Tomisaburo Wakayama


Tomisaburō Wakayama, born Masaru Okumura, was a Japanese actor best known for playing Ogami Ittō, the scowling ronin warrior in the six Lone Wolf and Cub samurai films.

Biography

Wakayama was born on September 1, 1929, in Fukagawa, a district in Tokyo, Japan. His father was Minoru Okumura, a noted kabuki performer and nagauta singer who went by the stage name Katsutōji Kineya, and the family as a whole were kabuki performers. He and his younger brother, Shintaro Katsu, followed their father in the theater. Wakayama tired of this; at the age of 13, he began to study judo, eventually achieving the rank of 4th dan black belt in the art.
In 1952, as part of the Azuma Kabuki troupe, Wakayama toured the United States of America for nine months. He gave up theater performance completely after his two-year term with the troupe was over. Wakayama taught judo until Toho recruited him as a new martial arts star in their jidaigeki movies, originally using the stage name "Jō Kenzaburō". He prepared for these movies by practicing other disciplines, including kenpō, iaidō, kendo, and bōjutsu. All this helped him for roles in the television series The Mute Samurai, the 1975 television series Shokin Kasegi, and his most famous film role: Ogami Ittō, the Lone Wolf.
Wakayama went on to star in many films, performing in a variety of roles. It has been estimated that he appeared in between 250 and 500 films. His only roles in American movies were as a baseball coach in The Bad News Bears Go to Japan and as a yakuza boss, Sugai, in Ridley Scott's Black Rain that delivers a memorable English monologue that becomes a defining moment for the film, and the film's title.
Wakayama died of acute heart failure on April 2, 1992, in a hospital in Kyoto. He was survived by a son, Kiichirō Wakayama born in 1964, also an actor.

Filmography

Film

Wakayama appeared in the following films, amongst others.

1955–1959

Banba no Chûtarô - Banba no ChutaroUta matsuri mangetsu tanuki-gassen Gyakushu orochimaru - Toyama YunosukeSilver Snake Iwashiya Yotsuya kaidan - Iemon TamiyaNingyô Sashichi torimonochô: Yôen roku shibijin - Ningyo SashichiYôun Satomi kaikyoden - Inuzuka ShinoNingyô Sashichi torimonochô: Ôedo Ushimitsudoki - Ningyo SashichiNingyô Sashichi torimonochô: Hanayome Satsujinma - Ningyo SashichiKanhasshû ken kajin Ningyô Sashichi torimonochô: Ukiyoburo no Shibijin - Ningyo SashichiNingyô Sashichi torimonochô: Koshimoto Irezumi Shibijin - Ningyo SashichiDoto no taiketsu Fukaku hichô Fukaku hichô: kanketsuhen Chiyari musô Hibari torimonochô: furisode koban Yukinojô henge Hayate monzaburo
  • ''Rage''

1960-1969

Hibari no mori no ishimatsu - Shimizu No Jirocho - Boss Of The TokaidoTenpô rokkasen - Jigoku no hanamichi Jirochô kesshôki: Nagurikomi kôjinyama - Okita SojiTenryu haha koi gasa Shoretsu shinsengumi - bakumatsu no doran - Okita SojiOja kissa Ninkyo Nakasendo - OmasaHibari Juhachiban Benten Kozo Hachisu chikemuri gasa Yami ni warau tekkamen Tekka Daimyo Ghost of Oiwa Megitsune henge Kengo tengu matsuri - Iishiro ShurinosukeKaidan Oiwa no borei - Tamiya IemonCharinko kaido Kisaragi musô ken - Hayatomasa TachibanaSeizoroi kanhasshu Zatoichi 2 - Nagisa no Yoshirō Ninja 1 - Oda NobunagaLove for a Mother Shinsengumi shimatsuki - Isami Kondô Teuchi - Shindo GenjiroKaidan onibi no numa - Saburôta NishinaNinja 2 - Oda NobunagaNinja 3 - Oda NobunagaMaiko to ansatsusha Yôsô - Prime MinisterSleepy Eyes of Death: The Chinese Jade - Chen Sun Hana no kodokan Zatoichi and the Chest of Gold - JushiroShinobi no mono: Zoku Kirigakure Saizô - Sanada YukimuraMeiji taitei goichidaiki - Soldier charging Chinese fortressSleepy Eyes of Death: Sword of Seduction - Chen Sun Ninja 4 - Sanada YukimuraGaijin bôchi no ketto Kojiki taishō Virgin Witnessed - GyôshunA Brave Generous Era Ôtazune mono shichinin Fraternal Honor: Three Brothers of Kanto - Akoshima IsamuBakuchiuchi Zoku Toseinin - SakamotoToseinin - HiroseHokkai yûkyôden Choueki juhachi-nen: kari shutsugoku Choueki juhachi-nen Bakuchi uchi - Ozeki IsamuZenka mono Kaettekita gokudo - Shimamura SeikichiIkasama bakuchi Hibotan bakuto - Torakichi KumasakaJinsei-gekijô: Hishakaku to kiratsune Hibotan bakuto: Isshuku ippan - Torakichi KumazakaBakuto retsuden - Adachi SanjiYôen dokufu-den hannya no ohyaku - Boss Minokichi of OtowaOtoko no shobu: byakko no tetsu Kyôdai jingi gyakuen no sakazuki Heitai gokudo Ballad of Murder Gokudo - Shimamura SeikichiWicked Priest - Mikuni ShinkaiDaigashi Bakuchi-uchi: Socho tobaku - Tetsuo MatsudaNunnery Confidential Hibotan bakuto: Hanafuda shôbu - Torakichi KumasakaTabi ni deta gokudo - Shimamura SeikichiQuick-draw Okatsu - Bounty hunterShokin kasegi - Shikoru IchibeiHissatsu bakuchi-uchi Red Peony: The Hanafuda Game Memoir of Japanese Assassins Gonin no Shôkin Kasegi - Shikoro IchibeiTosei-nin Retsuden - KakuBoss - Sakata YoshinobuNihon boryoku-dan: Kumicho - MiyaharaMatteita gokudo - Shimamura SeikichiGorotsuki butai Gokudô bôzu: Nenbutsu hitokiri tabi Gendai yakuza: Yotamono no okite
  • ''Chôeki san kyôdai''

1970–1979

Hibotan bakuto: Oryû sanjô - Torakichi KumasakaBakuchi-uchi: Nagaremono - Yoshii YusakuNippon dabi katsukyu Saigo no tokkôtai Gokuaku bozu hitokiri kazoe uta - ShinkaiBlind Yakuza Monk - Dr. MitamuraThugs of Shinjuku - Senior yakuza at funeral Shiruku hatto no ô-oyabun: Chobi-hige no kuma Shiruku hatto no ô-oyabun Shin Abashiri Bangaichi: Fubuki no Hagure Okami Sengo hiwa, hoseki ryakudatsu Nihon boryoku-dan: Kumicho kuzure Hakurai jingi: Kapone no shatei Gokudo kyojo tabi - Shimamura SeikichiGokudo Kamagasaki ni kaeru - Shimamura SeikichiGokuaku bozu nenbutsu sandangiri - ShinkaiUnderground Syndicate Sympathy for the Underdog - Yonabaru - Koza downtown bossA Boss with the Samurai Spirit - CaponeBakuchi-uchi: Inochi-huda - Kobayashi KanjiGokuaku bozu - Nomu utsu kau Nihon yakuza-den: Sôchiyô e no michi - Torakichi OhmatsuHibotan bakuto: Oinochi itadaki masu - Torakichi KumasakaKaoyaku - HoshinoNippon akuninden - KumaiNihon aku nin den Kizudarake no seishun - Mihashi TetsuoBoryokudan sai buso Bakuto kirikomi-tai - YanoAkû oyabûn tai daigashî Hibotan bakuto: Jingi tooshimasu Lone Wolf and Cub: Sword of Vengeance - Ogami IttōKizu darake jinsei furui do de gonzansu Cherry Blossom Fire Gang - Master Kofusai DonjuLone Wolf and Cub: Baby Cart at the River Styx - Ogami IttōGokudo makari touru - Shimamura SeikichiLone Wolf and Cub: Baby Cart to Hades - Ogami IttōKînagashî hyâkunîn Shôkin kubi: Isshun Hachi-nin Giri - Shikoro IchibeiLone Wolf and Cub: Baby Cart in Peril - Ogami IttōNihon Aku Nin Den: Jigoku No Michizure Bakuchi-uchi Gaiden Sakura no Daimon Lone Wolf and Cub: Baby Cart in the Land of Demons - Ogami IttoKamagasaki gokudo - Shimamura Seikichi, movie starLone Wolf and Cub: White Heaven in Hell - Ogami IttoGokudo VS Mamushi The Rapacious Jailbreaker - OkadaNew Battles Without Honor and Humanity - Aoki NaotakeESPY - UlrovGokudo VS furyô banchô - Shimamura SeikichiGotô hoka sâtsujin shû Bôryoku kinmyaku Yukâi na gokudo Akuma no temari-uta - Inspector IsokawaDevil's Bouncing Ball Song - Tatsuo HondaSugata Sanshiro - MuraiTorakku yarô: Otoko ippiki momojirô The Bad News Bears Go to Japan - Coach ShimizuHi no Tori - Sarutahaiko, General of the YamataiOh My Son - Shuzo KawaseDistant Tomorrow - Iwasa

1980–1989

Chichi yo haha yo! - Asakawa SenjoShogun Assassin - Lone WolfSeishun no mon - Ryugoro HanawaFlames of Blood - SeihachiMakai Tenshō - Lord Tajima no Kami Munenori YagyuMoeru yusha - Goro KajiThe Shootout - YabukiConquest - Tsuyoshi GonnoIrezumi: Spirit of Tattoo - Kyogoro / the Tatto ArtistShōsetsu Yoshida gakkō - Bukichi MikiHakujasho - Ekai KanamishimaTheater of Life - KiratsuneShura no mure Story of the Yamashita Boy - Yamashita Taizo, Cho's fatherA Promise - Detective TagamiMichi - Naokichi SakuraShinran: Shiroi michi - HomenDaireikai: Shindara dou naru Shaso - Kazuo OtagakiBlack Rain - Sugai KunioTanba Tetsuro no daireikai shindara dounaru - God

1990

Jotei: Kasuga no tsubone Checkmate - Sanae Mitamura

Television