Top 10 Fascinating Facts about Tomisaburō Wakayama

Tomisaburo Wakayama is n the trailer for the 9th Nihon Kyokyakuden series. Author Toei Kyoto. WIKIMEDIA

Top 10 Fascinating Facts about Tomisaburō Wakayama

He was born Masaru Okumura in Japan as an actor. He was best known for the film Ogami Ittō. Wakayama was born in Fukagwa a district of Tokyo, Japan on September 1, 1929. His father who was known as Minoru Okumura was a noted kabuki performer and also a nagauta singer. On stage, his father was recognized as Katsutōji. His whole family was known as the kabuki performers.

Wakayama and his younger brother who was known as Shintaro Katsu followed in their father’s footsteps. He started his career at the age of 13 where he began by studying judo. After the training, he achieved the rank of 4th Dan, the black belt in the art.

Here are some of the top 10 fascinating facts about Wakayama

1. He Toured United Stated in 1952

In 1952 when he was part of the Azuma Kabuki troupe, for nine months, Wakayama toured the United States of America. It was during this trip that he gave up on theatre performance completely. This was when his two-year term with the troupe was over.

2. He was a Martial Arts Star

Before he was recruited for Martial art he taught judo. When he was recruited as a martial arts star in the movie jidaigeki he used the stage name, “Jō Kenzaburō”.
While preparing for these movies he practised various disciplines such as kenpō, iaidō, kendo, and bōjutsu. This discipline helped him in his various roles in acting in the television series, the Mute Samurai, and also the 1975 television series Shokin Kasegi. Through those disciplines, he was able to act in one of his most famous films role such as the Ogami Ittō and the Lone Wolf.

3. Wakayama Featured in Between 250 and 500 Films

Throughout his career, he starred in many films where he performed in many roles.
Approximately It is estimated he appeared in between 250 and 500 different films.
His main roles in American movies were as a baseball coach in films such as the Bad News Bears Go to Japan in 1978 and also as the yakuza boss, Sugai, in Ridley Scott’s Black Rain in 1989. This film delivered a great memorable English monologue, and become a defining moment for the film, and the film’s title.

4. Wakayama Started his Career when he was 26 Years

In Tokyo, Japan. Tomisaburo officially started his career in 1955 as an Actor, he was only 26 years old. While still perfecting his acting skills, he became one of the most successful actors in Japan with just limited time in his profession. It was during this short period that he influenced most people due to his skills in acting and return he earned a lot of fame.

He gained more fame in Japan and his career completed a full circle. Tomisaburo Wakayama became famous for his performance in other countries as well as in his own country Japan.

5. His Net Worth was Between $5 to $10 Million

Tomisaburo mostly collected his earnings from his Yeezy sneakers. Despite the long exaggeration of his business over the years, the sum of money he earned from his profession made him ranked among the biggest celebrity of his time.
He earned most of his Basic income from his successful acting career. Wakayama had a total net worth of about $5 to $10 million.

6. Wakayama Stared at the Sword of Vengeance

He started the Sword of Vengeance movie, which was one of the best films in Japan under the Lone Wolf and Cub film. The film was based on the famous manga in Japan.

The film led the greatest samurai and Japanese best exploitation series in the 1970s. Tomisaburo Wakayama played the role of Ogami Itto the Shogun’s executioner, where the position was stolen by the Yagyu Clan and forcing Itto and his young son Daigoro/Akihiro Tomikawa to the righteousness white path as an assassin. This role was one of Wakayama’s best roles in his acting career.

7. His Younger Brother was also An actor

His younger brother Shintaro Katsu was also a Japanese actor, singer, producer, and director. Wakayama’s younger brother was well known for the role of the blind Yakuza anma Zatoichi in different films under the same name.

The films he acted in became very popular in the mid-1960s and 1970s. He played Zatoichi in 25 different movies between 1962 and 1973. He also starred and was a director for p many films in 1989 and acted in different roles in four different seasons of the spin-off television series.

8.  He Resisted Various Roles in Different Films

Wakayama Tomisaburō as a Woman in a Yellow and Red-Brown Striped Kimono. Author Katsukawa Shun’ei. WIKIMEDIA

 Some Japanese acting studios made offers to Tomisaburo to act in different roles in films of those times. Due to his well know reasons he rejected the offers.  In one of his conversations with Jerry Stout, who was a journalist, he recognized that “ I didn’t like Kabuki society and I didn’t think I could like the world of cinema. I made impossible demands on ShinToho, hoping to be turned down. When they accepted all my requests, I had no choice but to start making movies ”.

9. Wakayama Produced various Films

During his career he Produced the following three films, this included, Buichi Saito in 1972, Kenji Misumi in 1973, and Yoshiyuki Kuroda in 1974.
In 1980, Tomisaburō participated in some of the films when American montage was made.

10. He Died Due to Acute Cardiac Arrest

Tomisaburo Wakayama died on 2nd April 1992 at Kyoto hospital due to acute cardiac arrest.  He died at the age of 62-year old before he became more popular in the West.

Wakayama is always remembered by many people and especially his fans for the travelling ronin and the lone wolf.  In Japan, he is among the most skilled sword fighters during his acting career and a master who combined his theatrical talents with his martial training. He will always be remembered for his motivation to the young actors in Japan and as one of the greatest actors in Japan.