Tsunehiko Watase

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Tsunehiko Watase
渡瀬 恒彦
Born(1944-07-28)July 28, 1944
Shimane, Japan
DiedMarch 14, 2017(2017-03-14) (aged 72)
Tokyo
EducationWaseda University
OccupationActor
Years active1969–2017
Spouse
​
​
(m. 1973; div. 1978)​
RelativesTetsuya Watari (brother)

Tsunehiko Watase (Japanese: 渡瀬 恒彦, Hepburn: Watase Tsunehiko, July 28, 1944 – March 14, 2017) was a Japanese actor. He is best known for portraying Rintaro Kano in Keishicho Sosa Ikka 9 Gakari ("Homicide Team 9"). He won Best Supporting Actor at the 2nd Japan Academy Prize for The Incident and at the 3rd Hochi Film Award for The Incident, Kōtei no inai hachigatsu and The Fall of Ako Castle.[1][2]

Biography[edit]

1944–1969: Pre-debut[edit]

Watase was born on July 28, 1944, in Shimane. He had an older brother, Michihiko Watase. He moved from his hometown of Shimane to Awaji, Tsuna, Hyōgo. In his junior high school exam, he had the second highest score, and in his third year of junior high school, he received his black belt in judo.[3][4] He belonged to the swimming club in high school.[5] His classmate, Hyōgo Prefectural Assemblyman Hiroshi Noma, recalled that Watase "was always reading Natsume Sōseki" and his Japanese score was always in the top 5 among 270 students.[6] During high school, Watase aspired to be a newspaper reporter.[7]

After graduating from high school, Watase was accepted into the Faculty of Law at Chuo University and Keio University, but not Waseda University. His older brother told him to go to Keio University, but after seeing his mother in tears over the rejection letter in the garden, he decided to retake the college exams a year later. Influenced by Shirou Ozaki's Theater of Life,[6] he entered Waseda University's Faculty of Law.[7] He began living with his older brother, who was attending Aoyama Gakuin University at the time.[6] While at Waseda, he belonged to the karate club and was a second dan.[8] He said he was "a sloppy student", his dream to become a newspaper reporter disappeared because the university had no lectures or graduation thesis at the height of student activism,[7] and at one point he wrote a lot of poems, hoping to become a lyricist.[6] Watase then thought that after graduating, he wanted to work in a job that was demanding and cutting-edge, and his brother advised him to "take the hard path".[9] He got a job in public relations at Dentsu but quit the company after a month to work in sales at Japark, an advertising agency in Aoyama founded by his senior.[4]

While working at Japark, an acquaintance of his brother started a real estate agency and did not have any advertising staff, so Watase would help on his days off. While there, Shigeru Okada, the head of Toei's planning and production department, asked him if he wanted to be an actor.[10] His older brother, then an actor under the stage name Tetsuya Watari, opposed Watase entering the entertainment industry, saying it was a "premodern workplace" and that he wanted Watase to take the "normal, strict path".[9][11][12] Concerned he was being used to lure his brother to Toei,[12] Watase met Okada with the intention of refusing.[4] However, after being told "just leave it to me",[9][11] he was fascinated by his personality and decided that if there were more people like Okada in the world, he wanted to work with them, and he would give his all until he was 30.[7][10]

1970–1977: Debut, early roles[edit]

On January 31, 1970, Watase made his debut with the release of Killer Hitman Betsucho, in which he played the lead.[11] He was the first young talent brought in from outside Toei to make their debut in a leading role since Hashizo Okawa.[4] Watase had come to Kyoto without studying acting, stayed in the same room as the director, and attended all filming regardless of whether he was part of the scene or not.[9][10] Though he doubted whether acting was right for him, Watase was too busy with work to worry. For Watase, action was the only element in which he could compete against great actors,[7] and he was expected to be Toei's hope for an action star.[13]

With Modern Yakuza: Three Bloody Sakura Brothers (1971), True Story: Private Ginza Police (1973),[6] Karajishi Police (1974), a fierce and tragic murder between brothers played by Watase and Akira Kobayashi, and Jeans Blues: A Scoundrel With No Tomorrow (1974), where he played the Japanese Bonnie and Clyde with Meiko Kaji, Watase continued to play roles of outlaws struggling at the bottom.[14] In 1977, while filming Hokuriku Proxy War, Watase was thrown out of an open Jeep, and his leg was crushed by the car.[15] He was replaced by Goro Ibuki.[16] The injury led him to change from an action actor to a character actor,[14] expanding his range of roles.[17][13]

Watase announced his engagement to actress Reiko Ohara, whom he co-starred with in Three Bees (1970), in February 1972.[18] They married in 1973 and divorced in 1978.[19]

1978–1991: Expansion of roles[edit]

In 1978, Watase received Blue Ribbon and Kinema Junpo awards for his supporting roles in The Incident, his first role outside of Toei, and The Fall of Ako Castle.[7] He was also nominated for the Japan Academy Film Prize for his leading role in the Shochiku film August Without an Emperor.[20] In 1979, Watase won the Kinema Junpo Best Actor Award for his roles in Quivering Tongue and The Baby God Gave Me.[21] Watase was enthusiastic about the film adaptation of Nobuhiko Kobayashi's novel Karajishi Corporation, but it was impossible to make a yakuza film at Shochiku; Kobayashi recalled that it was a great regret.[22]

In a 2014 interview, Watase recalled that appearing in a Bathclin commercial was an opportunity to expand his horizons, connect with his audience more, and increase his recognition, as he had primarily appeared in serious roles.[23]

1992–2014: Increase in television roles[edit]

In 1994, Watase suffered a cerebral infarction, leaving him with a slight disability in his left hand.[24] Although Watase continued to appear in films such as Crest of Betrayal, around this time he began appearing in more television dramas like Taxi Driver's Mystery Diary, which he had starred in since 1992. In the Inspector Totsugawa series, which he starred in from 1992 to 2015, producer Kazukiyo Morishita recalled that Watase was "not only an actor, but a staff member", having input on the script and sometimes directing the production.[25]

In Chiri to Techin, which aired beginning in late 2007, Watase played Kusawaka Tsurezuritei, one of the four kings of rakugo in Kamigata. Though he struggled to play a role different from those he had played previously, feeling distant from a character that understood rakugo,[26] Watase expressed a sense of accomplishment.[27]

In 2012, Watase won the 20th Hashida Award for his starring roles in television dramas like Omiya-san.[28]

2015–2017: Later life and death[edit]

In August 2015, Watase was diagnosed with gallbladder cancer. His diagnosis was made public in May 2016.[29] He passed away on March 14 due to multiple organ failure caused by the cancer.[30]

Reception and acting style[edit]

Director Sadao Nakajima said that Watase's interest in acting began when he met Ichirō Araki in Modern Yakuza: Three Bloody Sakura Brothers (1971).[14] Araki's noisy acting style transformed Watase's previous acting style of simply throwing himself into it.[31]

Watase did many of his stunts without a stunt double. In Crazy Beast (1976), Watase obtained a bus driver's license for a scene where a bus he is driving flips over.[15] Nakajima praised Watase's athletic ability, as he was able to hang onto a helicopter as it took off.[14] Gradually, Nakajima worried that Watase was becoming overconfident in his driving skills,[15] as in Runaway Panic Clash (1976), he was the only cast member to not use a stunt double for the climactic scene in which 200 cars and motorcycles collide.[3]

Filmography[edit]

Film[edit]

Television[edit]

References[edit]

  1. ^ 第 2 回日本アカデミー賞優秀作品 (in Japanese). Japan Academy Prize. Retrieved December 15, 2010.
  2. ^ 報知映画賞ヒストリー (in Japanese). Cinema Hochi. Archived from the original on January 31, 2009. Retrieved December 15, 2010.
  3. ^ a b 【評伝】渡瀬恒彦さん「スターに学問はいらない 映画は肉体労働だ」 [[Biography] Tsunehiko Watase: "Stars don't need academics. Movies are manual labor"]. Sports Hochi. March 17, 2017. Archived from the original on May 16, 2017.
  4. ^ a b c d 渡瀬恒彦第一作から主役 兄・渡哲也そっくり [Tsunehiko Watase plays the leading role in his first film, looking just like his older brother Tetsuya Watari]. Sports Nippon (in Japanese). December 12, 1969. p. 10.
  5. ^ 渡瀬恒彦さん死去母校からも惜しむ声 三田学園同級生ら悼む 女子学生が押しかけ／人の上に立つ資質 ／兵庫 [Tsunehiko Watase's alma mater expresses their condolences; Mita Gakuen classmates mourn; female students crowd / Qualities to stand above others / Hyogo]. Mainichi Shimbun. March 17, 2017.
  6. ^ a b c d e 渡瀬恒彦、大原麗子からベッドインを拒否されていた 三枚目な私生活（全文） [Tsunehiko Watase was refused bed-in by Reiko Ohara. The third photo of his private life (full text)]. Shukan Shincho (in Japanese). March 31, 2017. Retrieved September 30, 2023.
  7. ^ a b c d e f 変幻自在役者インタビュー渡瀬恒彦 [Interview with the ever-changing actor Tsunehiko Watase]. Big tomorrow. No. 17621–10. October 2009. p. 52.
  8. ^ 渡瀬さん“芸能界最強伝説” 早大空手部出身「元格闘家をＫＯ」 [Mr. Watase, "The strongest legend in the entertainment world", from Waseda University Karate Club, "KO’d a former martial artist"]. Daily Sports online (in Japanese). March 17, 2017. Retrieved September 30, 2023.
  9. ^ a b c d 渡哲也の実弟渡瀬恒彦が東映からデビュー ついに押し切られた兄貴の反対 [Tetsuya Watari's younger brother Tsunehiko Watase makes his debut with Toei, finally overcoming his brother's opposition]. Shūkan Myōjō (in Japanese). Shueisha. December 28, 1969. p. 150.
  10. ^ a b c 今までサラリーマンをやってた奴が、何日か後に映画の主演をやるんですよ（笑） [A guy who used to be an office worker will be playing the lead role in a movie in a few days (lol)]. Toei. Archived from the original on September 30, 2023. Retrieved September 30, 2023.
  11. ^ a b c 兄貴渡哲也は反対、でもガンバル渡瀬恒彦、主役でデビュー 『殺し屋人別帳』 ずぶとい神経で意気込む 石井監督『来年はスター』 [Big brother Tetsuya Watari is against it, but Tsunehiko Watase makes his debut in the lead role in Killer Hitman Betscho Director Ishii is enthusiastic with his bold nerves 'Next year I will be a star']. Hochi Shimbun (in Japanese). December 12, 1969. p. 13.
  12. ^ a b "渡哲也の弟"デビュー 渡瀬恒彦 十年ぶりの大型新人 ['Tetsuya Watari's Younger Brother' Debuts Tsunehiko Watari First Major Newcomer in Ten Years]. Naigai Times (in Japanese). December 18, 1969. p. 5.
  13. ^ a b Yoshimoto, Junichi (May 1983). 気になるスター渡瀬恒彦『主役もワキ役もそれなりにおもしろいですね……』 [Interesting star Tsunehiko Watase: "Both the lead role and the side role are interesting in their own way..."]. Eiga Information. pp. 18–19.
  14. ^ a b c d 【芸能】渡瀬恒彦さんの盟友・中島貞夫監督が語る「やんちゃな恒さん」 [[Entertainment] Tsunehiko Watase's ally, director Sadao Nakajima, talks about "Naughty Tsunehiko"]. Daily Sports online (in Japanese). March 17, 2017. Retrieved September 30, 2023.
  15. ^ a b c 渡瀬恒彦さん 「北陸代理戦争」のロケで運転ミスを起こし大事故 [Tsunehiko Watase causes a serious accident due to a driving error on location for Hokuriku Proxy War]. Live Door News (in Japanese). April 1, 2017. Retrieved September 30, 2023.
  16. ^ 病魔と闘う荒ぶる役者たちの不屈秘話 「第3回・渡瀬恒彦」（3）アクションに代役は不要だ [Unyielding untold stories of savage actors fighting illness "Part 3: Tsunehiko Watase" (3) No need for substitutes for action]. Asegai Plus (in Japanese). November 2, 2016. Retrieved September 30, 2023.
  17. ^ なんで役者さんがスピンの練習をするんだ（笑） [Why do actors practice spin (lol)]. Toei. Retrieved September 30, 2023.
  18. ^ 渋谷、青山で食べ歩きデート渡瀬恒彦・大原麗子が婚約発表 今秋には式を… 『彼女のすべてが好きです』 [Eating-while-walking date in Shibuya and Aoyama, Tsunehiko Watase and Reiko Ohara will announce the engagement this fall ... "I like all of her"]. Sports Nippon. February 15, 1972. p. 10.
  19. ^ 友が明かす渡瀬さん秘話 大原麗子さんとの結婚…離婚 [Watase's secret story revealed by a friend: Marriage with Reiko Ohara...divorce]. Daily Sports online (in Japanese). March 17, 2017. Retrieved September 30, 2023.
  20. ^ "日本アカデミー賞公式サイト". Japan Academy Film Prize. Archived from the original on January 17, 2019.
  21. ^ 渡瀬恒彦さん死去…「仁義なき戦い」シリーズ [Tsunehiko Watase passes away... Battles Without Honor and Humanity series]. Yomiuri Shimbun. March 16, 2017. Archived from the original on March 20, 2017.
  22. ^ 本音を申せば [If I State My True Feelings]. Weekly Bunshun. No. 20405-3･30. March 30, 2017. p. 51.
  23. ^ 広告の中の人（1）お客さんとの距離が近くなる 渡瀬恒彦氏 [People in advertisements (1) Mr. Tsunehiko Watase, who brings you closer to the customer]. Senden Kaigi. No. 15611–8. August 2014. p. 71.
  24. ^ 【甘口辛口】渡瀬恒彦さん「最高の仕事」のために健康に留意…最期の最期まで手抜きを嫌った人生だった [[Sweet and Dry] Tsunehiko Watase takes care of his health in order to do his "best job"...He hated cutting corners until the very end of his life]. Sanspo (in Japanese). March 19, 2017. Retrieved September 30, 2023.
  25. ^ （追想録）渡瀬恒彦さん（俳優） [(Reminiscence) Mr. Tsunehiko Watase (actor)]. Nihon Keizai Shimbun (in Japanese). April 19, 2017. Retrieved September 30, 2023.
  26. ^ 渡瀬恒彦が落語に悪戦苦闘中！ [Tsunehiko Watase is struggling with rakugo!]. Oricon News. October 5, 2016. Retrieved September 30, 2023.
  27. ^ 渡瀬恒彦が『ちりとてちん』クランクアップ [Tsunehiko Watase cranks up Chiri to Techin]. Oricon News. October 5, 2016. Retrieved September 30, 2023.
  28. ^ 橋田賞に渡瀬恒彦、水谷豊、阿部寛ら [Tsunehiko Watase, Yutaka Mizutani, Hiroshi Abe and others won the Hashida Prize]. Sponichi (in Japanese). July 12, 2016. Retrieved September 30, 2023.
  29. ^ 【サンスポ記者が明かす渡瀬さんの役者魂】９係は「やらせてください！」 [[Mr. Watase's actor spirit revealed by Sanspo reporter] "Please let me do" Section 9!]. Sanspo (in Japanese). March 17, 2017. Retrieved September 30, 2023.
  30. ^ 渡瀬恒彦さん壮絶死 武骨、不器用、男くさい…人間味あふれる演技もう見られない [Tsunehiko Watase's tragic death: brutal, clumsy, manly... I can't see his humane acting anymore]. Sanspo (in Japanese). March 17, 2017. Retrieved September 30, 2023.
  31. ^ 追悼・渡瀬恒彦「70年代を猛然とつっ走ったスター」中島貞夫 [Memorial of Tsunehiko Watase, "A star who ran wild through the 1970s" Sadao Nakajima]. Kinema Junpo. No. 20723-5/15. May 2017. p. 69.

External links[edit]

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