Yoshio Harada
Yoshio Harada was a Japanese actor and singer, known for his portrayals of rugged and complex antiheros. He received a variety of accolades, including a Japan Academy Film Prize, two Blue Ribbon Awards, two Hochi Film Awards, and five Kinema Junpo Awards.
Harada also was a blues musician, releasing a number of records throughout his career.
Life and career
Born in Tokyo, Harada joined the Haiyuza Theatre Company in 1966 and made his television debut in 1967 with "Tenka no seinen" and his film debut in 1968 with Fukushū no uta ga kikoeru. He came to fame appearing in New Action films at Nikkatsu playing youthful rebels. Among his features for Nikkatsu was the 1971 exploitation film, Stray Cat Rock: Crazy Riders '71 for director Toshiya Fujita where he played the son of a yakuza boss.Leaving the Haiyūza in 1971, he appeared in films made by many directors, including Seijun Suzuki, Shūji Terayama, Azuma Morisaki, Kihachi Okamoto, Rokurō Mochizuki, Jun Ichikawa, Hirokazu Koreeda and Kōji Wakamatsu, but he was particularly favored by Kazuo Kuroki and Junji Sakamoto. He starred in many independent films, including those of the Art Theatre Guild. According to the critic Mark Schilling, Harada was "a favorite of generations of Japanese helmers for his rugged features, low, rumbling voice and distinctive presence, with shades of darkness and wildness that made him a natural for antihero roles in his youth." Harada also appeared in many television dramas.
Honours
Death
He died on 19 July 2011 from colorectal cancer. His last starring film was Someday, and it was at a press conference for that film on 11 July that he made his last public appearance.Selected filmography
Film
Fukushū no Uta ga Kikoeru Hangyaku no Melody – Tetsu TsukadaShinjuku outlaw: Step On the Gas Nora-neko rokku: Bôsô shûdan '71 – PiraniaKantō Exile Hachigatsu no nureta suna – PriestKanto Kanbu-kai Mushukunin Mikogami no Jôkichi – Jokichi of MikogamiAkai tori nigeta? – Hiroshi BandoLady Snowblood 2: Love Song of Vengeance – Shusuke TokunagaRyoma Ansatsu – Ryoma SakamotoPastoral: To Die in the Country – ArashiPreparation for the Festival – Toshihiro NakajimaYasagure Keiji Kimi yo funnu no kawa wo watare – Detective YamuraYasagure deka Han gyakû no tabi A Tale of Sorrow and Sadness – Mr. MiyakeBallad of Orin – Big ManShogun's Samurai – Sanza Nagoya Genshiryoku sensô – SakataInubue – Kanji MitsuedaOrenji Rôdo kyûkô Mahiru nari – ManYorû gaku zuretâ Hunter in the Dark – Yataro TanigawaAna no kiba Zigeunerweisen – NakasagoYūgure made – Restaurant ownerDisciples of Hippocrates – TokumatsuMisuta, Misesu, Misu Ronri – Eisuke MisakiSlow na boogie ni shitekure – Teruo MiyazatoKagero-za – WadaMizu no nai puuru – OwnerTattoo Ari Manji – Takeshi KakeuchiNamidabashi – ShuzoSukanpin walk – Tsutomu yahagiUmitsubame Jyo no kiseki – YonamineFarewell to the Ark – Daisaki TokitoIkiteru uchiga hana nanoyo shin-dara sore madeyo to sengen – Isamu MiyazatoTomo yo shizukani nemure – Jiro TakahataTosha 1/250 Byo Out of Focus Kyabarê – ShiraeComic Magazine – ProducerBirî za kiddo no atarashii yoake – Harry CallahanAitsu ni KoishiteChōchin Kono aino monogatari Saraba itoshiki hito yo – Owner of DiscoTomorrow – ashita – YamaguchiHotaru – HashimotoYumemi-dôri no hitobito Nijisseiki shônen dokuhon – YoshimotoShucchou Dotsuitarunen – Makio SajimaKiss yori kantan Ronin-gai – Gen'nai AramakiReady to Shoot – Katsuhiko GodaTekken Shishiohtachi no natsu Rasuto Furankenshutain Yumeji – WakiyaMuno no Hito – HomelessKiss yori kantan 2: hyoryuhen The Triple Cross – NojiNetorare Sosuke – Sosuke KitamuraSingapore Sling Rampo – Big StarThe Hunted – Takeda SenseiThe Girl of Silence – Shizuo TanakaUmihoozuki Nemureru bijo – Yoshio EguchiKagerô II – Susumu SawadaOnibi – Noriyuki KunihiroKoi gokudo The Story of PuPu Big show! Hawaii ni utaeba – TashiroAnaza hevun – Detective TobitakaZawa-zawa Shimo-Kitazawa – KyushiroSuri Party 7 – Captain BananaKT – Akikazu KamikawaOnna kunishuu ikki Kyoki no sakura – Aota ShuzoUtsukushii natsu kirishima – Shigenori HidakaAzumi – Gessai Obata9 Souls – Torakichi HasegawaShôwa kayô daizenshû – Hirota – the Shop Owner in GunmaKantoku kansen Tengoku no honya – koibi – YamakiThe Face of Jizo – TakezouIzo Heaven's Bookstore – Mamoru OhamaDrawing Restraint 9 – Flensing Deck CrewAzumi 2 Aegis – Koichiro KajimotoUôtâzu – OwnerHana – Junai OnoderaNightmare Detective – Keizo OishiNippon no jitensha dorobô Dororo – JukaiJitsuroku Rengo Sekigun: Asama sanso e no michi – Orion-za kara no shôtaijô – Tomekichi Senba – oldLittle DJ: Chiisana koi no monogatari – Yuji TakasakiTamio no shiawase – Nobuo KanzakiStill Walking – Kyohei YokoyamaHotaru no haka – Maichi Kaicho of NishimiyaUltra Miracle Love Story – Dr. MisawaÔgonka: Hisureba hana, shisureba chô Zatoichi: The Last – GenkichiRosuto kuraimu: Senkô I Wish – Wataru Someday – Yoshi KazamatsuriTelevision
Haru no Sakamichi – Yagyū Jūbei MitsuyoshiTsūkai! Kōchiyama Sōshun Natsu ni Koisuru Onnatachi – Daisuke MizushimaSeibu Keisatsu PART-III Final Special Daimon Dies! Men Forever --Reiji FujisakiDokuganryū Masamune – Mogami YoshiakiSuna no Utsuwa - Chiyokichi MotouraThe Waste Land – Ichizō DaimonHi no Sakana – Shozō MurataKokosei Restaurant – Sadatoshi MurakiAwards and nominations
A veteran of over 80 films, Harada won the best actor award at the 1990 Blue Ribbon Awards for Ronin-gai and Ware ni Utsu Yōi Ari. He had earlier won the Blue Ribbon best supporting actor prize in 1975 for Matsuri no junbi. He also won the best actor prize at the Mainichi Film Awards in 1997 for Onibi, and the Hochi Film Award for best supporting actor in 1989 for Dotsuitarunen. He was twice nominated for the Best Actor Japanese Academy Award and won the award for best supporting actor at the 11th Yokohama Film Festival for Dotsuitarunen and Kiss yori kantan.He received a Medal of Honor with Purple Ribbon from the Japanese government in 2003.