Yoshio Harada

Yoshio Harada
was a Japanese actor best known for playing rebels in a career that spanned six decades.
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 (aka Alleycat 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.
He died by Colorectal cancer on 19 July 2011 while battling 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.
Awards
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.
Selected filmography
Film
Fukushū no Uta ga Kikoeru (1968)
Hangyaku no Melody (1970) – Tetsu Tsukada
Shinjuku outlaw: Step On the Gas (1970)
Nora-neko rokku: Bôsô shûdan '71 (1971) – Pirania
Kantō Exile (1971)
Hachigatsu no nureta suna (1971) – Priest
Kanto Kanbu-kai (1971)
Mushukunin Mikogami no Jôkichi (1972–1973, part 1-3) – Jokichi of Mikogami
Akai tori nigeta? (1973) – Hiroshi Bando
Lady Snowblood 2: Love Song of Vengeance (1974) – Shusuke Tokunaga
Ryoma Ansatsu (1974) – Ryoma Sakamoto
Pastoral: To Die in the Country (1974) – Arashi
Preparation for the Festival (1975) – Toshihiro Nakajima
Yasagure Keiji (1976)
Kimi yo funnu no kawa wo watare (1976) – Detective Yamura
Yasagure deka (1976)
Han gyakû no tabi (1976)
A Tale of Sorrow and Sadness (1977) – Mr. Miyake
Ballad of Orin (1977) – Big Man
Shogun's Samurai (1978) – Sanza Nagoya (Flute Player)
Genshiryoku sensô (1978) – Sakata
Inubue (1978) – Kanji Mitsueda
Orenji Rôdo kyûkô (1978)
Mahiru nari (1978) – Man
Yorû gaku zuretâ (1978)
Hunter in the Dark (1979) – Yataro Tanigawa
Ana no kiba (1979)
Zigeunerweisen (1980) – Nakasago
Yūgure made (1980) – Restaurant owner
Disciples of Hippocrates (1980) – Tokumatsu
Misuta, Misesu, Misu Ronri (1980) – Eisuke Misaki
Slow na boogie ni shitekure (1981) – Teruo Miyazato
Kagero-za (1981) – Wada
Mizu no nai puuru (1982) – Owner
Tattoo Ari (1982)
Manji (1983) – Takeshi Kakeuchi
Namidabashi (1983) – Shuzo
Sukanpin walk (1984) – Tsutomu yahagi
Umitsubame Jyo no kiseki (1984) – Yonamine
Farewell to the Ark (1984) – Daisaki Tokito
Ikiteru uchiga hana nanoyo shin-dara sore madeyo to sengen (1985) – Isamu Miyazato
Tomo yo shizukani nemure (1985) – Jiro Takahata
Tosha 1/250 Byo Out of Focus (1985)
Kyabarê (1986) – Shirae
Comic Magazine (1986) – Producer
Birî za kiddo no atarashii yoake (1986) – Harry Callahan
Aitsu ni Koishite
Chōchin (1987)
Kono aino monogatari (1987)
Saraba itoshiki hito yo (1987) – Owner of Disco
Tomorrow – ashita (1988) – Yamaguchi
Hotaru (1989) – Hashimoto
Yumemi-dôri no hitobito (1989)
Nijisseiki shônen dokuhon (1989) – Yoshimoto
Shucchou (1989)
Dotsuitarunen (1989) – Makio Sajima
Kiss yori kantan (1989)
Ronin-gai (1990) – Gen'nai Aramaki
Ready to Shoot (1990) – Katsuhiko Goda
Tekken (1990)
Shishiohtachi no natsu (1991)
Rasuto Furankenshutain (1991)
Yumeji (1991) – Wakiya
Muno no Hito (1991) – Homeless
Kiss yori kantan 2: hyoryuhen (1991)
The Triple Cross (1992) – Noji
Netorare Sosuke (1992) – Sosuke Kitamura
Singapore Sling (1993)
Rampo (1994) – Big Star
The Hunted (1995) – Takeda Sensei
The Girl of Silence (1995) – Shizuo Tanaka
Umihoozuki (1995)
Nemureru bijo (1995) – Yoshio Eguchi
Kagerô II (1996) – Susumu Sawada
Onibi (1997) – Noriyuki Kunihiro
Koi gokudo (1997)
The Story of PuPu (1998)
Big show! Hawaii ni utaeba (1999) – Tashiro
Anaza hevun (2000) – Detective Tobitaka
Zawa-zawa Shimo-Kitazawa (2000) – Kyushiro
Suri (2000)
Party 7 (2000) – Captain Banana
KT (2002) – Akikazu Kamikawa
Onna kunishuu ikki (2002)
Kyoki no sakura (2002) – Aota Shuzo
Utsukushii natsu kirishima (2002) – Shigenori Hidaka
Azumi (2003) – Gessai Obata
9 Souls (2003) – Torakichi Hasegawa
Shôwa kayô daizenshû (2003) – Hirota – the Shop Owner in Gunma
Kantoku kansen (2003)
Tengoku no honya – koibi (2004) – Yamaki
The Face of Jizo (2004) – Takezou
Izo (2004)
Heaven's Bookstore (2004) – Mamoru Ohama
Drawing Restraint 9 (2005) – Flensing Deck Crew
Azumi 2 (2005)
Aegis (2005) – Koichiro Kajimoto
Uôtâzu (2006) – Owner
Hana (2006) – Junai Onodera
Nightmare Detective (2006) – Keizo Oishi
Nippon no jitensha dorobô (2006)
Dororo (2007) – Jukai
Jitsuroku Rengo Sekigun: Asama sanso e no michi (2007) – (voice)
Orion-za kara no shôtaijô (2007) – Tomekichi Senba – old
Little DJ: Chiisana koi no monogatari (2007) – Yuji Takasaki
Tamio no shiawase (2008) – Nobuo Kanzaki
Still Walking (2008) – Kyohei Yokoyama
Hotaru no haka (2008) – Maichi Kaicho of Nishimiya
Ultra Miracle Love Story (2009) – Dr. Misawa
Ôgonka: Hisureba hana, shisureba chô (2009)
Zatoichi: The Last (2010) – Genkichi
Rosuto kuraimu: Senkô (2010)
I Wish (2011) – Wataru (Grandfather's Friend)
Someday (2011) – Yoshi Kazamatsuri (final film role)
Television
Haru no Sakamichi (1971) – Yagyū Jūbei Mitsuyoshi
Tsūkai! Kōchiyama Sōshun (1975–1976)
Natsu ni Koisuru Onnatachi (1983) – Daisuke Mizushima
"Seibu Keisatsu PART-III Final Special "Daimon dies! Men forever ..." (October 22, 1984, TV Asahi ) --Reiji Fujisaki
Dokuganryū Masamune (1987) – Mogami Yoshiaki
Suna no Utsuwa (2004) - Chiyokichi Motoura
Fumō Chitai (2009) – Ichizō Daimon
Hi no Sakana (2009) – Shozō Murata
Kokosei Restaurant (2011) – Sadatoshi Muraki
Honours
Medal with Purple Ribbon (2003)
Order of the Rising Sun, 4th Class, Gold Rays with Rosette (2011)
References
External links
1940 births
2011 deaths
Male actors from Tokyo
Recipients of the Medal with Purple Ribbon
Recipients of the Order of the Rising Sun, 4th class
Deaths from pneumonia in Japan