Ichikawa Raizō VIII

"Raizo Ichikawa" and "Ichikawa Raizō" redirect here. For other actors by the same name, see Ichikawa Raizō (lineage).
In this Japanese name, the family name is "Ichikawa".
Ichikawa Raizō VIII

Ichikawa Raizō VIII, detail from movie poster for Shin Heike Monogatari (1955)
Born Yoshiya Ōta
August 29, 1931
Kyoto, Japan
Died July 17, 1969 (aged 37)
Tokyo, Japan
Occupation film actor, kabuki actor
Years active 1954-1969

Ichikawa Raizō VIII (八代目 市川 雷蔵 Hachidaime Ichikawa Raizō, born 29 August 1931 in Kyoto, Japan, died 17 July 1969 in Tokyo, Japan) was a Japanese film and kabuki actor.

He was born Yoshiya Ōta (太田 吉哉 Ōta Yoshiya)[1] in Kyoto on August 29, 1931.

Ichikawa Raizō appeared mostly in period dramas (jidaigeki). He is best known for the Sleepy Eyes of Death (Nemuri Kyoshiro) series, Ninja (Shinobi no Mono) series and Nakano Spy School (Rikugun Nakano Gakkō) series (based on the Nakano School). Raizō worked many times with director Kenji Misumi. Their collaborations include The Sword (Ken) (from a book by Yukio Mishima) and Destiny's Son (Kill!).

Other great works include An Actor's Revenge (Yukinojo henge). He was so admired for his gracefulness that in his lifetime he was called "the genius who thinks with his body." He eventually died of rectal cancer.

Filmography

The filmography of Ichikawa Raizō includes 158 films:[2]

1950s

(1950s is complete)

1960s

(1960s incomplete)

References

  1. ↑ While the stage names of all kabuki actors have retained traditional order (Surname-Givenname) on Wikipedia, birth names of those born after the Meiji Restoration are in Western order (Givenname-Surname).
  2. ↑ http://www.jmdb.ne.jp/person/p0154900.htm accessed 22 January 2009

External links