Kozure Ōkami: Sanzu no Kawa no Ubaguruma'' or ''Wolf with Child in Tow: Perambulator of the River of Sanzu''), both released in 1972 and based on the long-running 1970s manga series ''Lone Wolf and Cub'' created by the writer Kazuo Koike and the artist Goseki Kojima. Plot As the opening credits roll, an abbreviated version of Ogami Ittō's ( Tomisaburô Wakayama) past as Shogunate Decapitator and his wife's murder by ninja are seen, with Daigorō (Akihiro Tomikawa) providing the narration. Two hooded samurai attack Ogami while he is pushing a cart with Daigorō inside ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
Jidaigeki
is a genre of film, television, and theatre in Japan. Literally meaning "historical drama, period dramas", it refers to stories that take place before the Meiji Restoration of 1868. ''Jidaigeki'' show the lives of the samurai, farmers, craftsmen, and merchants of their time. ''Jidaigeki'' films are sometimes referred to as chambara movies, a word meaning "sword fight", though chambara is more accurately a subgenre of ''jidaigeki''. ''Jidaigeki'' rely on an established set of dramatic conventions including the use of makeup, language, catchphrases, and plotlines. Types Many ''jidaigeki'' take place in Edo, the military capital. Others show the adventures of people wandering from place to place. The long-running television series ''Zenigata Heiji'' and ''Abarenbō Shōgun'' typify the Edo ''jidaigeki''. ''Mito Kōmon'', the fictitious story of the travels of the historical ''daimyō'' Tokugawa Mitsukuni, and the ''Zatoichi'' movies and television series, exemplify the traveling ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
Lone Wolf And Cub
is a Japanese manga series created by writer Kazuo Koike and artist Goseki Kojima. It was serialized in Futabasha's manga magazine '' Weekly Manga Action'' from September 1970 to April 1976, with its chapters collected in 28 ' volumes. The story was adapted into six films starring Tomisaburo Wakayama, four plays, and a television series starring Kinnosuke Yorozuya, and is widely recognized as an important and influential work. ''Lone Wolf and Cub'' chronicles the story of Ogami Ittō, the ''shōgun''s executioner who uses a dōtanuki battle sword. Disgraced by false accusations from the Yagyū clan, he is forced to take the path of the assassin. Along with his three-year-old son, Daigorō, they seek revenge on the Yagyū clan and are known as "Lone Wolf and Cub". ''Lone Wolf and Cub'' is considered to be among the most influential manga ever created. It has been cited as the origin for the trope of a man protecting a child on a journey across a dangerous landscape. ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
Manga
are comics or graphic novels originating from Japan. Most manga conform to a style developed in Japan in the late 19th century, and the form has a long history in earlier Japanese art. The term is used in Japan to refer to both comics and cartooning. Outside of Japan, the word is typically used to refer to comics originally published in Japan. In Japan, people of all ages and walks of life read manga. The medium includes works in a broad range of genres: action, adventure, business and commerce, comedy, detective, drama, historical, horror, mystery, romance, science fiction and fantasy, erotica ( and ), sports and games, and suspense, among others. Many manga are translated into other languages. Since the 1950s, manga has become an increasingly major part of the Japanese publishing industry. By 1995, the manga market in Japan was valued at (), with annual sales of 1.9billion manga books and manga magazines (also known as manga anthologies) in Japan (equivale ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
Mineko Iwasaki
is a Japanese businesswoman, author and former geisha. Iwasaki was the most famous geisha in Japan until her sudden retirement at the age of 29. Known for her performances for celebrity and royalty during her geisha life, Iwasaki was the heir apparent () to her geisha house () while she was just a young apprentice. American author Arthur Golden interviewed her for background information when writing his 1997 book, '' Memoirs of a Geisha''. Iwasaki later regretted interviewing for Golden, having cited a breach of confidentiality, and later sued and settled out of court with Golden for the parallelism between his book and her life. In 2002, she released her own autobiography, titled ''Geisha of Gion'' in the UK and ''Geisha: A Life'' in the US. Life and career Iwasaki was born as Masako Tanaka to Shigezo and Chie (née Akamatsu) Tanaka. She had ten siblings: brothers Seiichiro, Ryozo, Kozo, Fumio, and sisters Yaeko, Kikuko, Kuniko, Yoshiko, Tomiko, Yukiko. She left home at the ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
Geisha
{{Culture of Japan, Traditions, Geisha {{nihongo, Geisha{{efn, {{IPAc-en, lang, ˈ, ɡ, eɪ, ., ʃ, ə, {{IPA, ja, ɡei.ɕa, ɡeː-, lang{{cite book, script-title=ja:NHK日本語発音アクセント新辞典, publisher=NHK Publishing, editor=NHK Broadcasting Culture Research Institute, date=24 May 2016, lang=ja, 芸者, also known as {{nihongo, , 芸子, geiko{{efn, {{IPA, ja, ɡei.ko, ɡeː-, lang, {{citation needed span, in Kyoto and Kanazawa, date=May 2025 or {{nihongo, , 芸妓, geigi{{efn, {{IPA, ja, ɡeꜜi.ɡi, ɡeꜜː-, -ŋi, lang , are female Japanese people, Japanese performing arts, performing artists and entertainers trained in performing arts#Japan, traditional Japanese performing arts styles, such as Japanese traditional dance, dance, Music of Japan, music and singing, as well as being proficient conversationalists and hosts. Their distinct appearance is characterised by long, trailing kimono, nihongami#geisha, traditional hairstyles and {{transliteration, ja, o ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
Kyoto
Kyoto ( or ; Japanese language, Japanese: , ''Kyōto'' ), officially , is the capital city of Kyoto Prefecture in the Kansai region of Japan's largest and most populous island of Honshu. , the city had a population of 1.46 million, making it the List of cities in Japan, ninth-most populous city in Japan. More than half (56.8%) of Kyoto Prefecture's population resides in the city. The city is the cultural anchor of the substantially larger Greater Kyoto, a metropolitan statistical area (MSA) home to a census-estimated 3.8 million people. It is also part of the even larger Keihanshin, Keihanshin metropolitan area, along with Osaka and Kobe. Kyoto is one of the oldest municipalities in Japan, having been chosen in 794 as the new seat of Japan's imperial court by Emperor Kanmu. The original city, named Heian-kyō, was arranged in accordance with traditional Chinese feng shui following the model of the ancient Chinese capitals of Chang'an and Luoyang. The emperors of Japan ruled fro ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
Zatoichi (1989 Film)
, also known as ''Zatoichi: Darkness Is His Ally'', ''Zatoichi: The Blind Swordsman'' and ''Shintaro Katsu's Zatoichi'', is a 1989 Japanese ''Chambara'' film directed by and starring Shintaro Katsu, who also produced and co-wrote the screenplay. It is the twenty-sixth entry in a series of films featuring the blind swordsman Zatoichi, released 16 years after the twenty-fifth film in the series '' Zatoichi's Conspiracy'' (1973). The main character is based on a fictional character, a blind masseur and swordmaster created by novelist Kan Shimozawa and set during the late Edo period. ''Zatoichi'' is the last film in the original classic saga of Zatoichi (1962–1989). It is also the second time Shintaro Katsu directed a Zatoichi film, and the last time Katsu played the title character on screen. Synopsis After being released from a brief captivity in prison, an older Ichi continues his life of wandering. He befriends a Rōnin (a masterless samurai), and later decides to live in a vi ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
