Can you provide a brief biography about Shintaro Katsu, the man who brought the Zatoichi character to life?
Actor Shintaro Katsu was born Toshio Okumura on November 29, 1931. He seemed destined for an actor’s life. His father was a renowned kabuki performer and master of the Japanese singing style known as nagauta, so it was only natural for Shintaro to follow in his father’s footsteps along with his older brother, Wakayama Tomisaburo (of Lone Wolf fame.) His celebrity status was not limited to just one series of samurai films. He was also a popular singer, releasing a few music CD’s during his career. The Zatoichi film series was produced in the sixties but he appeared in film as late as the eighties. Nicknamed Katsu-shin, he lived in the moment, and relied upon his feelings when acting. His portrayal of the blind master swordsman in a series of movies and on television brought him tremendous popularity throughout Southeast Asia and influenced similar action films in Hong Kong and Taiwan. Shintaro Katsu was the kind of star who could only emerge from “studios”. He possessed all the dreams t
