Tomisaburo Wakayama
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Tomisaburo Wakayama (若山富三郎, 1929-1992) was a Japanese actor, best known for playing Ogami Itto, the disgraced, scowling, 17th century ronin in the six Kozure Okami (Lone Wolf and Cub) samurai feature movies.
Tomisaburo Wakayama was born into a family of Kabuki performers. He and his little brother Shintaro Katsu both followed in their father's footsteps until Tomisaburo got sick of it and decided it was time for a change. When he was thirteen years old, he began to study judo and became 4th Dan black belt. This made him give up theatre altogether. He spent most of his time teaching Judo until Toho decided to recruit him as a new martial arts star. Although at first reluctant because of his disillusion about Japanese theatre and acting, he eventually agreed and began to star in jidaigeki movies.
He prepared for these movies by practicing other disciplines such as Kenpo, Iaido, Kendo, or Bo-Jitsu. All this helped him for his most famous role: Ogami Itto, the Lone Wolf. After that, Tomisaburo starred in many films, performing under many different roles. It has been estimated that he has acted in between 250 to 500 films, though there isn't a clear record of them. His only roles in American movies were as a baseball coach in The Bad News Bears Go To Japan and as a Yakuza boss playing opposite Michael Douglas in Ridley Scott's Black Rain.
Tomisaburo Wakayama passed away in a Kyoto hospital on April 2, 1992 of accute heart failure. The Lone Wolf died at the age of 62 before he could become any more popular in the West. However, he will always have a cult following remembering him for his most celebrated role as the wandering ronin, Lone Wolf.
[edit] Partial Filmography
- Gyakushu orochimaru (1955)
- Rage (1959)
- Fukaku hichô (1959)
- Jirochô kesshôki: Nagurikomi kôjinyama (1960)
- Megitsune henge (1961)
- Ghost of Oiwa (1961)
- Zatoichi 2 (1962)
- Ninja 1 (1962)
- Love for a Mother (1962)
- Sleepy Eyes of Death: The Chinese Jade (1963)
- Teuchi (1963)
- Ninja 2 (1963)
- Ninja 3 (1963)
- Zatoichi and the Chest of Gold (1964)
- Sleepy Eyes of Death: Sword of Seduction (1964)
- Ninja 4 (1964)
- Virgin Witnessed (1966)
- A Brave Generous Era (1966)
- Fraternal Honor: Three Brothers of Kanto (1966)
- Bakuchi uchi (1967)
- Hokkai yûkyôden (1967)
- Red Peony Gambles Her Life (1968)
- Kyôdai jingi gyakuen no sakazuki (1968)
- Yôen dokufu-den hannya no ohyaku (1968)
- Bakuto retsuden (1968)
- Kaettekita gokudo (1968)
- Ballad of Murder (1968)
- Wicked Priest (1968)
- Nunnery Confidential (1968)
- Bakuchi-uchi: socho tobaku (1968)
- Gendai yakuza: yotamono no okite (1968)
- Memoir of Japanese Assassins (1969)
- Tabi ni deta gokudo (1969)
- Japan Organized Crime Boss (1969)
- Nihon jokyo-den: kyokaku geisha (1969)
- Nihon ansatsu hiroku (1969)
- Red Peony: The Hanafuda Game (1969)
- Matteita gokudo (1969)
- Gokudô bôzu: nenbutsu hitokiri tabi (1969)
- Blind Yakuza Monk (1970)
- Bakuchi-uchi: Nagaremono (1970)
- Underground Syndicate (1970)
- Shiruku hatto no ô-oyabun (1970)
- Shiruku hatto no ô-oyabun: chobi-hige no kuma (1970)
- Thugs of Shinjuku (1970)
- Gokuaku bozu nenbutsu sandangiri (1970)
- Gokudo Kamagasaki ni kaeru (1970)
- Gokudo kyojo tabi (1970)
- Hakurai jingi: Kapone no shatei (1970)
- Nihon boryoku-dan: kumicho kuzure (1970)
- Saigo no tokkôtai (1970)
- A Boss with the Samurai Spirit (1971)
- Gamblers in Okinawa (1971) (International: English title)
- Bakuto kirikomi-tai (1971)
- Boryokudan sai buso (1971)
- Kizudarake no seishun (1971)
- Nippon akuninden (1971)
- Nihon yakuza-den: Sôchiyô e no michi (1971)
- Bakuchi-uchi: Inochi-huda (1971)
- Cherry Blossom Fire Gang (1972)
- Lone Wolf and Cub: Sword of Vengeance (1972)
- Lone Wolf and Cub: Perambulator of the River of Sanzu (1972)
- Lone Wolf and Cub: Perambulator Against the Winds of Death (1972)
- Lone Wolf and Cub: In Peril (1972)
- Lone Wolf and Cub: Baby Cart in Land of Demons (1973)
- Kamagasaki gokudo (1973)
- ESPY (1974)
- Lone Wolf and Cub: White Heaven in Hell (1974)
- Datsugoku Hiroshima satsujinshû (1974)
- Gokudo VS furyô banchô (1974)
- Gokudo VS Mamushi (1974)
- Bôryoku kinmyaku (1975)
- Devil's Bouncing Ball Song (1977)
- Edogawa Rampo no injû (1977)
- Torakku yarô: Otoko ippiki momojirô (1977)
- Sugata Sanshiro (1977)
- Hi no Tori/The Phoenix (1978)
- Bad News Bears Go to Japan (1978)
- Oh My Son (1979)
- Distant Tomorrow (1979)
- Shogun Assassin (1980)
- The Gate of Youth (1981)
- Samurai Reincarnation (1981)
- Flames of Blood (1981)
- Conquest (1982)
- The Shootout (1982)
- Irezumi: Spirit of Tattoo (1982)
- Theatre of Life (1983)
- Shôsetsu Yoshida gakko (1983)
- Hakujasho (1983)
- Story of the Yamashita Boy (1985)
- A Promise (1986)
- Shinran: Path to Purity (1987)
- Black Rain (1989)
- Jotei: Kasuga no tsubone (1990)
- Checkmate (1991)
| Lone Wolf and Cub |
| Baby Cart film series |
|---|
| Lone Wolf and Cub: Sword of Vengeance (1972) | Lone Wolf and Cub: Baby Cart at the River Styx (1972) | Lone Wolf and Cub: Baby Cart to Hades (1972) | Lone Wolf and Cub: Baby Cart in Peril (1972) | Lone Wolf and Cub: Baby Cart in the Land of Demons (1973) | Lone Wolf and Cub: White Heaven in Hell (1974) | Shogun Assassin (first and second films combined) (1980) |
| Television series / List of Lone Wolf and Cub episodes |
| Creators and Actors |
| Goseki Kojima | Kazuo Koike | Shintaro Katsu | Tomisaburo Wakayama | Yagyū Clan |
| Other related articles |
| Baby transport | Bushido | Dark Horse Comics | Jidaigeki | Samurai Executioner | Kill Bill | Road to Perdition | Tokugawa shogunate |
