Documentary on Shintaro Katsu. (勝 新太郎)

Available in 1080P for best quality and English subtitles are available. Turn on CC, Auto Translate, select your language. A documentary on Shintaro Katsu, the great actor in the Zatoichi movie & TV series. Shintaro Katsu (勝 新太郎) 29 November 1931 – 21 June 1997. Born Toshio Okumura (奥村 利夫 Okumura Toshio). He was the son of Minoru Okumura (奥村 実), a noted kabuki performer who went by the stage name Katsutōji Kineya (杵屋 勝東治) and who was renowned for his nagauta and shamisen skills, and younger brother of actor Tomisaburo Wakayama. Shintaro Katsu began his career in entertainment as a shamisen player. He switched to acting because he noticed it was better paid. In the 1960s he starred simultaneously in three long-running series of films, the Akumyo series, the Hoodlum Soldier series, and the Zatoichi series. He played the role of blind masseur Zatoichi in a series of 25 films between 1962 and 1973, in 100 episodes across a four season television series from 1974 to 1979, and in a 26th and final film in 1989, which he also directed.