Kiyoshi Atsumi, born Yasuo Tadokoro, was a Japanese actor. He was born in Tokyo suffering from childhood malnutrition due to conditions in wartime. The resulting illnesses led him to re-take 3rd and 4th grade to recover, listening to Musei Tokugawa and rakugo on the radio. In 1942 the outbreak of war with the US forced his middle school class into a factory producing radiators for the military. He later graduated in 1945 but his family home was destroyed during the Tokyo firebombing.
Tokusatsu is a Japanese term for live-action films or television programs that make heavy use of practical special effects. Credited to special effects director Eiji Tsuburaya, tokusatsu mainly refers to science fiction, war, fantasy, or horror media featuring such technology but is also occasionally dubbed a genre itself. Its contemporary use originated in the Japanese mass media around 1958 to explain special effects in an easy-to-understand manner and was popularized during the "first monster boom" (1966–1968). Prior to the monster boom, it was known in Japan as tokushu gijutsu or shortened tokugi.
Bin Shimada is a Japanese actor, voice actor and narrator affiliated with the talent management firm Aoni Production.
Otoko wa Tsurai yo is a Japanese film series starring Kiyoshi Atsumi as Torajirō Kuruma, whose nickname is Tora-san (寅さん), a kind-hearted vagabond who is always unlucky in love. The series itself is often referred to as "Tora-san" by its fans. Spanning 48 installments released between 1969 and 1995, all of the Otoko wa Tsurai yo films except episodes 3 and 4 were directed by Yōji Yamada, who also wrote all the screenplays.
Yasuhiro Takato is a Japanese voice actor who works for Aoni Production.
Kaneta Kimotsuki was a Japanese actor and voice actor.
Nao Nagasawa is a Japanese actress, voice actress, former singer and model. She is known for her roles in various tokusatsu series, film, and drama, such as "Nanami Nono / Hurricane Blue" in the series Super Sentai Ninpu Sentai Hurricanger.
Seizō Katō was a Japanese actor, voice actor and narrator who worked for Haikyo.
Ryōichi Tanaka is a Japanese actor and narrator. His late younger brother Kazumi Tanaka was also a voice actor. Tanaka is currently affiliated with Aoni Production.
Riku Sanjo is a Japanese manga writer and screenwriter. He works as a story writer for manga, anime and live-action film. Sanjo graduated from Meiji University.
Hideyo Amamoto was a Japanese actor. He is best known for portraying Dr. Shinigami in the original Kamen Rider series as well as many other characters in tokusatsu films such as the Godzilla series. Amamoto also used the pseudonym of Eisei Amamoto for most of his career, Eisei being a misreading of the kanji in his real name, Hideyo. He died on March 23, 2003, of complications from pneumonia at 77.
Koichi Sakamoto is a Japanese film and television director, stunt performer and coordinator, fight choreographer and producer. He is best known for his work in the tokusatsu genre, particularly for the Power Rangers, Super Sentai and Kamen Rider franchises.
Tamaki Matsumoto is a Japanese actress, voice actress and singer from Yokohama, Kanagawa.
Akihiko Hirata, born Akihiko Onoda, was a Japanese film actor. While Hirata starred in many movies, he is most well known for his work in the kaiju genre, including such films as King Kong vs. Godzilla, The Mysterians, Terror of Mechagodzilla, Godzilla vs. Mechagodzilla, and his most famous role of Dr. Daisuke Serizawa, the brilliant but disturbed young scientist in the original Godzilla, released in 1954. Hirata was married to the popular actress Yoshiko Kuga from 1961 until his death. He died at age 56 in 1984 after a long battle with lung cancer.
Teiji Ōmiya was a Japanese actor, voice actor, and a member of the Tokyo Actor's Consumer's Cooperative Society when he died. He attended Nihon University, but withdrew before completing his degree. He was known for playing the roles of kind old men in many 1970s anime series. During his life, he achieved 3-dan in kendo.
Tora-san, the Expert is a 1982 Japanese comedy film directed by Yoji Yamada. It stars Kiyoshi Atsumi as Torajirō Kuruma (Tora-san), and Yūko Tanaka as his love interest or "Madonna". Tora-san, the Expert is the thirtieth entry in the popular, long-running Otoko wa Tsurai yo series. This became the first Tora-san film to be released on DVD with English subtitles in 16:9 ratio when the Hong Kong label Panorama did so in 2006.
Tora-san's Forbidden Love is a 1984 Japanese comedy film directed by Yoji Yamada. It stars Kiyoshi Atsumi as Torajirō Kuruma (Tora-san), and Reiko Ōhara as his love interest or "Madonna". Tora-san's Forbidden Love is the thirty-fourth entry in the popular, long-running Otoko wa Tsurai yo series.
Runa Natsui is a Japanese actress and model best known for playing the role of Kaoru Shiba in the TV show Samurai Sentai Shinkenger.