Hattori Hanzō
As an actor, he has portrayed people as varied as 20th century Prime Minister Kakuei Tanaka (in the 1983 film "Shōsetsu Yoshida Gakkō") and 16th century samurai Katakura Kagetsuna (in the 1987 NHK "Taiga drama" "Dokuganryū Masamune"). A native of Kagoshima, he has played the roles of native sons such as Kuroda Kiyotaka and Saigō Tsugumichi, but his characters also include Tokugawa Ieyasu, Yagyū Jūbei and Hattori Hanzō. His roles in Chūshingura tales have included Mōri Koheita (1985).